Testing teams get to grips with new technology

Valencia

At the end of the first Formula 1 pre-season test, three teams emerged as pace-setters for the hotly-anticipated new season.

It was no real surprise to see Red Bull's world champion Sebastian Vettel become the first to lay down a marker before Fernando Alonso went faster for Ferrari the following day.

But there were also intriguing early signs in Valencia this week that Renault have taken a competitive step forward over the winter.

Kubica

Kubica set fastest time seen so far in winter testing on the final day in Valencia Pic:Getty

The team had produced a self-proclaimed "brave" design concept over the winter and in Spain they revealed the so-far unique approach of having the exhausts exit at the front of the sidepods either side of the driver.

Robert Kubica went on to show it was not simply style over substance by scorching to the fastest time seen so far in winter testing on the final day.

The Pole's time was 0.163 seconds quicker than Alonso and 0.625 secs ahead of Vettel's best.

F1 insiders calculate those three leading times were all set on similar levels of fuel, even though Kubica and Alonso set their times on a five-lap run while Vettel's best came over 10 laps.

Those runs were not in qualifying trim and so all three could, in theory, have gone even faster.

Kubica also encouragingly showed good pace over a 25-lap run with most tours in the 1:16s bracket, while Mark Webber exhibited consistent pace for Red Bull on Thursday in a 20-lap run which mainly consisted of 1:15s.

Kubica, Alonso and Vettel may have tantalised the top of the timesheets but in testing headline lap times don't tell the whole story.

Valencia was the first opportunity for teams to trial their technical updates for the 2011 season.

Yet another raft of rule changes - the return of the Kers energy boost system, the introduction of a moveable rear wing to aid overtaking and the removal of the double diffuser and F-duct aerodynamic aid - has meant a major re-think for design departments.

On top of that there is the problem of understanding how to tease performance out of the Italian Pirelli tyres, back in F1 for the first time since 1991 as single supplier in place of Bridgestone.

It is, in fact, the tyres that have leapt to the top of the teams' concerns about what fortunes lie ahead.

"Tyres are more of an unknown," commented Ferrari technical director Aldo Costa, throwing back an espresso in a single gulp.

"It is a very, very big job to develop the car around the tyres because they have a lot of implications on the car consistency and performance."

Even Red Bull's seemingly unflappable design guru Adrian Newey described it as "difficult to design for the Pirellis".

To a man, the drivers agreed that the Pirellis "went off" - reduced significantly in grip - much quicker than they were used to.

McLaren's Lewis Hamilton said the new rubber did not have "as much grip as the Bridgestones" and was "harder to control over a longer stint".

Kubica agreed with that assessment, adding: "That is why I think the tyres will play a crucial role. You may have to adapt your car set-up, or make the tyres last longer, or work better - that can make a big difference."

Pirelli has been asked to deliberately design less durable tyres in the hope that this will spice up the racing.

The company's motorsport director Paul Hembery batted away the drivers' disappointments.

"There will be no developments [to tyres] made following this test," he explained. "The teams now have to work out how to get the best out of the tyres."

Eight teams rolled out the first interpretations of their 2011 challengers in the Valencia sunshine, while McLaren, Force India, Virgin and Hispania ran last year's cars.

The main priority for teams with the fledging class of 2011 cars was to find out if the new parts were reliable. Only much later will it become clear how much, if any, performance they have added to the car.

"Looking only to our car, yes we are very happy," Costa said. "It needs to be a very balanced approach to be a fast and winning car.

"About the competitors, it's very difficult to understand where they are because it is difficult to see if they are using Kers or not, the rear wing or not, what kind of tyre they are using, how much fuel..."

The teams fiercely protected their secrets behind towering screens, guarded garage doors and under billowing sheaths. When Felipe Massa dramatically stopped on track on Thursday, crimson-clad Ferrari employees remarkably managed to hang a concealing cover underneath the car.

As always, the teams were keeping their cards close to their chest about the specifics of their programmes.

Most teams testing the 2011 cars had Kers installed for the majority of the running, even if they weren't actually powering it up.

Ferrari, Renault and Red Bull ran smoothly while Mercedes reported their Kers system was behind some of their teething problems, even though Mercedes had the most reliable when it was last deployed in 2009.

"We've got some areas that were getting a little bit too hot," Mercedes boss Ross Brawn said coolly.

The moveable rear wings also seemed to be a relatively trouble-free addition. The concept is such an integral part of the design rules that even if the wings played a passive role in testing they were still worth having on the car.

It will be up to the drivers to master the devices and with more buttons to press on the steering wheel that may not be quite so straightforward.

"In terms of all the other things we are operating from the cockpit, last year we had quite a bit to do and that was quite a challenge," Webber said.

"It's no big surprise to us that we might have to learn some new techniques this year but as long as you can still watch the road, that's the most important thing."

In less than a week, round two of testing begins in Jerez, where McLaren will also introduce their new challenger - which is being unveiled on Friday - to the pack.

Teams vying to rein in Red Bull talked with a beguiling mix of mystery and confidence about unspecified new developments in the pipeline.

But the clock is already ticking and there are just 12 days of testing left before the teams face up to reality in Bahrain's opening grand prix.

Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/sarahholt/2011/02/testing_teams_get_to_grips_wit.html

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F1: Mercedes buyout ?won?t change team?

