Felipe Massa quickest on first day at Jerez

71 comments on “Felipe Massa quickest on first day at Jerez”

1. 

   BBQ2
   10th February 2011, 16:11

   Yeah Day1 ended and we still have not seen the exit of the MP4-26’s exhaust pipe :(

   AFAIK, no picture is conclusive yet.
2. 

   SteveMovieVoice (@welshf1)
   10th February 2011, 16:12

   Why is Maldonado so slow? Was he just doing high fuel runs?
   1. 

      David-A (@david-a)
      10th February 2011, 16:18

      He better have been…
   2. 

      F1iLike
      10th February 2011, 16:30

      My guess is they have a 3-race-fueltank this year…
      1. 

         Jucksman
         10th February 2011, 16:59

         He only did 14 laps…probably had some kind of problem…Never expected him to be fast right away, but that’s too slow for someone without any problems
3. 

   Keith Collantine (@keithcollantine)
   10th February 2011, 16:13

   Pastor Maldonado did very little running due to a rear wing problem on his Williams.
   1. 

      icytrue
      10th February 2011, 16:28

      is this perhaps a result of them having a hydraulic activated wing rather than one operated with an electric motor?
   2. 

      icytrue
      10th February 2011, 16:31

      actually do we know if any other teams have gone with hydraulic solution to the rear wing aside from Williams?
   3. 

      BasCB (@bascb)
      10th February 2011, 18:46

      Something withe the innovative suspension in connection with the adjustable part jamming?
4. 

   Calum
   10th February 2011, 16:15

   Oh God, day 1 and we are only 5th and 2 seconds off the pace!

   No, wait it’s only testing. ;)

   I laughed when I saw F150th Italia written in full. I guess it’s just a formality now.
   1. 

      Fixy (@)
      10th February 2011, 16:17

      I laughed when I saw F150th Italia written in full. I guess it’s just a formality now.

      All teams use numbers and/or abbreviations, that name of the car is longer than Sauber-Ferrari C30.
      1. 

         ed24f1 (@ed24f1)
         10th February 2011, 17:16

         C30 will have to change though when Volvo get their way :P
         1. 

            davey (@djdaveyp87)
            10th February 2011, 17:35

            Good point! Is volvo owned by ford?
            1. 

               Electrolite
               10th February 2011, 18:39

               I believe it is!
            2. 

               DeadManWoking
               10th February 2011, 20:15

               Ford sold Volvo to Geely of China last year.
            3. 

               ram
               10th February 2011, 20:45

               Volvo is owned by Chinese company named `Geely`.
5. 

   Fixy (@)
   10th February 2011, 16:15

   Good, two Ferrari engines in the first two places!
   Ricciardo was significantly faster than Alguersuari, if both run low on fuel.
   1. 

      ed24f1 (@ed24f1)
      10th February 2011, 17:15

      yes, a good day for Ferrari engines with Ricciardo up there as well!
6. 

   S.J.M (@sjm)
   10th February 2011, 16:16

   I know its only the 1st day of Test #2 but is anyone else lookng at the Merc and feeling a little worried for them? I know and yes, i know that we dont know the fuelloads (true of any team). And its breaking down a bit. Is it a worrying sign? That said, it could be the worlds biggest bluff to hide their true speed.

   Massa did 101 laps !!! And no fire this time! Good for him.
   1. 

      Adam Tate (@adam-tate)
      10th February 2011, 17:10

      Yes, the reliability of the new Ferrari is looking good. Massa went fastest today and although it is hard to judge anything from testing times that can only be a good sign. Have we heard anything from the drivers yet Keith? Does Massa like these new tires better. It will be a much better season if he and Schumi perform better on the new tires.
      1. 

         US_Peter (@us_peter)
         11th February 2011, 1:40

         I’d be interested to hear both Massa and Schumacher’s thoughts on the new tires as well.

         So far it’s looking just like last winter where Ferrari logged far and away the most mileage of anyone in testing.
   2. 

