Formula 1 - 2017

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ALONSO AND VANDOORNE TAKE THE MCLAREN MCL32 FOR A SPIN

Fernando Alonso got his first taste of the Honda powered McLaren MCL32 out on track at Circuit de Catalunya during the team’s filming day at the test venue in Barcelona.

The new McLaren livery has drawn a equal mix of praise and criticism, while we at grandprix247.com see it as a mix of the early Marussia F1 cars, along with the old Spyker (that since became Force India) and the Orange sponsored Arrows of the 200 season.

Alonso himself made it quite clear before the launch of the car, he hopes will revive his career, that he does not care about the colour he just wants it to be fast.

But accepts the reality of the situation, “We all realistic, myself first. Knowing that if last year we were 1.5 seconds off the pace in Abu Dhabi at the last race, we need to recover a huge gap to win this year.”

“The realistic approach, we need to be not pessimistic, but we need to be realistic, knowing that winning in F1 is extremely difficult.”

“But winning arriving sixth in the previous constructors’ championship is something no one did in history,” added the double world champion.

The team’s rookie driver Stoffel Vandoorne also had cockpit time later in the day.

Honda have admitted that they have taken a risk by shelving their 2015/2016 power unit concept, and redesigned a totally new unit in which they pin their hopes for the future.

The first test in Barcelona which kicks off on Monday will provide the first indications of the progress made by the Woking outfit relative to the pace setting teams.

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TORO ROSSO REVEAL THE STR12

Toro Rosso were the final team to launch their car for the 2017 season, as the new Renault-powered machine was launched at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya ahead of pre-season testing on Monday.

The STR12’s livery is blue, red and silver, in a change from the traditional red, gold and dark blue.

“We really like the first major livery change of our 12 years on the F1 grid,” sais team principle Franz Tost. “Everyone in the team has worked extremely hard to ensure we have a very competitive season.”

“Our chassis is mated to what is possibly the most competitive engine we have had so far in the hybrid era, as we return to Renault power once more.”

Carlos Sainz will partner Daniil Kvyat, after Red Bull decided to retain him at their junior team having dropped him from the senior Red Bull squad.

Toro Rosso Press Release:

On the eve of the first day of pre-season testing, Scuderia Toro Rosso revealed its 2017 challenger, the STR12. Drivers Daniil Kvyat and Carlos Sainz unveiled the car, featuring a stunning new livery, in the Barcelona-Catalunya Circuit pit lane this evening.

Franz Tost (Team Principal) “For all Formula 1 fans, 2017 should be a year of excitement and uncertainty, as the sport’s technical regulations have undergone one of the biggest changes we have seen in a couple of decades. In simple terms, the cars are wider, longer, lower, faster, noisier and use bigger tyres, promising more grip, higher cornering speeds and hopefully even closer racing.

Everyone in the team has worked extremely hard to ensure we have a very competitive season. Our chassis is mated to what is possibly the most competitive engine we have had so far in the hybrid era, as we return to Renault power once more.

Daniil Kvyat will be in his fourth year as a Formula 1 driver and Carlos Sainz will now tackle his third season with us. They are a very talented pairing and they have worked very hard over the winter to be ready for the additional physical challenges involved in driving these new and faster cars.

The crew that will look after the cars at the track is also very well prepared and generally, throughout the company we have the stability and strength in depth to tackle this season, when the pace of car development will be much faster than over the past couple of years.

Finally, we really like the first major livery change of our twelve years on the F1 grid and this new look is reflected in our pit garage, which has also been updated to make life easier while working around these much larger cars.”

James Key (Technical Director) “With driver continuity and a power unit which made a major step forward last year and which should be developing strongly this year, it just leaves the chassis as an unknown quantity. We always set ourselves ambitious targets and this year, we are taking a more long-term view over the 20 races, with a long list of planned in-season developments. I suspect it will be a very busy year with plenty of performance still to be found.”

Carlos Sainz will be at the wheel tomorrow, Monday 27 February, for the first day of testing, with Daniil Kvyat getting his first taste of the STR12 on Tuesday.

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TORO ROSSO TARGETING FIFTH IN CHAMPIONSHIP

Red Bull-owned Toro Rosso looked forward to a new engine partnership with Renault on Sunday while setting themselves up as rivals to the French carmaker’s own works Formula 1 team on the track.

Team principal Franz Tost told reporters, after unveiling the new-look Renault-powered STR12 car in the Circuit de Catalunya pitlane, that a best-ever fifth place in the constructors’ championship was again the target.

Renault, ninth last year with Toro Rosso seventh while using a year-old Ferrari engine, set the same goal at their launch on Tuesday.

“I am convinced that our new car works well, we have with Renault a fantastic engine partner, we have two experienced drivers for the first time in the history of Toro Rosso…I am convinced we will have a good season,” said Tost.

The Toro Rosso lineup sees Spaniard Carlos Sainz starting his third season with the team and Russian Daniil Kvyat, after his demotion from Red Bull Racing last year, embarking on his fourth.

The metallic silver and blue car introduces a new look, with the previous one being painted red, dark blue and gold, in the team’s first major livery change in 12 years.

“If the car is as fast as it looks, then I am more than happy,” said Tost.

The car’s front end looks similar to the one presented by champions Mercedes at Silverstone on Thursday but Toro Rosso’s highly regarded technical director James Key said that was just a happy coincidence.

“I looked at the Mercedes and thought ‘Ah, OK. They’ve got our front suspension,” he told reporters. “Most people will say we’ve got Mercedes’ front suspension.

“The nose is similar, the front of the side pods is similar, even the bodywork of the side pods is similar…let’s just hope the engines are similar,” he added.

“On the one hand we were pleased to see someone else has done a similar thing; on the other hand we were disappointed that we weren’t the only team to think of something. There’s many different concepts out there, actually.”

Toro Rosso carried out a limited mileage promotional filming day at the Misano circuit in eastern Italy on Wednesday but media reports said track time was limited because of an engine problem.

The team gave no details on Sunday but played down any negative impressions.

“We went there to film and take pictures and run the car and we did all three,” said Key. “And we were running at the end of the day.”