Mercedes buyout 'won't change team' By Edd Straw Monday, February 28th 2011, 12:50 GMT No changes will be made to the way that Mercedes GP is run after Daimler AG and Aabar Investments took full control of the team, according to the German firm's motorsport boss Norbert Haug. It was announced this morning that Mercedes and Aabar had acquired the remaining 24.9 per cent of the team, which was owned by the five shareholders involved in the original management buyout of Honda in 2009 - Ross Brawn, Nick Fry, Caroline McGrory, John Marsden and Nigel Kerr. Related posts:
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Source: http://doxcar.com/f1-mercedes-buyout-wont-change-team/

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Source: http://adamcooperf1.com/2011/03/27/no-performance-advantage-says-saubers-james-key/

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Mercedes E-Class Convertible by MEC Design


There are certain vehicles that we know are just going to be widely received amongst tuners everywhere. These are the cars that will have more tuning packages than anyone will ever need. The Mercedes E-Class Cabrio wouldn’t be on our top ten list of these cars. However, the luxury sedan has seen packages from Binz, Prior Design, BD Motor, and now, MEC Design. MEC Design’s package for the E-Class is based on the E350 CDI model and only gives way for some small exterior changes.

The package starts off with a 35mm lowering of the springs and a new set of 20" MEC Design mecxtremeIII wheels wrapped in 235/30 + 10.5×20 with 285/25 ZR 20 tires. A new rear diffuser and a new exhaust system with a four pipe rear muffler have also been added, and some light body work can be added on the rear axle if the customer so chooses.

Overall, not a great package, but will make a conservative E-Class owner very happy.

Mercedes E-Class Convertible by MEC Design originally appeared on topspeed.com on Friday, 25 March 2011 17:00 EST.

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Source: http://www.topspeed.com/cars/mercedes/2011-mercedes-e-class-convertible-by-mec-design-ar107048.html

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Champions Red Bull the centre of attention

Valencia

On a cold January morning in Valencia it was hard for Red Bull to bask in their glories of last season's double championship success as they unveiled their 2011 challenger.

World champion Sebastian Vettel wisely wore a woolly hat and a blond beard as he and team-mate Mark Webber shiveringly unsheathed the RB7.

There was even an early attempt to burst Red Bull's bubble when a plucky journalist asked in the team's first media conference of the new season, "Have you thought that this car could be complete junk?"

Webber stared into the middle distance, designer Adrian Newey fashioned a face of indifference and it was left to Vettel to answer in shock, "No!"

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By the end of the first day, Vettel had emphatically answered the question on the track by holding sway at the top of the timesheets.

The world champion was more than 0.7 seconds ahead of the next 2011 car, which happened to belong to the man he beat to the 2010 crown, Ferrari's Fernando Alonso.

Times don't count for much on the first day of winter testing as the teams are furiously tinkering with the cars, running with unknown amounts of fuel on board and learning how to adapt to the Pirelli tyres, which will be used instead of Bridgestone this season.

But Vettel's marker was undeniably a statement of intent - Red Bull are out to defend both titles.

"It's a good sign," Vettel commented after his first day back in the cockpit. "Generally it's better to be on top of the ranking than being at the other end.

"What we achieved [in 2010] made us all very proud and no-one can take it away from us.

"But we have to develop on how good we were last year or the others will pass us. We have to stay focused, keep learning and keep trying to get better. If we just have the same approach as last year then we won't move forward."

Red Bull were cagey about the specific design changes and upgrades to the 2011 car.

Perhaps you cannot blame them when some of the other teams were hovering amid the media throng at the Red Bull launch trying to get a glimpse of Newey's latest creation. One rival team representative was even spotted unsubtly snapping away with a long-range zoom lens.

Red Bull simply say that the car is an evolution of its 2010 championship-winning vehicle and that a lot of the changes are "beneath the skin".

The principal tasks for all teams is in incorporating 2011's regulation changes which include the addition of a movable rear wing to aid overtaking, the return of 2009's Kers energy recovery and power boost system and the removal of the double diffuser, as well as gaining an understanding of the new Pirelli tyres.

Unlike last season, when they skipped the first test to spend more time honing the car at their Milton Keynes factory, Red Bull arrived at the opening test determined to take full advantage of the 15 days of testing before the first race of the season next month.

"We felt that the car was ready to be released," explained Newey. "It's always a balance of research time versus development time in terms of performance and reliability. I was keen to get the car out for the first test.

"It's difficult to design the car for the Pirelli tyres. Packaging for Kers is a challenge and no doubt McLaren, Ferrari and Mercedes will have Kers and will be competitive and so for no other reason we need to get it to work for performance off the line.

"In terms of performance we are all struggling to recover the downforce we lost through the double diffuser.

"It is a period of nervousness for us but also a period of excitement."

While Newey grapples with the nuances of designing another peerless car, team boss Christian Horner is tasked with avoiding a repeat of the tensions within his team that threatened to derail last season's championships.

Friction between Vettel and Webber memorably spilled over onto the track at the Turkish Grand Prix when Vettel crashed out in an attempt to pass his team-mate for the lead.

"They'll push each other hard but I don't think they'll push each other too hard as they did in Istanbul," Horner commented.

"They have number one and number two on their cars but that is in many ways irrelevant. We give both drivers equal priority and that's the way we will treat them in 2011."

In their first appearance ahead of the new season, Red Bull presented a united front as a team hungry for more success. With the world champion leading the field, the fastest car on the track and the largest motorhome in the paddock, they already look every inch like being the team to beat when racing resumes next month in Bahrain.

Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/sarahholt/2011/02/champions_red_bull_the_centre.html

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Vettel quickest

Sebastian Vettel set the fastest lap of the Q1 session in Melbourne, a tenth ahead of Lewis Hamilton’s McLaren with Vitaly Petrov third for Renault. The bad news for the Enstone team was that Nick Heidfeld was out after ending up 17th in the session. Also out were the two Lotuses of Heikki Kovalainen and [...]

Source: http://joesaward.wordpress.com/2011/03/26/vettel-quickest/

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