      Magilla Gorilla
      12th February 2011, 3:12

      It’s funny you were worried about it after seeing day two of testing.
7. 

   danielbts
   10th February 2011, 16:16

   Why have the Mercedes been so slow all through testing so far?
   1. 

      howick20
      10th February 2011, 16:21

      Silly question, no-one knows but Ross Brawn and the two germans with the helmets
      1. 

         danielbts
         10th February 2011, 16:32

         Was less a question, more a talking point but thanks for your input. It was invaluable.
      2. 

         Merk
         10th February 2011, 16:55

         I hope Mercedes is just focusing on heavy fuel and worn tires. It would be a shame if they’ve been taking stabs at qualifying laps and have been way off the pace. I wouldn’t be surprised through becuase this team is made up of the same personnel that produced jenson buttons epic honda flop in 2007/2008.

         Testing kills me, no matter how much we analyse the data, we’ll really never know.
         1. 

            bleeps_and_tweaks
            10th February 2011, 17:15

            I know what you mean @danielbts and @Merk, testing is a bit of grief, I wish they would publish the fuel loads or something, but I imagine that would ruin the suspense!! As for Mercedes GP, I too am a bit worried about their pace and reliability. Obviously all the normal variables of testing apply, but for some reason I just don’t think it looks all that fast, and there are still quite a few elements on the car that look like the Brawn GP car, and a lot has changed since then. As Vettel said in Valencia, it’s only testing, but it’s better to be at the top than the bottom.
            1. 

               Todfod (@todfod)
               10th February 2011, 18:31

               I think they are sandbagging. Over the next couple of days we should get a more accurate picture of the times they can put it. Rosberg seems to be having issues with the car though.
            2. 

               Dianna
               10th February 2011, 18:38

               Todd,who would you like to see replace Kubica?
               Apparently on ESPN it is saying that the Mercedes problem is now all sorted ready for Michael’s stint tomorrow..
            3. 

               Solo (@solo)
               10th February 2011, 19:00

               I think most of you must realize that even knowing the fuel loads would not solve the puzzle at all.
               First this cars have many developments absent that they will have in the first race but more importantly you have to stop assuming that the drivers always make a lap at full speed when testing because they do not.
               They might push for half a lap and lift off in the other half and things like that or just go at mediocre pace for many laps. You just don’t know.
            4. 

               Todfod (@todfod)
               10th February 2011, 19:01

               It would be great to see Heidfeld have a last shot at F1 in a reasonably competitive drive. But is Bruno can show some serious pace, I would be fine with him as well. Who are you rooting for?
            5. 

               Dianna
               10th February 2011, 22:09

               Heidfield Todfod,same as you.I have a feeling he will clinch this,best man in my opinion.
   2. 

      Lee
      10th February 2011, 23:31

      Sometimes the Engineers just want the drivers to put in consistent laps to get good and consistent data from all the sensors and make sure everything matches with what the simulators are showing. Some teams may be full of fuel all day while others may put in a few low fuel runs, some teams may be using super softs while others may be using hard compounds. Testing is called testing for a reason which is why it is such a folly to compare cars at this stage.
8. 

   howick20
   10th February 2011, 16:19

   Mercedes seems to be struggling for pure pace. And you can bang on at me oall you like about the fuel loads and such, yet they were average in valenica and there average now. Time will tell……
   1. 

      Dianna
      10th February 2011, 18:26

      Nico did 65 laps,and said the Kers was working well.Michael Schumacher takes over Friday & Sat (I think) so perhaps he will be better than Nico.Doubtless the team are working round any problems,after all these tests are just that tests.
      Fingers crossed that the car goes well for Michael tomorrow.
      1. 

         BasCB (@bascb)
         10th February 2011, 18:49

         I got the impression they are still having some issues with the KERS and possilby also with tuning the wing.
         On the other hand it is not really encouraging and last year at the same point in time we were making up the same sort of exuses for them.
         1. 

            Dianna
            10th February 2011, 22:15

            No,no excuses Bascb,don’t worry,I think we are forgetting that Michael is far more settled in this car.