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HAAS F1 TEAM LAUNCH THE VF-17

Haas F1 Team’s 2017 challenger in the FIA Formula One World Championship, the VF-17, made its official debut via the organization’s social media platforms and website. It hits the track Monday for the first day of preseason testing at Circuit de Barcelona – Catalunya.

The VF-17 follows the team’s very first car, the VF-16, which carried Haas F1 Team to an eighth-place finish in the 2016 constructor standings. Twenty-nine points were scored by the VF-16 during Haas F1 Team’s inaugural season, the largest points haul of any new Formula One team in this millennium.

Incorporating “VF” into the name of the car is a nod to the history of Haas Automation, the team’s title sponsor. The first CNC machine manufactured by Haas Automation was the VF-1 in 1988. The “V” stands for vertical, which is an industry standard designation for a vertical mill. Gene Haas, founder of Haas Automation, added “F1” to the name to unofficially designate it as the company’s “Very First One”.

As chairman of Haas F1 Team, the “F1” moniker of that first machine takes on added significance as Haas prepares for its second Formula One season.

“Being a Formula One participant brings a level of credibility that you just won’t get through traditional advertising,” says Haas, whose entry in 2016 became the first American Formula One team since 1986.

“People are kind of ‘show me’ people, like show me what you can do and then I’ll believe in you. That was the initial concept – to convince people of our ability to do things others can’t, and I think that translates into being a machine tool builder.

“Bigger, Better, Faster, Lighter is what we strive for in the machining industry and it’s what we strive for in motorsports. People see what we can do in Formula One, and people believe Haas Automation can build world-class machine tools.”

The VF-17 was built under a new set of technical regulations featuring an advanced aerodynamic package designed to create a higher level of downforce.

A wider front wing, larger barge boards, a lower and wider rear wing and a diffuser that expands 50 millimeters (two inches) in height and width comprise the changes, along with wider tires from Pirelli, by 60 millimeters (2.4 inches) in the front and 80 millimeters (3.1 inches) in the rear, a 25-percent increase to bring the front tires to 305 millimeters (12 inches) and the rear tires to 405 millimeters (15.9 inches).

“I think the pedal box is the same, but all the rest is very different from last year’s car,” said Guenther Steiner, team principal, Haas F1 Team. “You always try to make a faster car, which is normally a lighter car. Now we can put on more ballast and get better weight distribution. The aero is completely new, as are the tires, so we needed to have some built-in adjustability.

“Aesthetically, the car has a more aggressive look. It’s lighter and more aerodynamically efficient. Everything we learned from our first car has been applied to our new car.”

The colors from the original car were carried over to the VF-17, but the overall scheme is different. A dark gray makes up the majority of the livery, with tones of red, black, white and light gray incorporating the look of Haas Automation’s complete line of vertical and horizontal machining centers, turning centers and rotary tables and indexers.

Approximately 1,300 employees encompass Haas Automation, with the Oxnard, California-based company exporting its machines to more than 60 countries. The VF-17 showcases Haas Automation’s commitment to technology and innovation to a passionate, global audience.

The VF-17 tests at Barcelona 27 February to 2 March  and again 7 to 10 Marchbefore the season-opening Australian Grand Prix on 26 March in Melbourne.

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NO SUPERSTITION AS RED BULL RB13 BREAKS COVER

Former world champions Red Bull unveiled their 13th Formula One car on Sunday, applying an innovative tweak to the nose and laughing in the face of superstition.

“Stroke that rabbit’s foot, grab that four-leaf clover, fling that horseshoe and crank up the Stevie Wonder, because after a long winter’s wait our 2017 challenger, the RB13, is here,” the team said in a short video on their website.

Wonder had a hit with ‘Superstition’ in 1972 and a number of supposed portents of good and bad luck flashed up in the video, including broken mirrors, slot machine jackpots and crossed fingers.

“RB 13 – Unlucky for some,” declared a neon sign, with the ‘UN’ part flickering on and off. The team used the Twitter hashtag #breaksuperstition.

The number 13 is considered unlucky in Britain, where fear of it is recognised as triskaidekaphobia, but lucky in some other parts of the world such as Italy, home of Red Bull’s rivals Ferrari.

It was perhaps unlucky for Venezuelan driver Pastor Maldonado, who raced with the number 13 and had a reputation as a crasher, but was seemingly a good omen for design ace Adrian Newey’s McLaren MP4-13 that won both championships in 1998.

Newey, who joined Red Bull from McLaren in 2006 and won four titles between 2010 and 2013, remains the designer behind the RB13 and the car triggered immediate intrigue with what appears to be a prominent hole at the end of the nose.

The launch car is likely to differ notably from the one that starts the season in Australia on March 26, however, with teams keeping their real aerodynamic secrets under wraps for as long as possible.

“Looking forward to taking her for a spin,” commented Australian driver Daniel Ricciardo on Twitter, while 19-year-old team mate Max Verstappen signalled his approval with a heart-eyed emoji.

Red Bull were the only team to beat champions Mercedes last season, with a win apiece for Verstappen and Ricciardo, on their way to second place overall.

The once-dominant team, who won their four successive titles with Sebastian Vettel, are seen by many as the ones most likely to give Mercedes a real challenge this season.

“I think the RB13 is one of the prettiest cars that we’ve designed and made because the geometry of the car under these new regulations means the proportions look right,” commented team principal Christian Horner.

“It looks mean, it looks fast. The old adage is that, if it looks right, it tends to go alright – and this car sure looks right.”

 

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Red Bull's intriguing new nose

Red Bull unveiled its latest Formula 1 car, the RB13, on Sunday, the opening in its nose becoming the main focus of attention. Former F1 technical director Gary Anderson offers his view on the intriguing device.

The duct in the nose of the new Red Bull RB13 is the most obvious area of difference between this car and the rest.

This part of the car is governed by the crash structure regulations, Article 15.4.3 dictating a single external vertical cross-section of at least 9000 square millimetres 50mm behind the tip of the nose.

Article 3.7.5 of Formula 1’s technical regulations allows a single-inlet aperture in the nose, provided it is for the purpose of "driver cooling".

But this has to have a maximum projected surface area of 1500 square millimetres and, one-sixth of the size of the cross section mentioned above.

Based on what Red Bull has released of the car, in my opinion this opening looks far bigger than that.

