Barcelona: Day Two, Three & Four

Pre-season testing is nearing a very sudden end, it's then only two weeks away until the lights go out in Melbourne, it still seems a lifetime away! It hasn't gotten any drier for the teams, something which is really hampering development of the 2013 models. 

Day Two Final Standings

1. Romain Grosjean (Lotus) – 1:22.716s
2. Jenson Button (McLaren) – 1:23.181s
3. Pastor Maldonado (Williams) – 1:23.628s
4. Sebastian Vettel (Red Bull) – 1:23.743s
5. Nico Hulkenberg (Sauber) – 1:23.744s
6. Adrian Sutil (Force India) – 1:24.215s
7. Daniel Ricciardo (Toro Rosso) – 1:25.483s
8. Max Chilton (Marussia) – 1:25.598s
9. Giedo van der Garde (Caterham) – 1:26.316s
10. Nico Rosberg (Mercedes) – 1:26.655s
11. Fernando Alonso (Ferrari) – 1:27.878s

As a Lotus fan, the words 'THANK CHRIST' have never came out of my mouth accompanied by much needed relief. Although set on a drying track it's not much to take away, but it's a bloody start! Romain Grosjean was followed by another let down of testing in the form of McLaren's Jenson Button but really, it doesn't really matter beyond this point. If testing pace is no relation to race pace during the season, then wet testing is just a waste of time. It would be a lot more cost effective for the teams  just to pack up for the day and go home, but then I'm not sure if the spectators pay to watch testing or not so it wouldn't exactly be fair. 

I haven't a terrible lot to say on the matter, there's nothing that can be taken away from wet running other than seeing how the cars react under the conditions. However one would think that after one session the teams would have all they need. No point in chancing a collision or crash. The forecast for the next two days is set to improve, let's up the action does too.

Day Three Final Standings

1. Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes) – 1:20.558s
2. Felipe Massa (Ferrari) – 1:21.266s
3. Adrian Sutil (Force India) – 1:21.627s
4. Pastor Maldonado (Williams) – 1:22.305s
5. Valtteri Bottas (Williams) – 1:22.468s
6. Esteban Gutierrez (Sauber) – 1:22.553s
7. Mark Webber (Red Bull) – 1:22.658s
8. Sergio Perez (McLaren) – 1:22.694s
9. Jean-Eric Vergne (Toro Rosso) – 1:23.223s
10. Romain Grosjean (Lotus) – 1:23.380s
11. Davide Valsecchi (Lotus) – 1:23.448s
12. Jules Bianchi (Marussia) – 1:24.028s
13. Giedo van der Garde (Caterham) – 1:24.235s

I'd like to start this post off by wishing my favourite superstar Kimi Raikkonen a very speedy recovery. The Flying Finn was due to begin his test today but has succumbed to food poisoning... Or is just really, really hungover.

On a completely dry day, Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton set the fastest time over any of the Barcelona days. The Brit put in blinding laps to top the time sheets and will be hoping that his form carry's over into Melbourne. One thing to note about every team is how close the grid was. Liittle under 4s seperates 13 drivers which is an encouraging display, very delighted to see.

Bianchi's Second Chance

Jules Bianchi who suffered a recent career defeat when he lost out to Adrian Sutil (opinion coming VERY SOON) for the Force India seat got a second chance when Marussia offered him a race seat. This was following the immediate dismissal of Luiz Razia after his sponsors failed to provide the team with the funds that were promised. The team had no hesitation in cutting their loses and signing up this ever impressive young man to partner fellow rookie Max Chilton. 

Bianchi also represents the sports 4th French driver, If there was ever a case to pull out of those tragic desert/Asian races and return to Europe, it is this very statement. Imagine the riots there would be if Britain didn't run a Grand Prix this year. There wouldn't be any, because anybody in Formula 1 rolls over and simply buries their dignity because Bernie says so. It's a joke he couldn't be bothered to lower his prices to accommodate a 20th GP this season. 

Bernie needs to be reminded that it's not his 'yes men' who pay to see races, it is us. The real fans.

Day Four

This is it. The final day to make a mark and stand your ground. Another day of drying running means the teams will simply be trying to showcase their speed. Personally, the results of today will be the closest in terms of race pace. Not exact readings, but very closely related.

