Smoke and mirrors

The latest editions are longer, wider and faster than last season but the ‘retro’ appeal is not the only reason that F1 fans are salivating ahead of the new season.

Barcelona has been playing host to the official pre-season test and offered fans the first opportunity to witness the interpretations of F1’s leading designers of the new rules that permit greater aerodynamic freedom than in recent years.

It is the first time for more than 30 years that a reigning F1 champion will not be racing following the retirement of Nico Rosberg although his replacement at Mercedes, Valteri Bottas, transferred from Williams, topped the time sheets after the first four days.

While it is notoriously difficult to interpret the likely performance of teams from individual lap times, that does not prevent F1 fans around the world from poring over the data in an attempt to guess who will be the top team at the first race in Australia at the end of this month.

There are a number of variables on each lap time that can be reviewed, such as the tyre choice used or the number of laps completed on any given ‘stint’ which would indicate a heavier fuel load.

However, there are also other unknowns such as the engine setting or whether ERS is running in conservation mode that ensure no published data is ever definitive.

There is also the fact that winter temperatures in Spain are at least 10 degrees below the coldest conditions the teams are likely to experience in any of the races.

What is for certain is that the teams are attempting to strike a balance between testing the capabilities of their new cars in a meaningful manner while not giving away too many clues to the opposition.

For example, Mercedes has a reputation for always running their cars with a fuel load not less than 70kg while Ferrari, despite matching some of the times of the champions, are yet to unleash their cars on the ultra-soft compounds.

Red Bull, always revered for their aerodynamic innovation, has had fans second-guessing about the ‘nostril’ – a hole at the front of the car on the ‘nose’. Many believe that it is to aid airflow over the chassis although I would not be surprised to see it house a previously unseen performance-enhancing attachment.

With some already questioning the legality of the hole one can only imagine the number of letters of complaint should they unleash a radical time-saving device! Yet, that is part of what makes this time of year within F1 so fascinating.

More of the intricate devices are expected in the second test that concludes tomorrow although one of the joys from the first test is to watch these multi-million dollar machines run around the track with their ‘dynamic rigs’ (or aero-rakes) attached - devices that measure the airflow over different parts of the car to assess whether the T-wings really provide the X-factor.

In addition to Red Bull’s nostril, the Mercedes car is particularly tight at the rear over the engine while the Ferrari has some complex shapes with turning vanes and an innovative treatment of the leading edge of the floor.

There are two aspects of the test that do provide further insight to the season ahead.  While a single figure can be a statistical anomaly looking at the speed trap data is interesting. 

Heading the list at the end of the first test was Sauber with a top speed of 332.3kph with Haas not far behind at 331.2kph, suggesting that there will be a number of teams battling for the unofficial ‘best of the rest’ title. Red Bull came top of the big three, narrowly breaking the 330kph barrier.

Also of interest during testing is the total mileage accumulated which suggests the relative reliability of the cars and their machinery. Mercedes again led the way with 558 laps while the only other team to have both drivers exceed 200 laps apiece were Ferrari on a cumulative 468 laps. Despite McLaren’s well-publicised ongoing difficulties with the Honda engine it was Torro Rosso who managed the fewest laps on 183.

Williams were not much better on 213 although this was largely due to their novice driver, Lance Stroll, taking the new car for a few short walks off-track, denting the chassis but not his confidence!

The other major changes relate to the Pirelli tyres which have degraded too fast and were too temperamental needing to be ‘managed’ throughout each stint.

It appears that Pirelli has perhaps gone too far the other way, although that is easier to rectify by simply bringing the softer compounds to races while continuing to develop their compounds. 

The difference to lap times between each category of tyre also looks to have increased which, while acknowledging there will be fewer pit stops, suggests there may be fascinating strategies that unfold. At least drivers are able to push to their limits.

Furthermore, after an intriguing wet weather test during which tankers sprayed water over the track, Pirelli has acknowledged that they need to do much more work on their wet options.

I am sure there will be much more drama and intrigue to unfold over the coming days. We were promised cars that were up to five seconds per lap faster, while recent lap times have only recorded generally superior performances of three seconds.

While undoubtedly some of this will be restrictions placed by the engineers and management, some of the differential may rest with the drivers themselves who lack the fitness conditioning to cope with the new demands or simply the confidence they posses to unleash the full potential of these cars.

It’s now only three weeks until the first race at which point all will be revealed.  Bring it on!