At some point, through its ductwork, it might converge down to comply with the 1500 square millimetres regulations, but there is no way to see that from what we have seen so far.

There can be some debate as to what you count as a duct for driver cooling. Usually, the argument is about this being its "primary purpose".

On the way to cooling the driver, it may just pass over some other hot surfaces to help control their temperature.

Looking at the Red Bull, the sidepods are compact and drop away very quickly once you get past the driver, so there might be a need for that extra cooling.

This duct is a good idea, because if you look at the other 2017 cars there is a solid surface at the end of the nose and for the airflow to get around this it has to decide on its stagnation point, in other words where it separated.

With this duct you will probably get more uniform airflow around the sides of the nose structure.

There are some other ducts where the nose meets the chassis, and while it’s impossible to know for sure there’s every chance they are to feed the cooling of ERS components that will be located low down in the sidepods and close to the centre of the car.

Let’s see what turns up on the car when we see it in the real world tomorrow.

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What to look for (and not) in Barcelona testing

It is upon us. The first official Formula 1 pre-season test gathering of 2017. And with it inevitably is our annual cacophony of questions swirling around our heads about the season that awaits; that we crave the testing will at last begin to answer.

There are at least as many as usual this time as all assemble in Barcelona. Are the cars produced from the new regs quicker, as advertised? How are the new – bigger and supposedly more durable – tyres behaving? How are the likes of Valtteri Bottas, Stoffel Vandoorne and Lance Stroll set to get on in new surroundings? Yet it’ll all be dwarfed by the big overarching question about which we’ll all desperately scan Montmelo matters for the first clues. The perennial one. Just who is quick and who is not?

But… interpreting F1 pre-season testing is rarely pure and never simple. Pitfalls are all around. Here though are a few considerations from meandering experience that may help us in our interpretations:

Don’t (necessarily) read much into the headline lap times

The ultimate. Even though the media headlines will probably base themselves on them, and the topline lap time order will be circulated liberally, you shouldn’t allow yourself to be sucked in. For our purposes they are the crudest of crude measures. We know this one. We’re always told.

The days of middling-to-small teams running under the weight limit to attract some sponsors are in the past, but still any number of things can skew the headline times by several seconds – fuel loads, the tyre compound, the state of the tyres, the track conditions, the programmes, the aero parts bolted on, the extent that the engine is turned up… Not only are many of these things unknown to us on the outside some of them are unknowable.

And as Karun Chandhok warned recently they might not even be trying especially to go quick this time. “With such big rule changes, every team will have a huge list of things to validate and the pressure to correlate CFD, windtunnel and simulation figures will be huge” he said. “The first four days of pre-testing in particular aren’t about looking for ultimate performance, but trying to get the car reliable and balanced.”

Whatever else is said, ‘don’t read much into the headline times’ should run through your considerations as if in a stick of rock.

F1 steps through the looking glass

You can’t really rely on what the drivers and teams tell us either. I once was told that in F1 testing that those who think they’re doing well will talk themselves down, and those who think they’re doing badly will talk themselves up. It makes sense, as in either case it is in their interests to conceal what’s going on. And it hasn’t been the worst gauge in practice either.

The desire to conceal goes deeper too. “I think motor racing is war,” said engineering veteran Frank Dernie to this end some years ago. “It’s the same spirit, it’s the team spirit of a group of people pulling together to try to beat somebody else. We’re not trying to kill them but we are trying to beat them via whatever means we have at our disposal.

“And we go through the same secrecy and techniques of deceit, and try to make people think that if we’ve for example discovered a new wing that we’ve actually done a new rear suspension geometry so they don’t actually sort out why we’re going quicker, if we are.”

Granted, with just two tests to get right a radical reg shift for this year there should be less messing about than usual – with no time to waste teams will want a good grasp of where they are. But the above still applies to an extent.

Listen to the mood music

So, you may be asking at this point, what can we trust? There will be attempts to interpret lap times controlling for the above variables, such as by taking averages and seeking to equalise the tyre compound and fuel weight (though beyond the length of the run – and making the assumption they only had enough aboard for those laps – there’s little way of knowing the latter). They can be a better guide. But the most reliable guide of all is simply the mood music.

Yup, the world on the street. The grapevine. There are plenty of ways of getting this – reading between the lines of what is said, or else getting off the record opining. Some factor in the apparent atmosphere, even the facial expressions, in each team. The assembled press will likely tell us what they garner. The old ways, in this case, are the best.

Don’t reject the evidence of your eyes and ears

There’s another way that the old ways are the best. Just as the legendary scribe of yore Denis Jenkinson used to insist on watching F1 cars from trackside, many present in Barcelona will spend time out there, and there they can tell a lot.

Which cars are nailed to the road; which are lairy. Which go where the driver wants with the rear end right in line. Which carries the highest revs through quick turns. Who gets on the throttle soonest. Which has the smoothest traction; the most stable braking. Which looks nimble and responsive in the slow stuff. Which instead has the driver sawing on the wheel or having several stabs on the throttle.

These observers will probably be right about it too. Look out for what they have to say and write.

Who keeps on running?

It may sound silly, but there is one column in those maligned fastest headline lap time tables that I mentioned that likely tells us more than the rest. The laps completed.

Think back a couple of years to the opening test of 2015, in Jerez. All gathered wondering – hoping, perhaps – that Mercedes’s pomp of the previous year would be pricked.

Within a few hours of the first day Merc had rather rudely dispelled them of the notion. And did it with the car’s sheer ubiquity on track.

“This is a brand new car, brand new everything…and for [Nico] Rosberg to be out there and putting in 50 laps on the first morning of testing is almost unheard of,” said an observing Ted Kravitz. Christian Horner called it “taking the mickey". And indeed Merc went on to cream the year.

A reliable car isn’t necessarily a quick one of course, but it still counts for plenty. It indicates a thorough preparation which reflects well on the team generally, and time they otherwise would have spent fixing reliability glitches can be used on improving performance instead. A reliable car also frees up time to brush up on operational matters such as pit stops. With the limited time and new regs it all becomes especially beneficial this time.

As Sebastian Vettel pointed out during the Jerez test mentioned, “I think lap times are not that important in the end – it’s the amount of laps”.

