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F1 2015: Jerez Testing – Day 1 Round-Up

Day one of winter testing ahead of the 2015 season kicked off today at the Jerez circuit in southern Spain.

Sebastian Vettel set the fastest time overall for the Ferrari team with a time of 1:22:690. The German completed a total of 59 laps. Fernando Alonso completed the least amount of laps, six, in his McLaren Honda.

A relatively cool start to the day, weather wise, was amped with the official launch of several cars. Red Bull stole the limelight with a rather different livery. The Williams FW37 also launched with its official colours in the pitlane while Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg unveiled the 2015 Mercedes. The Lotus team were absent from the pitlane following their announcement that were not quite ready to run the E23. Fernando Alonso took charge of the McLaren Honda for the first day Ron Dennis has said that the McLaren livery will change from its current guise but has remained coy on exactly when that will happen.

Last year’s stuttering start to testing at Jerez saw Kimi Raikkonen set the fastest time of the day in his Ferrari, a time of 1:27:104. Twelve months later, and a whole lot more knowledge on the turbo era of the sport, the cars have clocked times considerably quicker.

It was a remarkable day for Mercedes who clocked 157 with Nico Rosberg. Although Mercedes did have a shakedown earlier in the week at the Silverstone circuit to clock 157 laps in a day is an extremely good sign for the defending champions.

The first day of winter testing is always highly anticipated among fans, teams and drivers alike. It’s the opening salvo ahead of a new season and one that is keenly watched from all around the world. It is also a day for the teams to find their proverbial feet with their 2015 challengers and one where they look iron out small niggles while ensuring that all the systems run smoothly.

Thus the first runs and opening couple of days are hard to read into and it is unwise to do so. There is one thing however that is not in doubt; for 2015 the teams have produced stunning pieces of machinery that are very pleasing to the eye.

Daniel Ricciardo photo courtesy of @redbullracing

Unofficial Laptimes from Jerez de la Frontera:

February 1, 2015
Red Bull Launch Black and White Camouflaged RB11

The Red Bull F1 team revealed a heavily camouflaged RB11 this morning at the Circuito Jerez just as testing got underway.

The RB 11 emerged from the pit garage at Jerez sporting the camouflaged look instead of revealing it like other teams have done.

Red Bull’s new Chief Engineering Officer Rob Marshal who replaces Adrian Newey said that most of the changes will be hard to spot but significant steps have been made.

“There are some changes that affect the shape of the front of the car but beyond that most of the changes are under the skin,” he said.

“We’ve identified the areas where we can make improvements and we’ve worked hard on these.

“There won’t be a lot that’s visible to the naked eye but a lot of hard work has gone into the bits that are hidden.”

Red Bull cut it rather fine this time with the car passing its crash tests on Saturday afternoon. Speaking to AutoSport, Team Principal Christian Horner said that they opted for the tightest car build to ensure that the latest developments were on the RB11.

Photo Credit: Infinity Red Bull Racing Formula 1

February 1, 2015
Official Unveiling of the Williams FW37

After being “soft launched” together with F1 Racing Magazine, the Williams F1 team finally took the covers off its new creation, the FW37.

“After such a strong season in 2014 we are looking to continue the move back towards the front of the grid,” commented Team Principal and Founder Sir Frank Williams.

“The move from ninth to third was a tough challenge, but ultimately every step up from now on will be even harder.”

“I am looking forward to seeing the car in testing and assessing how other teams have fared over the winter in comparison to us. We should, once again, have a very exciting season ahead of us which will hopefully bring more success to Williams.”

Claire Williams, Deputy Team Principal: “The team learnt and developed a lot in 2014 and this has made us a better team and well prepared for the challenges that face us as we head into a new season.

“I am incredibly confident in the team around me and the line-up we have that 2015 can make it another successful and exciting year for Williams Martini Racing, and now can’t wait to get back on track.”

