With the Jerez and first Bahrain test out of the way, the teams will be focussing on the second test in Bahrain.
The second Bahrain test will focus more on performance testing and fine tuning with a bit of race setups and race simulations thrown in for good measure. In a perfect world, that is exactly what would happen. But as we’ve seen throughout testing this winter, teams have run into unexpected problems which then take time to rectify which cut into their testing time. One such team was Red Bull.
Red Bull seemed to have suffered the most during this winter testing period. With only 21 laps completed in Jerez and 116 in Bahrain, it was in stark contrast to Mercedes who managed to clock up 315 laps. However, not all of Red Bull’s problems were engine related. Some of their problems related to cooling and the way the RB10 is packaged, other problems were software related. It’s quite worrying for a team who was on top of things in 2013 to be struggling in testing before the opening race for the 2014 season. We can be sure that the people at Milton Keynes are working furiously to get things ready for the third test.
Not everyone with Renault engines suffered with engine issues. Both Lotus and Caterham managed to clock in lots of track time. Lotus had much more to get through as this was their first time testing the car on track after skipping the Jerez test. The Caterham team clocked up 253 laps for the Bahrain test. Quite a respectable figure considering they were the Renault powered team with the most laps.
The other Renault powered team that did not fair well was Toro Rosso. On the final day of the first Bahrain test, they ran into a major engine problem which cut their test short.
Ferrari powered teams had a relatively successful test. Sauber had a rather quiet test. They ran into a few issues during the test but there was nothing major. They did uncover a problem with the chassis on the final day of the test. However, they got the car back out for a few laps before the flag dropped for the end of the second Bahrain test.
Ferrari seemed to have got through most of their testing program without major engine or other technical issues. A telemetry problem prevented them from running in the morning of the third day. That was quickly fixed and they carried on with their normal program. The F14T clocked up 287 laps around the Sakhir circuit.
Marussia had quite a disastrous Bahrain test. They only managed to complete 29 laps during the test. The problems started with a computer virus that affected one of their servers. They had an engine issue which took an entire day to fix and change and there were other issues that slowed the team down throughout the test. They will be hoping they can get some decent mileage in the final test.
Lastly, Mercedes. Mercedes had a very successful test. They did have a few issues with the brakes and some other engine relates issues, they were the team with the most laps under their belt when the flag dropped in Bahrain. They completed 315 laps over the four days. Mercedes’ Nico Rosberg also set the fastest time of the test with a 1:33.283. The team also managed full race simulations and qualifying simulations.
McLaren also enjoyed relative success with their running. The Woking based team was always within reach of the Mercedes team and their pace was very impressive.
After a slow start to their Bahrain test the Williams team got going. With Mercedes engines powering their cars this season it seems like they’ve made the right decision at the right time. The reliability of the Mercedes power units have been very good which is what allowed the Williams team to get through most of their test program and bring in rookie driver Felipe Nasr who completed an impressive 87 laps at the wheel of the FW36.
Force India enjoyed some success for their test. With Nico Rosberg and Esteban Gutierrez giving positive feedback about the car over the four days. Although running into few problems, it seems that the Mercedes powered Force India could be another serious contender this season.
Although teams were testing every aspect of their cars, Pirelli, with the help of the teams, were also conducting tests of their own. Motorsport Director at Pirelli, Paul Hembrey was pleased to report that the 2014 tyres are more consistent and more durable than the 2013 tyres. He did go on to say that Pirelli are ready to make changes to the tyres if the need arises.
Photo Credits”
Title Photo: Mercedes AMG Petronas Formula One Team
