F1 Testing
 

Looks like Maldonado was fastest at Barcelona testing today. Kimi 2nd. Sauber looking good also with new guy Nasr.

Might be a competitive year. Hope Pastor can keep it going, with fewer crashes
this year. Less than a month to Aus. http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1424378091.jpg

I thought it was supposed to be another mop-up year for Mercedes, given the engine freeze. What happened?

This is what was said today, re Merc. Hamilton is sick and Rosberg is outta shape.
"Not fit"??

Pastor was on low fuel with sticky tires. It's called "fishing for sponsors" ;-) Others were doing long term runs. Yet others were busy crashing into one another (Mrs Wolff). But it's a good sign, the car will definitely be more capable this year !!!

^^^ LMAO! I couldn't agree more.

Aero devices
 

Sure awkward looking. Good thing they're only testing.http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1424453224.jpgcouple

^^^ for pressure mapping the front wheel wake^^^

Roseberg
 

Has Nico got the Tony Stewart look going on? Looks like he might have put on a coup[le of pounds. Maybe just me.http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1424454206.jpg

It's the newlywed 15.

i think Mercedes is sand bagging quite a bit, but it also looks like ferrari and several other teams might be able to make a go at it too. williams wasn't too far off the mercedes pace last year, and ferrari is dealing with them quite well. all smiles in the ferrari pits too, vettle and kimi both gushing about the car. kimi ... gushing ... i mean thats something. he didnt even gush about the lotus when he was 3rd that one year, and that was a nice car.

there are a lot of teams looking FAR better than they did last year, and if mercedes do win, at least its gonna be a pretty honest fight.

mcclarren honda ... eek

why would you ever get married as an F1 driver ... :rolleyes:

It is called love. Normal human thing.

Yeah, but love can still happen after you've slept with all the supermodels in Europe (and maybe a couple threesomes with french twins). His wife is OK, but nothing too special.

Today, Alonso crashed hard enough to be airlifted but said to be OK. Lotus fast with Grosjean, so maybe Lotus might have a better year. I know most think all the big guns are sand baggin' but lets hope some of the smaller teams can have a bit of success for a change this year.

Anyone know yet why Alonso crashed (no Briatore jokes please)?

Second test is still about data collection and tire and suspension setup. Not outright speed. Times really don't mean that much

lots of guesses

some think he was shocked/passed out/seizure before the car hit the wall

no official explanation

That makes sense. Vettel says he veered across the track and smacked the wall, and a photographer says that he bounced along the grass while scraping the wall and came slowly to a stop. That sounds like he was knocked out or perhaps was being shocked, hence the seizure. Pictures afterwards show him lying on the ground. It's just creepy and all bad.

My first thought was driveshaft or suspension failure.

No more Alonso at Ferrari, is going to help them a LOT. I've been saying it for years.

Ferrari, with Kimi, and has engineer from Lotus are going to give them a car that can get back on the podium.

The engine differential was mostly with cooling. Mercedes opted for more aero drag in exchange for higher engine efficiency(power).

The freeze allows a gradually limiting amount of changes each season. The 2014 design is not locked in, about 40% of the engine could be changed if so desired IIRC. It reduces each year.