The flipside is true too – in 2014 we got our first indication that Red Bull was about to relinquish its dominant position when in testing its machine barely was able to get to the end of the pit lane without conking out. Twelve months later we knew that McLaren Honda was having a difficult re-birth on similar grounds. Both were borne out when it mattered.

Speed test

There’s another set of dry numbers that will tell us something – the marks set through the speed traps. Particularly on whether the straggling power units of Renault and Honda have indeed made progress relative to the Mercedes and Ferrari benchmarks.

Expect a technical controversy

We’ve started early on this one. The arguments about trick suspension systems rumble on, though as Force India’s Andy Green suggested it’ll likely be in the Melbourne season-opener proper rather than testing where that comes to a head.

There may be more things to fall out about though, particularly as there’s a whole new set of regulations to scan for loopholes. Quintessentially in 2009 we had double diffusers, while in 2013 testing we had (apt) hot air about exhaust rules. Watch out for red herrings too though, as in 2014 all got into an argument about McLaren’s ‘suspension blockers’ innovation. That you likely don’t remember them indicates that they didn’t work.

And sure enough when the Mercedes debuted this week Mark Gallagher noted that “Merc's Seagull wing will have nine aero departments scurrying to their rule books.”

Listen out too for claims from rivals of something ‘not being within the spirit of the rules’. That’s their admission that they can’t get it banned. And that they’ll likely have their own version on the car come May.

The tell

In among all of this confusion there’s one thing we can judge with reasonable certainty though. That if Ferrari goes for a low fuel glory run on the final day then it knows it’s in trouble.

But then again whatever happens in Barcelona’s opening four days of running, an F1 season like all good stories doesn’t give away its plot with certainty in the opening paragraphs. And in our quest for answers we’ll no doubt stumble across yet more questions.

The adage applies here. We start off confused and end up confused on a higher level.

 

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Technical analysis: A detailed look at the McLaren MCL32

Nose and Front-Wing

McLaren’s front-wing retains all of the hallmarks of its predecessor at launch, although this is actually a bit of a surprise. A straight leading edge profile was trialled in 2016 so whether that pops up again remains to be seen – Sauber have already adopted this design. A notable change is the increase in upper flap elements (now five) to tune the formation of the Y250 vortex. 

Elongated nose pylons guide the air along the car’s centreline. These are an evolution of last year’s concept, with two further slots directing airflow inwards and back towards the splitter. Underneath the nose and beginning at the proboscis nose tip, carried over from 2016, is a small fin that further assists the pylons in their work. 

With the car’s antenna moved back the S-duct appears to be new but it is actually in the same location as its predecessor, fed by an inlet at the bottom of the front bulkhead a la Red Bull.

Brake Ducts and Suspension

The car’s greater aerodynamic capabilities in 2017 allows the driver to be on the brakes harder for longer, although the braking zones themselves will be shorter. A larger force is required to slow down the larger mass created by the new tyres and the increased contact patch creates a resistive torque. More cooling is therefore needed for the brakes to operate sufficiently. 

McLaren have tackled this by creating two inlets to cool both the disc and caliper. Normally additional openings would point towards a blown front axle but a traditional axle stub was present at launch.

The usual pushrod suspension is present on the car but the rods intersect the very top point of the chassis. This could be a reoccurring design feature this year as teams seek both an aerodynamic and mechanical advantage by installing passive energy recovery heave springs, with arguments on their legality set to erupt once the season commences. 

Bargeboards and Bodywork

The MCL32 launches with a very basic interpretation of the bargeboard regulations, featuring a single vane with two serrations connected to the chassis via an aerodynamically shaped mounting bracket. The flow conditioners that shield the sidepod undercut from turbulence greet the end of the bargeboard, snaking back to meet the shoulder of the car.

McLaren’s approach to the new sidepod regulations, however, is neat. The rules require a backwards diagonal line from a point on the chassis when viewed from above – the floor, rather than the bodywork on top, has been used to meet this criterion. This has enabled the team to focus on shaping the sidepod intakes as they desire, continuing with their inward facing inlets from last year to best cool the internals. The narrower bodywork and a traditional sized airbox as a result of this thinking will help reduce the car’s overall drag. 

A larger shark fin completes the tidy mid-section of the car.

Rear-Wing

Whilst there isn’t much McLaren can do about the wing’s profile and number of elements, the endplates are an area where creative thinking can flourish this year. 

Gill-like pieces of bodywork suspend from the overhang that the endplates create as they clear the rear brake ducts, each piece overlapping each other and facing inwards.

The gills guide turbulence from the rotating rear tyre to the inside of the endplate through a gaping hole. 

A familiar set of outward facing gills line the base of the endplate – these direct clean airflow into the same region as the outwash from the diffuser. These little details will aid the performance of the floor below and the rear wing above to produce more downforce and decrease drag.

 

[skalls]

So any guesses whose engine dies first in testing tomorrow?  I know Renault already killed one but I'm thinking it might be a Ferrari.

Wish I didn't have to work tomorrow, would prefer to relax at home and just watch the testing

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This Is Why Force India's New F1 Car Has The Most Awkward Front End In Racing

Formula One is a sport of function over form if there was one, and the form Force India's new VJM10 Formula One racer certainly could've turned out better in the front — or maybe not, according to Autosport. The VJM10's unique bump in its nose had to be there in order to exploit a certain part of the suspension rules.

Force India Technical Director Andy Green explained to Autosport:

Quote

 

We have tried to exploit an area of the front suspension regulations that improved the characteristics of it from a mechanical perspective.  

It does mean that because of the way the regulations are worded, we cannot merge it into the nose as we would like.  

There is an exclusion box that we have to respect, so unfortunately we end up with a little bit of a "forehead," as it is called.

 

Part of the 2017 "formula" for Formula One mandates certain dimensions in certain spots, and unfortunately for Force India, their suspension design wouldn't let them have a smooth nose.

As for just the tip of the nose whose center looks like an eggplant, a cucumber, or perhaps a bratwurst with only its top highlighted in silver, Green told Autosport that it's an evolution of a nostril-like nosecone design they have been using since mid-2015:

Quote

It is a different looking nostril as we had last year - the same philosophy. We just opened it up a little bit more.

The nostrils allow more air through to the underside of the chassis.