Photos courtesy Williams Martini Racing Formula 1 Team

February 1, 2015
Mercedes Officially Launch the W06

Drivers Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg took the covers off Mercedes’ 2015 title defending car at the Circuito Jerez this morning.

With the sun slightly peeking over the mountains the covers came off the new Mercedes W06 Hybrid.

Technical Director, Paddy Lowe says that one of the key focus areas for the car was reliability. “It’s no secret that reliability let us down on a number of occasions in 2014”

“Making a car reliable is a long gane and a lot of effort has gone in on that side. It’s not about fixing individual issues but about raising quality across the many thousands of parts and processes involved.”

The rear wing has a single, central support pylon. This does provide some aerodynamic benefit as there is less disturbance to the air flowing below the main plane of the front wing.

Mercedes say that they have a more extreme version of their front suspension this season. The W06 suspension system was built without FRIC from the begging after it was banned mid way last season.

Photo’s courtesy Mercedes AMG Petronas Formula 1

February 1, 2015
Toro Rosso Take the Covers off the STR10

The Toro Rosso F1 team revealed their 2015 contender today at an even at the Jerez Circuit in Spain where the first 2015 pre-season test will take place.

The biggest most noticeable change on the car is the nose. No more proboscis monkey nose on the car. Instead the team have a similar nose to McLaren and Ferrari. The other noticeable change is the air intake below the roll hoop. It’s split into two sections with additional intakes further back. Towards the rear of the car we can see a more compact design with a large under cut in the bodywork which allows more air to flow above the diffuser.

“The launch of the new STR10 car today here in Jerez de la Frontera marks the start of a new and hopefully thrilling F1 season,” said Team Principal Franz Tost.

“The 2015 season is a new challenge for all of us. We’ve put a lot of work into the STR10 and we are convinced that we will have a successful year,” he added.

“Our objective is to finish fifth in the constructors championship and we are ready to do our best to achieve it. Our engine partner Renault has also worked very hard to come up with new modifications and I’m sure that our joint effort will give us a package which will certainly be very competitive. All in all, we have a much stronger team as well as a very competitive STR10 and fast drivers; it’s a great combination.”

Photo credit: Scuderia Toro Rosso F1

January 31, 2015
F1 2015: Jerez Test Driver Line Up
The first test for the 2015 Formula 1 Season gets underway tomorrow in Jerez, Spain.

The test will run from 01 – 04 February. This is how the drivers will line up on each day

Day 1: Sunday 1 Ferbuary
- Mercedes – Nico Rosberg
- Red Bull – Daniel Ricciardo
- Williams – Valtteri Bottas
- Ferrari – Sebastian Vettel
- McLaren – Fernando Alonso
- Force India – Not participating
- Toro Rosso – Carlos Sainz Jr.
- Sauber – Marcus Ericsson
- Lotus – Pastor Maldonado
Day 2: Monday 2 February
- Mercedes – Lewis Hamilton
- Red Bull – Daniil Kvyat
- Williams – Valtteri Bottas
- Ferrari – Sebastian Vettel
- McLaren – Jenson Button
- Force India – Not participating
- Toro Rosso – Max Versappen
- Sauber – Felipe Nasr
- Lotus – Romain Grosjean
Day 3: Tuesday 3 February
- Mercedes – Nico Rosberg
- Red Bull – Daniel Ricciardo
- Williams – Felipe Massa
- Ferrari – Kimi Raikkonen
- McLaren – Fernando Alonso
- Force India – Not participating
- Toro Rosso – Carlos Sainz Jr.
- Sauber – Felipe Nasr
- Lotus – Pastor Maldonado
Day 4: Wednesday 4 February
- Mercedes – Lewis Hamilton
- Red Bull – Daniil Kvyat
- Williams – Felipe Massa
- Ferrari – Kimi Raikkonen
- McLaren – Jenson Button
- Force India – Not participating
- Toro Rosso – Max Versappen
- Sauber – Marcus Ericsson
- Lotus – Romain Grosjean
The Caterham and Marussia teams have not finalized their entries for the 2015 season and have been excluded from the list.