            I know Rosberg has done well but against Schumachers experience of over 20 years, it is perfectly obvious who has the knowledge and foresight to overcome obstacles this year.With Brawn and Schumacher — just as they were at Ferrari,they are together, a powerful force to be reckoned with.

            This is why Michael let Rosberg go first LOL :)
            1. 

               IceMan
               11th February 2011, 7:31

               I hope your are right, but i am still worrried about Mercedes.
9. 

   superted666
   10th February 2011, 16:40

   We cant vouch for tactics but the Mclaren looks a little slow too. I would of thought Lewis would of given it one lap in anger if only to give button a target tomorrow.
   1. 

      S.J.M (@sjm)
      10th February 2011, 17:15

      Its the first time they’ve driven the car from the box. Remember that other teams have had 3 days of testing at Valencia in their ’11 challengers and know the setups and cars a lot better then the Woking boys. Dont read into this too much.
      1. 

         Keith Collantine (@keithcollantine)
         10th February 2011, 18:09

         Actually it’s not – it was shaken down by Gary Paffett between the launch and today.
         1. 

            S.J.M (@sjm)
            10th February 2011, 18:21

            i stand corrected ;)
         2. 

            BasCB (@bascb)
            10th February 2011, 18:50

            But I suppose there was still a lot of new things for them to try out on track. Get KERS functionality confirmed, test the rear wing flap and off course find their own exhausts!
            1. 

               Keith Collantine (@keithcollantine)
               10th February 2011, 18:59

               Oh yeah definitely, I’m not disagreeing with your point.
   2. 

      Electrolite
      10th February 2011, 18:44

      To be fair, a lot of the others, particularly Felipe Massa who came out on top today, is much more used to his car. he’s done a ton of laps already, whereas this is Lewis’ first go. So if his fastest lap was done in anger, it’s not that bad in my eyes.
   3. 

      Lee
      10th February 2011, 23:35

      Remember last year Williams were one of the fastest in testing……

      There is very little for the casual observer to tell from testing as we have no idea what the teams are testing. In order to get consistent data it is important for drivers to put in consistent laps and that means not going all out.
      1. 

         US_Peter (@us_peter)
         11th February 2011, 1:50

         …and Sauber.
10. 

    Dan Selby
    10th February 2011, 16:48

    Nah this is their first day with the new car. I would not look in to anything just yet.

    The Mercedes however, I am slightly concerned with.

    Pace, you can sandbag. Technical problems however… Well, I suppose we shouldn’t rule out the idea of ‘planned problems’, knowing Formula One!
11. 

    Racefan
    10th February 2011, 17:02

    This year, it’s even more difficult to judge from testing because we don’t know who used more rear wing adjustments.
12. 

    Gustav
    10th February 2011, 17:36

    I really don’t hope for Hamilton and McLaren’s sake that they are once again 1 second off pace.. That would be a disaster..
13. 

    Icthyes
    10th February 2011, 17:40

    I recall Massa being fastest last year too. It’s better to be at the top but by no means definitive.
    1. 

       Todfod (@todfod)
       10th February 2011, 18:49

       Yep. I clearly remember Fernando and Massa dominating the time sheets in the first two tests, and I think Lewis put up the fastest time in the 3rd. No one thought Red Bull would dominate from the 1st race onwards.

       I have a feeling Mercedes is kind of sandbagging as well…
       1. 

          BasCB (@bascb)
          10th February 2011, 18:53

          To be fair, quit a lot of people had the impression Red Bull were not showing their hand, actually they showed it only in Q3 in Bahrain.

          But surely Ferrari being fastest does not mean they are the car to beat this year, only means they have reliability stable, just like last season.
          1. 

             US_Peter (@us_peter)
             11th February 2011, 1:52

             Everyone thought Ferrari were the car to beat after testing last year, and to a degree even after Bahrain, where Webber didn’t qualify well, but Vettel did. Maybe Webber hadn’t gotten the memo to stop sandbagging yet at that point.
             1. 