All we know is, if it works, it works. And if it's fast, we'll see a lot more copycat suspension and nosecone designs show up with similar-looking foreheads and nostrils.

MIKA: I personally don't think it looks half bad, IMO RBR nose is quite weird...

 

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BOTTAS: THEY DID AN AMAZING JOB

Valtteri Bottas enjoyed his first morning on track as a Mercedes driver, completing 79 laps on his Silver Arrows debut, hailing it as an”amazing” and “special” day.

Bottas told reporters after completing the morning session and handing the W08 to teammate Lewis Hamilton for the afternoon stanza, “They did an amazing job over the winter. Obviously I started in a bit more than a month ago but what I’ve seen has been very impressive and how well the car has been running it’s been impressive and hopefully stays that way.”

“For us the main thing is to get the mileage now and if there’s any issues to come hopefully we can find them out.”

“It was very good to be in a proper testing working conditions with the team and it was very special to do the first few laps, and yeah very much enjoyed you know starting the testing of 2017 and also a new era for F1 with the new cars. Very interesting.”

“For us at least in the first test the main thing is to get a lot of mileage. A lot of laps. At the same time we’re doing a lot of mechanical testing with the car. We’re doing long runs, and always checking something for each run so it was very valuable for me and for the team,” added Bottas.

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HAMILTON: IT IS A BEAST

Lewis Hamilton climbed out of the Mercedes W08 after topping the timing sheets at the end of the first day of the first 2017 Formula 1 pre-season test at Circuit de Catalunya in Barcelona and declared: “It is a beast!”

The triple world champion continued, “It is so much better than last year. It is much more beefed up version of the car we have had in previous seasons.”

“It was a great first day to get that many laps in and our car looks the best. I think the cars look fantastic, the tyres look fantastic, the wider wheels, the wider body and the wider chassis. Hopefully it is great for the fans.”

“I was behind a couple of cars out there and it was harder to follow but that is to be expected. The tyres are so hard. They do not drop off. They keep going and going.”

“So it is most likely we will be doing a lot more one-stoppers and as there is not any degradation less mistakes and less overtaking. That is my prediction.”

“We are still the team to beat in terms of we are the champions still. We have a lot of work ahead of us as does every other team.”

“Firstly, people always want to big you up at the beginning of the season. Secondly, we are world champion, and three our car looks a thousand times better than everyone else’s so that would be expected!” added Hamilton who ended the day with a best time of 1:21.765 – three seconds faster than the time set last year during the first day of preseason testing in Barcelona.

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ALONSO: WE ARE DISAPPOINTED AND SAD

Fernando Alonso spoke of his sadness and disappointment on Monday after his McLaren once again let him down on the first day of Formula One’s pre-season testing in front of the Spaniard’s home fans.

There was doubtless a fair amount of anger and frustration bubbling away as well, although the two-times world champion managed to keep a lid on that in front of the assembled media at least.

“He was not very happy this morning,” said Racing Director Eric Boullier, diplomatically.

While Sebastian Vettel, the four-times champion who replaced him at Ferrari in 2015, banged in 128 laps, Alonso’s work report for the day consisted of one untimed lap before lunch and a total of 29.

Champions Mercedes managed 152 laps between their two drivers, Lewis Hamilton and Valtteri Bottas.

McLaren’s engine partners Honda blamed an oil system problem that took hours to fix.

McLaren have not won a race since 2012 and the last two seasons, the first of a renewed relationship with the Japanese carmakers, have been fraught with under-performance and unreliability.

“It’s definitely not a perfect start of the winter testing,” said Alonso, who is out of contract at the end of the season and said last week that he was approached by Mercedes after world champion Nico Rosberg retired suddenly in December.

“We are disappointed, we are sad to arrive to the first day and not be able to run. We know and are aware of the time we lost today, we have four days for each driver before the world championship starts and now one day is gone. So I have three days to prepare a world championship. It’s not an ideal situation.”

Alonso did 119 laps on his first day in the car last year, and Monday was more reminiscent of Jerez in 2015 when he completed just six.

The new McLaren ran without problems on a limited-mileage filming day at the Barcelona circuit on Sunday, using demonstration tyres, and Alonso said it looked better and had far more downforce than in previous years.

He said the cars were also clearly much faster through the corners and he was happy he would be able to push the McLaren to the limit far more.

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RED BULL: WE’LL HAVE TO WAIT AND SEE

After an intense winter of preparation, Red Bull Racing’s 2017 challenger, the RB13, made its track debut in Barcelona today as testing for the new season got underway at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya.

After a morning in which the gremlins associated with our new number caused a couple of time-consuming technical issues, the team managed return the RB13 to the track in the late afternoon, with Daniel Ricciardo posting a solid total of 50 laps and the day’s fifth-quickest time.

“Today’s session was okay, I felt I got up to speed relatively quickly,” said Ricciardo. “We had a bit of a slow start this morning but the afternoon was better and the last two hours were more like a test. It’s nice to end the day on a bit of a positive. There’s still a lot more to come from the car and you have to remember that the track is cold and the tyres are probably not at their optimum temperature. However, the times Lewis was setting today were already quicker than the times in Qualifying last year, so for sure it’s going to be faster. It’s cool for now but I think we will get a lot quicker from where we are today. We’ll hope to make steady steps tomorrow when Max is in the car and then we can start to do some more trimming.”

Head of Race Engineering Guillaume Rocquelin added: “Obviously we lost quite a bit of time today, which was frustrating. That was largely a function of the issues we had – a sensor problem this morning and then a problem with the energy store later on. Both are hard to access, so required some time to sort out. It meant we didn’t get real track time until around 4pm, but after that we ran without issue. The fixes we put in place cured the issues and we should be good to go tomorrow again. Daniel managed 50 laps in the end and what we saw during that period was encouraging. The inevitable question you get asked on day one is: ‘is it quick, is it a front-runner’, and I’m afraid the rather dull answer to that question is ‘we’ll have to wait and see’. It’s a cliché but we won’t know the real answer until Saturday in Melbourne. Until then we just have to keep our heads down, stick to the plan and the performance will come. That process continues tomorrow.”

