Mercedes end test on top after last-gasp effort by Verstappen

27 comments on “Mercedes end test on top after last-gasp effort by Verstappen”

1. 

   Jin
   28th February 2020, 17:27

   Verstappen put the brakes before the finish he was 3 tenths faster in the first sector on C4. Cant wait for quali in Melbourne. I’m actually more curious where Ferrari will be though.
   1. 

      Jere (@jerejj)
      28th February 2020, 17:42

      @Jin More likely just lifted off, though, rather than actually applied the brakes.
      1. 

         bosyber (@bosyber)
         28th February 2020, 18:42

         @jerejj yeah, the first try, on C4 he made a mistake in the chicane, and on the last, on C5, he made a mistake before that. So not easy getting Bottas time in those circumstances with the red bull
   2. 

      Sensord4notbeingafanboi (@peartree)
      28th February 2020, 20:11

      Don’t be hopeful, Max was spectacular but he didn’t hooked up a perfect lap besides the car was understeering a lot on s3. Max was encouragingly on a harder tyre but the mercs were really really down on power.
   3. 

      JI
      29th February 2020, 0:33

      Verstappen never tested the C5..only the C4..so get ur facts straight pls
2. 

   Aiii (@)
   28th February 2020, 17:31

   While there’s obviously no real conclusions to draw from testing times, Verstappen being quicker on a slower tire on a colder track before lifting off to come in slower across the line has me optimistic for this season. Could be a banger.
   1. 

      Robbie (@robbie)
      28th February 2020, 23:14

      Me too. Without knowing what exactly to think of RBR’s standing after testing, I have this gut feeling, ok maybe it’s just big hope for Max, that they’re going to be really strong this year, at more than just specific venues too.
3. 

   ColdFly (@)
   28th February 2020, 17:39

   I think there is more speed in at least the top-3 teams.
   Otherwise F1.5 would be all but gone: Ocon was 0.237 off on C4 (vs Bottas on C5); Perez 0.438 and Kvyat 0.718 slower on the 2-step harder C3’s.
4. 

   Jelle van der Meer (@)
   28th February 2020, 18:10

   Keith something is wrong with the order – Max set the 2nd fastest lap but is ranked 4th in your overview.
   Also that time of 1:16:269 Max set on C4 not on C5 to my knowledge.
   1. 

      Guybrush Threepwood (@guybrushthreepwood)
      28th February 2020, 20:37

      I was trying to figure that out myself. The table had me more excited for Renault than reality probably permits.
5. 

   Cristiano Ferreira
   28th February 2020, 19:02

   Did McLaren ever used C5 tyres for their best laps yet? Every time i check, i see that their best laps across all 6 days of testing were doing using C3 and C4 compounds. Is that correct?
   1. 

      SpaFrancorchamps (@spafrancorchamps)
      28th February 2020, 22:08

      Their best time is a 1:16.8 on the C3 tyre. Their long runs look really good. Car seems stable and friendly on the tyres. I’m not ruling them out for being the 4th team in Melbourne. Quitte anonymously they’ve racked up over 800 laps, without a single failure. They’ve only really pushed this morning, and not with qualy loads either. They seem very confident and happy about their car.

      It would be best for F1 if they were to be ahead of PM.
      1. 

         Cristiano Ferreira
         29th February 2020, 1:38

         As a McLaren supporter i feel happy to know that, which means they still have more pace in the car once they put the C5 compound. :)

         I hope they wipe the floor with Racing Point in Melbourne.
   2. 

      Pironi the Provocateur (@pironitheprovocateur)
      28th February 2020, 22:11

      You’re right. Their best time was set on C3 (1:16.822, I don’t count the C4 lap which was only two thousands of a second faster), their stints with C4 were very brief and I would actually say that also C3 runs were rather limited. McLaren clearly hasn’t extracted everything from this compound. No serious business with C5 at all.
6. 

   ForzaAlonsoF1
   28th February 2020, 19:39

   Captain required : does anyone know if LEC’s 181 laps breaks the testing record which I believe was held by Rosberg?
   1. 

      Mashiat (@mashiat)
      28th February 2020, 22:15

      It was held by Vettel last year I believe with 169 laps. And it is now Leclerc’s, if I’m not mistaken.
7. 

   JohnH (@johnrkh)
   28th February 2020, 20:33

   I’ll wait for the racing to start to see who is fast and who isn’t.
   1. 

      erikje
      28th February 2020, 22:02

      Better wait for the finish to make up your mind.
      Or the last race… or next year.. or..
      wait..
      1. 

         Robbie (@robbie)
         28th February 2020, 23:16

         My guess…Mercedes, RBR, Ferrari, Mac, in that order, then who knows…
8. 

   Patrick (@anunaki)
   28th February 2020, 20:39

   Eye witnesses told on Twitter Max slowed down a lot in his fastest lap before crossing the line.

   For what it’s worth
   1. 

      Robbie (@robbie)
      28th February 2020, 23:16

      Yup…his car was so fast it scared him;)
9. 

   w0o0dy
   28th February 2020, 22:07

   The way Max braked just before the finish tells me they wanted a really quick time but not one officially on the board. Redbull can calculate what that last lap would have been had he not braked. So they know he could have been a couple of tenths faster than everyone else today. Does that mean it’s the fastest car? Not sure since Bottas did a significantly faster time in week 1. I do feel this year Mercedes has a fight on their hands. Hopefully the tension of a close championship fight will be with us all year long.
   1. 

      SpaFrancorchamps (@spafrancorchamps)
      28th February 2020, 22:10

      So can everyone else calculate what his lap time would have been. It’s so pointless to break before the flag.
      1. 

         SpaFrancorchamps (@spafrancorchamps)
         28th February 2020, 22:11

         And although it’s indeed pointless to break before the flag, so it is to brake before the flag.
         1. 

            Mashiat (@mashiat)
            28th February 2020, 22:18

            @spafrancorchamps Ferrari did something similar in 2017 I believe. And some journalists got pretty upset with that, saying stuff like “Do they think we’re idiots?!”.
         2. 

            Johns
            29th February 2020, 5:13

            I see what you did there. Both are true.
      2. 

         w0o0dy
         29th February 2020, 9:01

         @spafrancorchamps: no team has the exact data about the deceleration, but Redbull does. So no not everyone can calculate exactly what the time would have been…

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