                Todfod (@todfod)
                11th February 2011, 6:22

                Hahahahahaha..
14. 

    iceshiel
    10th February 2011, 18:04

    I know testing times are unreliable but the new teams look like they haven’t progressed much since last year.
15. 

    verstappen
    10th February 2011, 18:10

    Oh man, I really hope Mercedes is testing other things then the rest.

    Since the Brawn 2009 was fast from the first tests onward, we can only hope Brawn changed his approach to testing. That could be the case, because the car did suffer on worn tyres last year.

    But maybe Brawn is not so good with limited resources?
    1. 

       Alexi
       10th February 2011, 20:58

       Well Brawn Gp needed to be fast from the very beginning, due to their lack of sponsors.
16. 

    Marc Connell
    10th February 2011, 18:15

    i think mclaren are just playing around and fixing things that will likely break in a full race before showing the cars real pace. how many mechanical problems did they have last year? (Excluding driver error and tyre blow outs due to crap on the track)
17. 

    AndrewTanner (@andrewtanner)
    10th February 2011, 18:17

    Good to know Petrov is up to his old tricks! I bet he got out and just scratched his head.
    1. 

       Todfod (@todfod)
       10th February 2011, 18:37

       LOL. What else could he have done?
    2. 

       BasCB (@bascb)
       10th February 2011, 19:19

       I understood Renault sent a whole bus of technics to the scene to do whatever they did before anyone towed it off.

       Might have been KERS risks, or the exhausts overheating or whatever, but as Todfod writes, what else should Petrov have done to get out of the gravel trap.
18. 

    SchumiVroooom
    10th February 2011, 19:18

    i realy hope Mercedes hasnt produced one big flopper. Last year during testing they had a similar performance, meaning nowhere near the top times during test sessions. The result was a long and painfull season for Schumi fan. Ive got a bad bad feeling. Urrggh.
    1. 

       Dianna
       10th February 2011, 22:24

       COOL HEADS NEEDED!!ALL MERCEDES FANS!!

       Michael will get the best out of the car over the next 2 days – he was a different driver in the last quarter of 2010,he still has plenty of time,with Ross, to overcome niggling problems.
       OK,Ferrari and RB have been flying,but as the Maestro said once,a lot can happen in a short time in F1.
       Michael will be up there with the best.Have faith :)
19. 

    Fixy (@)
    10th February 2011, 19:38

    1 Felipe Massa Ferrari F150th Italia 1’20.709 101

    Is it correst? At the start of the test the car was still called F150. Ah no, it was always called F150th Italia, it was just abbreviated.
20. 

    Stefanauss (@stefanauss)
    10th February 2011, 19:51

    It amuses me how Pirelly just found out about Direct Proportionality.

    And Mercedes, it worries me. I know it’s not conclusive at all, but it does.
    1. 

       Mouse_Nightshirt (@mouse_nightshirt)
       10th February 2011, 19:54

       I was just thinking the same about Pirelli. Yeah, thanks Pirelli for that info on compounds… :)
    2. 

       Stefanauss (@stefanauss)
       10th February 2011, 20:05

       OMG, i must stop writing “Pirelly”. It’s at least the 3rd time i make this mistake here.
       And i’m Italian =/
21. 

    Paul Grainger
    11th February 2011, 1:37

    I can’t believe no one has picked up that Red Bull might have been running forward facing exhausts yesterday. Have a look at some of the high-res pictures that Keith has uploaded of the Red Bull and you will clearly see that there are no exhaust openings at the back any more (as there were in the launch photos). The side on shot of the Red Bull, when viewed close up in high-res, you can see the slightest little puff of flames or sparks or something coming from ‘in front’ of the sidepods. When have you ever seen sparks in that part of the car before? What do you guys think?
22. 

    wasiF1 (@wasif1)
    11th February 2011, 1:59

    Good start for Massa as he run was limited by that fire in Valencia. The most worrying is to me is Mercedes they have two major problem in back to back testing,forget about the pace of the car,reliability is the main thing now the team have to fight.
23. 

    spree (@spree)
    11th February 2011, 4:29

    I was hoping the new teams, particularly Team Lotus, would closer to the front runners, but, at least at this point, it doesn’t appear so.

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