Timo Glock, Virgin, Jerez, 2011

Jerez test day 1 in pictures

2011 F1 testing

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The second F1 test session of 2011 has begun at Jerez.

The new McLaren, Force India and Virgin are appearing for the first time at this test.

Here is a selection of pictures from Jerez.

More pictures will be added here throughout the test.

2011 F1 testing

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Images ?é?® F1 Fanatic, Pirelli, Red Bull/Getty images, Ferrari spa, Williams/LAT, Force India F1 Team

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Keith Collantine
Lifelong motor sport fan Keith set up RaceFans in 2005 - when it was originally called F1 Fanatic. Having previously worked as a motoring...

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87 comments on “Jerez test day 1 in pictures”

  1. The overhead shot of Webber shows how insanly brilliant the rear of the RB really is WOW….
    Would love a pic of the Williams from that angle though ;)

    1. Astonishing, especially when compared with the similar angle shot of the Sauber.

      1. I read somewhere that pushrod suspension cannot be as tightly packed as pullrod.If that is the case,then Ferrari have done a brilliant job since their rear is almost as compact as Redbulls.
        Btw,can you tell which type of suspension it is just by looking and whats the main difference between the two?which is better?

        1. I’ve heard about that as well. A pull rod suspension leaves more space for the rear to be packaged efficiently. Check this link out if you want to know more about it.

          http://f1-dictionary.110mb.com/pushrod_pullrod.html

        2. Ferrari do look to have done a good job in this area too.

          You can tell the type of suspension just by looking. There are four main components on display in the rear suspension – the two wishbones, the driveshaft and the push or pullrod. The pushrod or pullrod is the only diagonal member in the rear suspension, whereas the other suspension arms are basically horizontal. A pushrod slopes upwards from the wheel into the chassis. Whereas a pullrod slopes downwards from the wheel into the chassis.

        3. but i think pullrod was more damaging to the tyres

    2. Real tight! The Williams is not only tight, but low as well (only car like that on track), I would love to see that as well.

      1. it needs to set a lap time first!

    1. It has more sposors than the Ferrari!

      1. bar on wheels ;)

      2. Half of them are Vijay’s though ;)

        1. Only half of them?

          I think only Medion isn’t (they are Sutils) and the three small ones at the bottom of the sidepods.

  2. That mclaren looks so funky – not ugly, not pretty

    Maybe Fugly is a good description..

    The sidepods look angled inwards too

    1. But, the mp2-26 is voted as the best looking car in 2011 :)

      1. Who care about poll results?

        1. the reason i brought up the poll result is an intended sarcasm. i am wondering how can the mp4-26 even considered to be a looker, let alone top the poll. to me the whole body of the mp4-26 is too cluttered with bulges, it looks weird.

        2. I think tombong was joking/being sarchastic….i got it tombong

          – on a side note, I do think the mclaren is the most visually interesting..

          I just want to see it in motion on the track as it looks different on the track compared to the press shots…

    1. that is a nice picture. McLaren is really into measuring everything.

  3. That hole for cooling air in the back of the RBR certainly is a try to get some hot air over the beam wing. look how far it sticks in.

    I saw a tweet (F1Enigma) saying something about McLaren running Renault type exhausts. I get the impression FI might be into something like that as well, look at the heat shielding on the front of the floor.

  4. anyone notice the differences in the RBR7?

    1. what? tell us what you saw

    2. I dont see any shark fin

    3. Yes, no shark fin!

        1. I hope it’s missing all season!

          And I know the little fins most of the teams have on their engine covers are for aerodynamic purposes, but I just wish they would all get rid of them, it gives the cars a kind of hunch backed look, whereas without them there would be these graceful sloping curves all the way from the intake to the beam wing, it would look glorious! :)

      1. That’s Alguersuari not Ricciardo in the STR, Keith :)

      2. It’s kind of weird seeing the Red Bull with no shark fin, I’d gotten so used to it.

  5. Maybe I’m missing it, but I can’t see a Kubica message on the Force India. But I understand they’re using today for filming purposes which might explain why.

    1. I also failed to find it, but maybe it will then be there tomorrow; I would hope so, rather sad to be the only ones without …

    2. Don’t they have it even on the front wing?

      1. Nope. If you look at it in full resolution you can clearly see “Make Roads Safe” on the front wing: http://www.f1fanatic.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2011/02/suti_forc_jere_2011-1.jpg

        1. Let us just hope it was only because of the filming / photoshoots then.

  6. Found this picture of
    McLarens car

    What’s up with that diffuser? Is it just a cover or something new they will implement this year? Does anyone know?

    1. Airflow (pressure) sensors.

    2. It is a airflow measuring device

    3. THats just a device for measuring something (guess air speeds in different sectors of the diffusor), it’s what McLaren (and most other teams) always does, measure everything possible.

  7. Looks like McLaren might be venting its exhausts at the tea tray area. Have a look here.

    1. Great scoop picture again Keith. If that works, …

      I would expect the drivers to be even more cooked at races like Malaysia! Or possilby they will alternate configurations depending on track and circumstances (imagine that t-tray scooping up the monsoon water at Korea!)

    2. i cant see were you mean keith?

      1. On the bit where the underside of the car just out forward there are what look suspiciously like exhaust outlets.

        1. I dunno, don’t they seem a bit too obvious? I’d guess they’re fakes to throw people off!

  8. You guys know a good live timing site?

    1. all good…

  9. McLaren has a new looking rear wing, and a swan neck to house the rear wing actuator. That central column looks far back too, with mounting on the beam wing… Ferrari is much more forward.