Photo credit: Wikimedia Commons
January 31, 2015
Ferrari Launches the SF15-T

An hour after Sauber launched their 2015 contender, the Ferrari F1 team took the covers of their latest creation. The SF15-T.

The SF15-T was launched online. Like many other teams, Ferrari released teaser shots and videos in the build up to the launch.

The car maintains a similar livery to its predecessor with some very minor changes.

The biggest difference on the 2015 car is the nose. Ferrari have gone with a long, lower flat nose, which according to the team will bring in a boost in aerodynamic performance. The rear of the car is more tightly packed than the 2014 car, although not as compact as the McLaren. Other changes include a redesigned rear wing, which according to the team will have “a larger DRS effect on the straights,” remodeled front and rear brake ducts and an overhauled suspension kinematics.

With this being a launch specification car. We can expect to see many changes on the car at the Jerez test which starts on 1 Febrary 2015.

Pictures courtesy Scuderia Ferrari F1

January 30, 2015
Sauber Unveil the C34

The Sauber F1 team unveiled their 2015 car online on Friday morning.

The new car sports a blue and yellow livery with a different looking nose to the other cars that were launched. The nose on the Sauber is wider than the others.

Sauber say that with the new car they’ve focused on three main areas: Performance in slow corners, weight reduction, as well as braking stability.

“We were able to gain a lot of experience during the course of the 2014 season, which will have an influence on the Sauber C34,” said Eric Gandelin, chief designer of the Sauber F1 Team.

The team say that the side pods on the C34 are slimmer than they were on the C33. This despite the higher cooling requirements for the new power unit. This was possible through the modifications to the attachment of the side crash elements and the radiators which are mounted horizontally. The rear packaging on the C34 is more tighter than its predecessor. This will help with the aerodynamics at the rear of the car.

After a dismal 2014 Sauber are hoping that their new car will bring home some points in 2015. With significant changes being made to the power unit this year, they feel that they can challenge the mid field for points.

According to the team some of the parts on the car are still from the C33, but they will be replaced as testing goes on.

“We will use the time up to Melbourne to ensure we’re as competitive as possible when we line up on the grid for the season opener,” added Eric Gandelin.

Pictures courtesy Sauber F1 Team

January 30, 2015
Mercedes W06 Silverstone Shakedown

While all eyes were on the McLaren 2015 car launch, the Mercedes F1 team quietly sneaked into Silverstone for a shakedown for their 2015 car, the W06.

In very cold conditions both Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg got to lap the Northhamptonshire circuit clocking up a total of 18 laps. The session, classified as a promotional event under FIA rules, was brought to a premature end after a blizzard moved in.

The team have been releasing teaser videos and pictures on their twitter feed for the past few days. The official unveiling of the car will take place in the Jerez pit lane on the morning of the first day of testing.

Pictures courtesy Mercedes AMG Petronas Formula 1 Team

January 30, 2015
McLaren Reveal the Honda Powered MP4-30 for 2015

The McLaren F1 team revealed their 2015 contender, the MP4-30, on Thursday afternoon.

After much anticipation the car was revealed online in a tweet by the McLaren F1 team.

The car sports a familiar McLaren silver/black livery with some red detailing. The car is still missing the presence of a title sponsor logo.

The influence of former Red Bull car designer Pete Prodromou can be seen. The rear of the car is packed incredibly tight, very similar to the 2014 Red Bull. The car features a split intake in the roll hoop area and a rather interesting looking front suspension setup. McLaren have stuck with the toothed rear wing and also a very similar rear suspension setup as in 2014 but with out the rear wishbone wings.

Although a bit underwhelming its not about what the car looks like but rather how the entire package works.

Pictures courtesy McLaren Honda Formula 1 Team

January 29, 2015