Final Standings

  1. Nico Rosberg (Mercedes) – 1:20.130s

  2. Fernando Alonso (Ferrari) – 1:20.494s

  3. Jenson Button (McLaren) – 1:21.444s

  4. Nico Hulkenberg (Sauber) – 1:21.541s

  5. Kimi Raikkonen (Lotus) – 1:21.658s

  6. Paul di Resta (Force India) – 1:21.664s

  7. Pastor Maldonado (Williams) – 1:22.415s

  8. Sebastian Vettel (Red Bull) – 1:22.514s

  9. Valtteri Bottas (Williams) – 1:22.524s

10. Charles Pic (Caterham) – 1:23.115s

11. Jules Bianchi (Marussia) – 1:23.167s

12. Daniel Ricciardo (Toro Rosso) – 1:23.628s

13. Max Chilton (Marussia) – 1:24.103s

I have to say, this was probably my favourite day of any test. What a grid! Everybody thought Lewis Hamilton had pulled off a wonder feat yesterday by stunning everyone with the fastest time set, and then his dark horse of a team mate Nico Rosberg breaks his team mates 2013 record by 0.5s! 

The end result certainly looks like it should come the first race, except from Red Bull cause they would have to be special and look like they're struggling (idiots). Great to see Kimi back in action and set some more consistent laps, he even done far fewer laps than anybody above him, he is certainly looking to be a contender for a podium down under.

Nico Hulkenberg finishes off Sauber's pre season campaign in style after grabbing himself a top 5 finish. Today also marks the first time that Caterham have got the better of their closest rival Marussia in any of the Barcelona days. Charles Pic set a faster time that either of the Marussia drivers who each had a go out on track.

Daniel Ricciardo and Valterri Bottas were among the disappointments, both have shown that they have quicker pace than their rivals but each failed to make any relevant impact on today's proceedings. Bottas's team mate Pastor Maldonado couldn't break into the top 5.

It has been a terrific few weeks of testing, and I have really enjoyed writing up about them even if my posts have been ridiculously late. Expect more frequent blog posts and a lot more from me in the future. 

Thank you very much for reading!

Barcelona: Day One

Here we are. One step closer to the beginning of something very beautiful, the 2013 Formula 1 season. Barcelona hosts yet again another four days of testing, raising a couple of issues; will the rain play havoc once again? And will we see pace closer to the race pace we'll see in Australia? Fan favourites like Mark Webber, Lewis Hamilton, Sergio Perez and Felipe Massa are all in action today. Rookies Valtteri Bottas and Max Chilton were also piloting their Williams and Marussia's respectively. Chilton looks to be in the car for the whole four days unless Luiz Razia can get his sponsorship issue sorted.

Final Standings

  1. Mark Webber (Red Bull) 1:22.693s

  2. Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes) 1:24.348s

  3. Jean-Eric Vergne (Toro Rosso) 1:25.017s

  4. Valtteri Bottas (Williams) 1:26.458s

  5. Sergio Perez (McLaren) 1:26.538s

  6. Esteban Gutierrez (Sauber) 1:26.574s

  7. Paul di Resta (Force India) 1:27.107s

  8. Felipe Massa (Ferrari) 1:27.541s

  9. Max Chilton (Marussia) 1:28.166s

10. Charles Pic (Caterham) 1:28.644s

11. Romain Grosjean (Lotus) 1:34.928s

Well... What can I really say? Other than, it looks as if we're in for another 2011. If you're unsure what that means, essentially it boils down to puppet boy getting controlled by the wonderful mind that is Adrian Newey. If you're unsure what THAT means, Sebastian Vettel will fly away to another title that someone has won for him. Red Bull's Mark Webber dominated the session by going 1.6s quicker than Lewis Hamilton in second place. That is an insane pace made on a drying track after rain hit the circuit all morning.

The Toro Rosso of Jean-Eric Vergne and Williams of Valtteri Bottas enjoyed quick pace as did Sauber's Esteban Gutierrez who at one point had the quickest time. Max Chilton also continued Marussia's quicker pace over their rivals Caterham.

Felipe Massa had to end his day early after his Ferrari ran out of fuel on track. Reports are that this was deliberate and part of a data programme designed to read how the car reacts under dangerous amounts of low fuel. Going by earlier pace, Massa could have been closer to Webber if he had continued the session, this could contribute to the difference in speed. Another factor that reciprocates throughout every single session is that no one knows just how much fuel anybody has on board at one time, thus affecting the time sheets.

Lotus's misery continues for another day as Romain Grosjean drifted off the racing track. The E21's brilliance from Jerez seems nothing but a distant memory at this point for the fans.