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WILLIAMS: REALLY POSITIVE FOR THE WHOLE TEAM

Williams report from day one of the first pre-season test of the 2017 Formula 1 season at Circuit de Catalunya in Barcelona.

Rod Nelson, Chief Test & Support Engineer: “It was a very good day. It was a fillip for the guys who have been working on the car. We had a very straightforward day, particularly in the afternoon. We did some pretty good tests – short runs, long runs, compared the soft and medium tyres. We are still getting to know the FW40, so it is an interesting time of year and it is looking pretty reasonable at the moment. There is a massive amount to do, particularly this year with the huge regulation changes. The tyres are going to take a lot of time getting to learn with the different compounds and sizes. There is a good chunk more downforce on the car. It’s a change for the drivers as their driving technique is quite different with this amount of grip, and the way we look after the car is different too, however the winter preparation seems to be paying off.”

Felipe Massa: “Today was a good day. The first day of the test is always one where you hope everything on the car works well and that it’s reliable, and with 103 laps on the board I’d say that wasn’t bad at all. In the morning, we made a few set-up changes and checks so we knew that everything on the car was working in the right way. There was some waiting around whilst that was done thoroughly. That said, the lap count racked up in the afternoon after all those initial checks and changes were carried out. It’s early to say where we are whilst we’re still in this learning stage, but I’m really enjoying driving. There’s much more grip and they go much quicker in the corners. We can brake much later and reach high speeds much quicker. Overall, it was a great first day which is really positive for the whole team. We completed more than 100 laps and I really hope we learn new things day by day and prepare ourselves as best as we can for the first race in Australia.”

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MCLAREN: HONDA IS INVESTIGATING THE PROBLEM

A delayed start to the 2017 testing programme for McLaren-Honda. After successfully completing an installation lap shortly after the track went green at 09:00, an anomaly was detected in the power unit, which was identified as an oil systems issue.

In order to trace the problem, a full investigation is required, so the team elected to change the power unit and examine it further once out of the car.

This meant the car was unable to run again in the morning session while the team worked to swap the power unit. Once the new power unit had been installed, Fernando was able to return to the track at approximately 16:00 to re-commence the run plan for the day.

In the afternoon session, the team managed to complete 29 laps, focusing on data correlation and systems checks, in line with the usual programme for the first day of a test.

Fernando Alonso: “Obviously today hasn’t been the most perfect start to winter testing, which is a little bit disappointing. We lost a lot of track time which isn’t ideal at pre-season testing, but the situation is what it is, and there’s nothing we can do. It’s important that we learn from it and don’t repeat the same thing, and try to make up some time in the next couple of days.

“There’s not much to gauge from the car at the moment after only 29 laps, since the first few laps of any running on the first day consist of installations and the necessary systems checks. I’m looking forward to having a proper day of running and hopefully we’ll then be able to make some more conclusive evaluations.

“It’s too early to fully assess the performance and the feeling of the new cars under the new regulations, but at least aesthetically they look much more like Formula 1 cars should look. Let’s wait and see what happens in the next few days, but I’m very motivated and ready for the new challenge.”

Eric Boullier, Racing Director: “Of course, it’s disappointing to have encountered issues so early in the running, but this situation is not too unusual with a brand-new car. It’s better to have these issues here than in Australia. Honda is investigating the problem carefully in order to find the proper solutions, so we need to let them do that before drawing any premature conclusions.

“We had a filming day yesterday which went fine, so today is a bit of a setback, but the team worked hard during the morning session to get the car back up and running as quickly as we could following the power unit change. It’s encouraging that we were able to continue our programme in the afternoon and get some laps under our belt – that’s the most important thing.

“It’s just the first day, so let’s wait and see. We’ve shown some progress in the past two seasons, and I hope we can continue seeing progress this year, too.”

Yusuke Hasegawa, Honda R&D Co Ltd Head Of F1 Project & Executive Chief Engineer: “This morning, we detected an oil systems issue during Fernando’s installation lap. In the interest of time we decided the best course of action was to change the PU.

“Based on initial investigations, we think the issue is related to the shape of the 2017 oil tank, but it requires further investigation before we can confirm this.

“In the afternoon, we were able to continue with our test programme for today. We will continue our efforts through the night to improve the situation for tomorrow’s running.”

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RENAULT: IT’S BEEN A PRODUCTIVE FIRST DAY

Renault Sport Formula One Team completed its first day of pre-season testing at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya with Nico Hülkenberg behind the wheel of the R.S.17.

Nico completed 57 laps of the track, with the R.S.17 running reliably. Car and driver did spend more time than planned in the garage, however, whilst modifications were made to the front brake ducts.

Nico ran solely on the medium compound Pirelli tyre, setting a best lap time of 1:24.784. Today was the car’s second track appearance, following a promotional filming day on Saturday February 25, also in Barcelona.

Nico Hülkenberg: “It was an exciting first day with a new team and a completely different type of Formula 1 car. It feels very different out on track with a lot of new aspects to discover as we’re at the start of a steep learning curve. The car certainly feels faster than those to the previous regulations and it is fun to drive. You certainly realise you’ve got more downforce in the corners. It wasn’t the most trouble-free day, but it’s been a good start in my new home.”

Nick Chester, Chassis Technical Director: “Even though we didn’t get as many laps as we wanted, it’s been a productive first day of the test for the R.S.17. We have made good progress in terms of understanding the balance required for these new cars and we have a good direction for tomorrow. It was great to have Nico in the car and we ended the day with a long run to give us a good amount of data to work over. We did lose track time whilst we rectified some issues with the front brake ducts, but we have that in hand. Overall, we learnt a lot today.”

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SAUBER: WE HAD SOME MINOR ISSUES

The first day testing ahead of the 2017 FIA Formula One Championship was productive for the Sauber F1 Team. Marcus Ericsson was behind the wheel of the Sauber C36-Ferrari mainly doing aero tests in the morning session.

Later on, the focus was on set-up work. The Swede was able to get a first impression of the new Sauber C36-Ferrari while completing 72 laps overall.

Marcus Ericsson: “It is great to finally be back in the car again after a long winter. The new car was fun to drive, and it is nice to feel that there is more potential. We had some minor issues, but on the other hand it was the first time we were running the car properly. Overall, it has been a productive day. I completed 70 laps overall, which is a good effort for test day one. Now we need to go from here to have a successful first week of testing. The two main areas, which I feel are the biggest differences compared to last year are that the car is faster in high-speed corners and the braking performance is better.”