  10. Has anyone seen where the McLaren’s exhaust is exiting?

    Is it between the rear suspension wish-bones?

  11. MP4 26 exhaust solution.

    http://www.f1technical.net/forum/viewtopic.php?p=224001&f=12

    Certainly more refined than the Renault.

    1. As mentioned in the forum posts following the picture, I too think it is way too small to be an exhaust pipe.

      1. I’m guessing you’re thinking this is a KERS cooling inlet?

        Very doubtful, the drag penalty would be extreme and the intended function of the bib splitter would be compromised by trying to achieve useful airflow both over and through it. Far better to have one function for something that determines performance so strongly. Further to this, whilst the car is in yaw, you would be in danger of creating cyclonics in the inlet which would halt the cooling effect and encourage overheating.

    2. Anyone know what Ferrari is upto with their exhausts??

  12. alonso_elmatador
    10th February 2011, 13:52

    to be honest Ferrari f150 is best looking car.(also all cars looking just as I wanted)I mean all of them are cool.

    Rbr’s engine roof is also cool,its like Newey found something different again.But must be easy to copy.Lets see what ll pushrod ll bring as adv.to Ferrari n Bull??

  13. Ferrari World Abu Dhabi logo on the nose of the F150th Italia.

    1. And here you can see Brembo, SKF and OMR logos that have been moved from the side.

    2. yeah you right

  14. What’s happened here to the rear light?

    1. These look very much like the stickers that get put in various places on the chassis to measure the localised temperature while the car is in motion.

  15. MrEsF1Analysis
    10th February 2011, 14:20

    Allthough its french, I’m using this live ticker:

    http://www.f1-direct.fr/live-essais-prives.php

    I think its better updated than the Williams one and also commented (simple french), telling about longruns and when Hamilton last left the pits.

  16. Looking at the times that the Mercededes W02 is putting up so far i get a bad feeling. They better have a lot of good upgrades before the first race. So far they are awefully slow. Since last summer they were building on the new car and then you see these painfully slow times now. Urggghh.

  17. Keith, for your watermark have you considered something across the centre like what Darren Heath does with his photos? Just have the opacity at like 30% or so.

    1. Where it is right now it can be easily cropped or edited out in some pictures, just thought I’d point it out :)

      1. I don’t think you’d put as a desktop wallpaper a photo with a logo in it’s centre.

  18. Anyone know why Webber stopped?

  19. Any clues on FI? Sill no track time…

  20. Yeh i’d like to know what programme Mercedes were on today. I’m sure this isn’t their ‘legit’ pace. Perhaps they were only doing long runs?

    I must say though, it’s not overly encouraging at first glance, but it can be a bit difficult to not look in to these things.

  21. The McLaren is hideous. I don’t even know where to begin with its aesthetics.

    1. I think it’s rather georgous.
      Dany ? Is that you ?

  22. They even got the Pirelli logos at the right angle for this picture… clever or just lucky? :P

    Also, whats going on with the tyres? they look like very worn Inters.

    1. they probably are, it is testing after all……

      they’re probably seeing how long a set of inters will last when the track dries out, and how much speed they lose per lap….

      or something like that. Its not about going as fast as you can, its about gathering all the data that is going to help you throughout the season.

  23. God that Ferrari actually looks pretty awful. I know there are a few fans, but is anyone with me when I say the shape is very awkward? Slightly chubby too?

    1. im with ya! does look fat up at the sidepods.

    2. I quite like it because it’s simple and clean. I don’t like McLaren’s double airbox and sidepods.

      1. alonso_elmatador
        10th February 2011, 16:44

        mclaren looks bad.and davidson is not a good driver.alexander lyons as well!. so puke (arggh blah!) the end.

        1. Pardon?

  24. Is it just me, or do all the cars look better this year? Can’t put my finger on it, but they all look more pleasing to the eye… My eye, at least :|

    1. NO SHARK FINS!!! I’m so happy that they are gone and I agree with you they all seem better looking this year

      1. that certainly helps!

  25. I love the photos taken from above the pitlane. really good angle.

  26. The photo of Ricciardo is actually Alguersuari.

  27. so glad to see the stupid ‘shark fin’ engine covers gone the cars look far better without them, what does everyone else think?

    1. alonso_elmatador
      10th February 2011, 21:21

      best cars since 1996.(except 07-08 they were special).I hated 2009,liked 2010,loved 2011.

  28. HounslowBusGarage
    10th February 2011, 21:17

    Interesting quote from Hamilton on Autosport

    “We didn’t do enough today – we didn’t do any setup tests; we didn’t use the rear wing and KERS together.

    Didn’t use rear wing and KERS at the same time and recorded fifth fastest time.

  29. Wow, check out the pitot tube arrays on the FW33.

  30. I like it that all cars look quite different from each other this year. Of course they could adopt some of the same solutions along the season, but as it is right now we have a very varied grid wouldn´t you guys agree?

  31. I see Red Bull are running a different engin cover. no more shark fin – for now.

    It looks much better.

  32. I know times aren’t that important at this stage, but Ricciardos effort was excellent in 4th. Is there a possibility that’s he is being considered for Kubicas spot with the RB-Renault connection?

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