Kimi Raikkonen says Ferrari can go even quicker after ending the final pre-season test of 2017 on top.
His lap of 1’18.634 this morning stood as the best of any team in the test by more than six-tenths of a second.
“You try to go as fast as you can whatever we decide to do,” he added.
“There’s a lot of things that we can improve and do better,” said Raikkonen, “but that’s part of testing.”
“We can be quite pleased with how it felt this morning. It’s one of the better days than we’ve had these two weeks. It’s early days. So far it’s OK but let’s see when the season starts,”
“Where we’re going to be in the first race I don’t know,” he added. “It’s the same story every winter.”
Raikkonen doubts the change in aerodynamic and tyre rules this year will play to his strength as a driver.
“I don’t think this is something an awful lot different from last year,” he said. “the tyres are a bit different, that’s changed a little bit, I wouldn’t say it’s better for me than somebody else.”
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Jere (@jerejj)
10th March 2017, 21:12
Only around three tenths slower than the fastest ever lap of the current layout of this circuit.
Jere (@jerejj)
10th March 2017, 21:15
Which is a bit disappointing as I was hoping for either a high-17 or low-18 time, but nevertheless mid-18 is astonishing as well.
Mashiat (@mashiat)
11th March 2017, 4:04
@jerejj I’m pretty sure this is the lap record
Eero Rantala
11th March 2017, 7:08
Barcelona fastest lap ever, until now
Fastest lap 1’19.954 (Rubens Barrichello, 2009, )
MG421982 (@)
11th March 2017, 11:28
That’s the OFFICIAL fastest lap ever!! It means a lap set on the race (laps from Quali and Practices do not count as OFFICIAL)! The (unofficial) fastest lap ever is 1:18.339, set by Felipe Massa in 2008 tests.
MG421982 (@)
11th March 2017, 8:56
@ Mashiat: no, it’s not.
From Wikipedia: Felipe Massa set a time of 1:18.339 during 2008 F1 testing using a Ferrari F2008. Kimi Räikkönen managed a 1:18.634 on F1 testing, in 10 March 2017, being those the only instances when a time lower than 1:19 was achieved.
Mashiat (@mashiat)
11th March 2017, 16:32
@corrado-dub Wait, if Massa managed a 1:18.339 in testing, how did no one even get within 6 tenths of that?!
The Last Pope (@the-last-pope)
11th March 2017, 18:12
@masiat Yeah Ferrari looked really good in testing that year. IIRC there was even some question over whether they still had some kind of traction control (TC being newly banned for 2008).
The Last Pope (@the-last-pope)
11th March 2017, 18:13
@mashiat
Jere (@jerejj)
11th March 2017, 19:59
@corrado-dub As far as I know Alonso set a time of 1:18.4something in the test as Massa 1:18.339, so to my knowledge at least three drivers have managed a lap time lower than 1:19.000 on the current layout.
Jere (@jerejj)
11th March 2017, 19:59
‘in the same test’
Rick (@)
10th March 2017, 21:20
Bwoah, I don’t know I guess I was just cruising.
digitalrurouni
11th March 2017, 1:08
Bwoah power! I’m so excited for Melbourne!
Knight
11th March 2017, 12:09
Bwoah , Mercedes is the car to beat for second place .
Peppermint-Lemon (@)
11th March 2017, 18:27
Nice lets hope they’re the fastest team come Melbourne
Bob (@denovoinnc)
13th March 2017, 0:58
Very little can be inferred from F1 practice, but very much can be inferred from the times. These cars produce 30% more downforce and my bet is that they will smash track records (of ay sort) at every track…some by as much as 5 seconds.