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HAAS: WE HAD A FEW ISSUES

Kevin Magnussen took his first laps for Haas F1 Team on Monday at Circuit de Barcelona – Catalunya.

The 24-year-old from Roskilde, Denmark, hit the track promptly at 9 a.m. local time and was the first driver to tour the 4.655-kilometer (2.89-mile), 16-turn track. When the day was complete, Magnussen had racked up 51 laps behind the wheel of the Ferrari-powered Haas VF-17 to log 237.405 kilometers (147.517 miles).

Magnussen’s best time was a 1:22.894, earned on his 44th lap with a new set of Pirelli P Zero Yellow soft tires. The quick time put the third-year Formula One pilot fourth among the 11 drivers participating in the opening day of testing.

Magnussen began the morning session with a series of reconnaissance runs, first using the Pirelli P Zero Orange hard tire before transitioning to the Pirelli P Zero White medium tire.

His best time in the morning was a 1:26.404, secured on his penultimate lap in the session. His final lap involved a spin in turn 10 that pitched the nose of the Haas VF-17 into the barrier, breaking the nose.

The rest of the car was unharmed and Magnussen was able to drive it back to the garage, whereupon the team replaced the nose during the lunch break.

Four separate runs were made in the afternoon session, with Magnussen using the White mediums for stints of nine laps and five laps, respectively, before a switch to the Yellow softs in the final hour of testing. With the softs affording the most grip, it was no surprise that Magnussen secured his fastest time of the day.

Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton set the day’s quickest time (1:21.765) and Scuderia Ferrari’s Sebastian Vettel ran the most laps (128).

Kevin Magnussen: “We had a few issues, but the good thing is that they were small issues. Even though they stopped us from some running, it wasn’t something that is at all worrying for the coming days. It’s kind of the typical baby problems you have with the cars when they’re completely new. Except for that, the first feeling of the car is nice. It’s good to finally get that feeling of the car after looking at it, and all the anticipation for the faster cars. It’s a good feeling. Today’s been a day I’ve enjoyed a lot.”

Guenther Steiner: “The plan was to do more, but that’s how the first day goes sometimes. We had a few issues, but that’s normal. They are to be expected when you have a new car and we sorted them out. We are here to learn and that is what we did. Our learning process is a lot better than last year because our people have worked together for a year now and we know more about the car. We are a lot better prepared.”

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FORCE INDIA: IT WAS A DAY OF TWO HALVES

Force India’s VJM10 made its track debut today with Sergio Perez behind the wheel. The team completed a busy programme in the morning, before technical issues cut the day short.

Sergio Perez: “It was a day of two halves. The morning was very productive: we managed to do a lot of what we had planned and we tried some different set-up options and tyre compounds. Things were looking quite positive throughout the morning and we had the chance to learn a lot from our new car. Unfortunately we didn’t run in the afternoon as a precaution and that cost us some track time. Hopefully tomorrow we can make up the lost ground with Esteban in the car: with a solid day, we can complete the rest of our programme and move forward with the plan.”

Tom McCullough, Chief Race Engineer: “The morning went largely to plan as the VJM10 completed its first few laps. We built up the mileage on the car, doing short runs at first and then increasing the lap count. This allowed us to complete the basic systems checks on the car. We also started some aero mapping and got a useful first understanding of the 2017 tyres. Our work was cut short with an exhaust issue and we ended the day early as a precautionary measure. We are looking forward to tomorrow, when Esteban is in the car for his first experience of the VJM10.”

 

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TORO ROSSO: A DECENT FIRST DAY

Toro Rosso report from day one of the first pre-season test of the 2017 Formula 1 season at Circuit de Catalunya in Barcelona.

Carlos Sainz: “I end the day with a positive feeling after my first outing at the wheel of the STR12. Everything felt good and I’d say we’ve made a big step forward compared to last year in terms of downforce and grip – I felt it straight away during the first laps of the morning and it put a smile on my face. Of course it wasn’t the smoothest of days and we would’ve liked to complete more laps, but you know that this is always going to happen on the first day testing a brand new car. All in all, a decent first day and it’s great that the season has finally kicked-off!”

James Key (Technical Director): “It’s good to finally get started after such a long winter, completing 51 laps. Although we had to stop a little bit earlier with a bit of a niggle on the front of the car, we will get this sorted for tomorrow. The main priorities today were to get miles on the car and to do the basics right, so we did some aero work in the morning and after that we went through a long list of basic checks on our new car, considering there are so many things to learn. It was really all about laps and fundamentals today, and it will be the same tomorrow with Daniil. The good news is that, a part from the usual first-day glitches, nothing has caught us out and everything behaves in the way we think it should. The driver feedback has been close to expectation and generally quite positive so I think that, for a first day of testing and although we would’ve liked to do more laps, we can’t complain at all. We didn’t do any performance running – that will come later on.”

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FORMULA 1 RELAXES SOCIAL MEDIA RULES FOR TEAMS

Formula 1’s new owners signalled a break from the Bernie Ecclestone era on Monday by giving teams and drivers greater freedom to engage with fans on social media from inside the circuit confines.

Ecclestone, ousted as the sport’s commercial supremo in January after Liberty Media completed their takeover, was famously sceptical about social media and highly controlling of all video content from inside the paddock.

Much of Formula One’s revenues comes from television deals with broadcasters.

Liberty Media have made fan engagement a priority, however, and are determined to build the brand through social media and digital channels.

Teams were told in guidelines issued ahead of the first day of pre-season testing in Barcelona on Monday that they could now “shoot short-form video for use on the team’s own social channels” from inside the paddock.

It added that a formal set of content guidelines would be issued in due course.

The new policy was immediately evident, with Mercedes’ triple world champion Lewis Hamilton – who has 3.8 million followers on Instagram and 4.16 million on Twitter – promising more access.

“Hey guys. I’m about to get on the car. Through practice I’ll be live on Instagram from the cockpit to give you something new, so tune in,” he said on Twitter.

The coverage consisted of footage shot in the pit lane and garage, but not on the track, and lasting no more than 10 seconds.

