The F1 season has not started as Red Bull Racing like it had seen. This weekend should be the first big improvement. How did the team on the Friday?
Before the season began, there was much hype around the new racing car of Red Bull. If there is one team in the state deemed had to be the dominance of Mercedes to break the new rules, then it was the team of Max. At least, that was the train of thought of most of the ‘experts’. Red Bull had Newey within the ranks.
During the wintertest died the hype a little bit, but many held hope. Red Bull would be the rear of the tongue have yet to show, and only in Australia their ‘real car’, want to show. Plus wintertests say, anyway, nothing, right? After the first weekend was in Australia the hype is dead.
However, from the fertile tomb of first hype, sprouted up almost immediately the first twigs of the echo-hype. Red Bull came up with updates! It is a matter of time before they fight for the marbles! There came a new engine in Canada, and an almost entirely new car in Spain.
But unfortunately, the engine was delayed to the end of the summer, and in the past week stirred up the rumors around the updated RB13 in the form of a concave parabola. At one point there was even talk of that the car is so updated, that these RB14 would be called. Yesterday dampened Ricciardo expectations, however, considerable. Max fell to his team-mate later on by the same sentiment expressed.
First, it is to be seen how well the new components work. Secondly, it also have other teams nefarious plans with updates. Mercedes, for instance, a mountain of new parts and Force India dreams of Red Bull to be cast out of the third spot in the pecking order. Also Haas F1 will bring an update, all benefits only Magnussen out there today. Grosjean gets the new parts until tomorrow. That is not to say that Grosjean suddenly has become the second rider of the team. Haas F1 had not yet enough new stuff ready for both cars, so is there in the team for a coin tossed up.
After all the entertaining speculation has, however, only one thing, and that his lap times.
VT1:
In the wintertest went Ferrari go in Spain, but in VT1 are the the Merc’s that have a thick edge. Hamilton took first position, but the difference with Bottas is minimal. On the other hand is the difference with Ferrari is correct, life size, especially when you consider that they are at the same bandencompound they were on their way. Kimi gives bíjna-a-second on the Silberpfeile, Vettel just over one second. In addition, Vettel still for a moment with a bakprobleem. Not good opening, for team red.
The good news for Red Bull is that they are a couple just behind the Fezza’s. Max gives less than two tenths on Vettel. The bad news is, however, immediately that they are a second behind the Merc’s. The cars of Haas F1 are somewhat surprising seventh, and eighth. Force India sets given the large words in advance, just slightly disappoint: both riders miss narrowly the top 10.
But, it could always be less. Sergey Sirotkin may just as in Russia, the first training drive for Renault. However, also just like in Sochi knows his car a lot of problems. The Rus is only 12 slow laps. The situation is somewhat reminiscent of earlier times. Poor teams left when ever betaalrijders what circles or even races to do with weak motors and heavy tires. But let’s just assume that Renault have the best intentions with Sirotkin.
However, it can always be even less. This was Alonso’s car after two turns:
This was Followed, later during VT1:
1. Lewis Hamilton 1:21.521 s
2. Valtteri Bottas 1:21.550 s
3. Kimi were times 1:22.456 s
4. Sebastian Vettel 1:22.600 s
5. Max Verstappen 1:22.786 s
6. Daniel Ricciardo 1:23.084 s
7. Kevin Magnussen 1:23.670 s
8. Romain Grosjean 1:23.758 s
9. Nico Hulkenberg 1:23.993 s
10. Carlos Sainz 1:24.004 s
11. Sergio Perez 1:24.188 s
12. Esteban Ocon 1:24.324 s
13. Stoffel Vandoorne 1:24.400 s
14. Felipe Massa 1:24.618 s
15. Daniil Kvyat 1:24.642 s
16. Marcus Ericsson 1:24.966 s
17. Pascal Wehrlein 1:25.182 s
18. Lance Stroll 1:25.919 s
19. Sergey Sirotkin 1:26.293 s
20. Fernando Alonso -no time set-
VT2:
In the second free training, the wind suddenly a great challenge. Also pick up all the riders are now also the soft compound tires out. Prior to the weekend many drivers the bandenselectie criticized. The general thought is that there is a bit too much on safe is gone for the choice for the Soft, Medium and Hard compounds. The Ultrasoft and Supersoft compounds are not on the menu, while a few people there really wanted.
Through the treacherous gusts of wind shooting a lot of riders off the track. One of them is Max Verstappen.
It is interesting to see that the difference between the Mercedes and the rest on the softer compound is less. Nevertheless, the Mercs still the fastest cars on the track. This time it is Hamilton 90 thousandths of a second faster than Bottas. the difference with the two Ferrari’s is about three tenths of a second. The two Red Bull’s to sit there another three tenths behind. That looks suddenly a lot better, but it remains, of course, to wait and see what the difference tomorrow and the day after tomorrow.
1. Lewis Hamilton 1:20.802
2. Valtteri Bottas 1:20.892
3. Kimi Were Times 1:21.112
4. Sebastian Vettel 1:21.220
5. Max Verstappen 1:21.438
6. Daniel Ricciardo 1:21.585
7. Nico Hulkenberg 1:21.687
8. Jolyon Palmer 1:21.992
9. Felipe Massa 1:22.015
10. Carlos Sainz 1:22.265
11. Romain Grosjean 1:22.371
12. Esteban Ocon 1:22.520
13. Stoffel Vandoorne 1:22.693
14. Sergio Perez 1:22.722
15. Kevin Magnussen 1:23.007
16. Marcus Ericsson 1:23.082
17. Lance Stroll 1:23.221
18. Daniil Kvyat 1:23.236
19. Pascal Wehrlein 1:23.599
20. Fernando Alonso 1:24.077
Conclusion:
Mercedes seems to be the best cards in your hands. Definitely on the harder tires to go Hamilton and Bottas as a spear. With the softer compound, the other teams closer in the neighborhood. It is too early to draw conclusions about the updates from all the teams. If we, however, would do so on the basis of these two workouts would you say that Mercedes and Red Bull profits have made towards Ferrari.
Force India doesn’t immediately impressed and at Haas, we know not what we should be thinking about. The American team went though well in VT1, but in VT2 is Magnussen with the updates slower than Grosjean without the updates. Make there but chocolate…