Red Bull team principal Christian Horner said fans would now have more behind-the-scenes access to drivers.

“You’ve probably noticed the teams are putting out a bit more content of what their drivers are up to in the paddock, not what’s happening trackside because that belongs to the broadcasters,” he told reporters.

“You could have had breakfast with (Australian) Daniel Ricciardo this morning, seen what he does prior to getting in the car and to the point where he’s got in the car to drive out and do his first lap.

“Which is something that obviously hasn’t been possible in previous years.”

Horner said Ecclestone’s departure from a hands-on role, with the Briton now handed the title of “Chairman Emeritus”, would take some getting used to.

The new owners had a clear vision of what they wanted, however.

“They seem very keen to embrace ideas to make the sport more accessible and entertaining,” said Horner. “In the immediacy, what we can see is that Formula One will perhaps be made slightly more accessible.”

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Pascal Wehrlein hoping to get all clear for second pre-season test

Pascal Wehrlein is hoping he will be given the all clear to start testing following an injury he sustained during the Race of Champions event in January.

The Sauber driver flipped his car after making contact with a barrier and although he felt well after the crash, doctors advised him to skip the opening test as a precaution.

Speaking to reporters on Monday, Wehrlein said he felt well enough to test, but he would only know for sure when he undergoes a medical examination at the end of the week, which if passed as fit, would see him in the car for the second test.

"I’m feeling okay, no pain, nothing, just something as a precaution to avoid any more difficult injury than I have at the moment, so it’s just something to be safe for the future and that’s it," he said.

"I hope [to drive during the second test], at the moment it’s still unclear as I will have a check again at the end of this week, I will see some doctors and then let’s see, I hope for sure that they will give me the green light and they say everything is fine and you can get back to racing but you never know.

"After the crash everything felt fine, I checked that everything was fine with the passenger. After a crash you always go to a doctor and check yourself and they said it’s better you don’t drive tomorrow, then I went to the doctors again in Europe and they said I should skip this test.

"Just in the first few days I had a bit of pain, sore everywhere which is normal after a crash, but at the moment I have no pain, feeling fine, doing my training as normal, and I can’t wait to go back into the car."

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Drivers heed first warning signs of F1 2017 overtaking fears

Fears that Formula 1’s new aerodynamic package will make overtaking harder in 2017 were borne out on the opening day of pre-season testing, as drivers found it harder to follow the car ahead.

Higher overall downforce levels make it harder for a following car to keep up in fast corners, because it loses front grip in the wake of the car ahead.

After the first full group F1 test today, Lewis Hamilton and Felipe Massa admitted that it will be an ongoing issue this year.

Overtaking was not part of the brief from the FIA when the new rules were formulated, with the focus on making cars faster and more challenging to drivers.

“I was behind a couple of cars out there and it was harder to follow, as we expected,” said Hamilton. “And then also right now the tyres are so hard that they don't drop off, they just keep going and going and going and going.

“So most likely we're going to be doing a lot more one-stopper [races] and, since there's not degradation, less mistakes, less overtaking.

“That's my prediction, I might be wrong, we'll find out.”

     

Massa: “Much nicer for drivers”

Massa said he enjoyed driving the new Williams FW40 today, but he too cautioned about what the racing will be like.

“Definitely from the driving point of view, it’s much nicer for the driver,” said the Brazilian. “For the show, I don’t know.

“I’m sure it will be more difficult to overtake. Today driving behind cars you lose a lot more downforce, the car is also much bigger.

“We’ll see, but I think it will be more difficult to overtake.”

  

Ricciardo: Today was a “tease”

Red Bull driver Daniel Ricciardo suggested the performance of the 2017 car had not yet wowed him in the way the rules revamp had intended.

Asked if the increased speeds from the wider tyres and improved aerodynamics had surprised him, Ricciardo paused and then replied: “Not yet. I think there is still a lot more to come from the cars, sure, and it is cold.

“The track feels like it is cold and the tyres are still not in their optimum temperature, but already you see the times – Lewis was already quicker than the qualifying here last year, so sure it will be faster.

“It is cool, but I think we will get a lot quicker from where we are now.”

He admitted teams were “just kind of scratching the surface” with performance on day one.

“You feel the difference in the high speed corners but I think we can still get a lot more out of the car,” Ricciardo added.

“The balance is still not where I think it can be, and the track is still really cold, so I feel the tyres are not at their peak and the car certainly isn’t yet.

“Today is a little bit of a tease – we feel a bit of it but there is a lot more to come.”

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Closer look: Haas F1 Team’s 2017 Challenger: The VF-17

The VF-17 follows the team’s very first car, the VF-16, which carried Haas F1 Team to an eighth-place finish in the 2016 constructor standings. Twenty-nine points were scored by the VF-16 during Haas F1 Team’s inaugural season, the largest points haul of any new Formula One team in this millennium. 

Incorporating “VF” into the name of the car is a nod to the history of Haas Automation, the team’s title sponsor. The first CNC machine manufactured by Haas Automation was the VF-1 in 1988. The “V” stands for vertical, which is an industry standard designation for a vertical mill. Gene Haas, founder of Haas Automation, added “F1” to the name to unofficially designate it as the company’s “Very First One”.

The VF-17 was built under a new set of technical regulations featuring an advanced aerodynamic package designed to create a higher level of downforce. A wider front wing, larger barge boards, a lower and wider rear wing and a diffuser that expands 50 millimeters (two inches) in height and width comprise the changes, along with wider tires from Pirelli, by 60 millimeters (2.4 inches) in the front and 80 millimeters (3.1 inches) in the rear, a 25-percent increase to bring the front tires to 305 millimeters (12 inches) and the rear tires to 405 millimeters (15.9 inches).

The colors from the original car were carried over to the VF-17, but the overall scheme is different. A dark gray makes up the majority of the livery, with tones of red, black, white and light gray incorporating the look of Haas Automation’s complete line of vertical and horizontal machining centers, turning centers and rotary tables and indexers. Approximately 1,300 employees encompass Haas Automation, with the Oxnard, California-based company exporting its machines to more than 60 countries. The VF-17 showcases Haas Automation’s commitment to technology and innovation to a passionate, global audience.