the preseason tests that matter

[Craig.]

Dont focus so much on the final times but on the day as a whole but this is now it, for the teams just this test and a final one next week.
http://translate.google.com/translate?u ... angpair=dl

Ferrari still cant heat its tyres, Mclaren have gone completely wrong with the rear wing and have no rear downforce. Williams and toyota are chewing up tyres in 8 to 10 laps. All those problems need to be fixed in the next few days or the season could be a long one for some.

[Craig.]

todays testing
http://translate.google.com/translate?u ... angpair=dl

That Brawn Gp car is looking good. The team apparently showed Mercedes the fuel levels they were running yesterday and even they were shocked how quick the car was. I think it looks like Honda's decision to quit on 08 and develop on its 09 car so early might have worked. Looking at BMW and Toyota who also chose that route, it would appear its paid off. This year could have a couple of new winners in the field. Anyone who put a couple of quid on Jenson winning the title a few weeks back when the odds were over 100/1 must be smiling right now. It's still a long shot, but the odds have now dropped to 18/1 lol.

[expat]

todays testing
http://translate.google.com/translate?u ... angpair=dl

That Brawn Gp car is looking good. The team apparently showed Mercedes the fuel levels they were running yesterday and even they were shocked how quick the car was. I think it looks like Honda's decision to quit on 08 and develop on its 09 car so early might have worked. Looking at BMW and Toyota who also chose that route, it would appear its paid off. This year could have a couple of new winners in the field. Anyone who put a couple of quid on Jenson winning the title a few weeks back when the odds were over 100/1 must be smiling right now. It's still a long shot, but the odds have now dropped to 18/1 lol.

Honda are going to look rather silly if Brawn make a play of it this year.

Matt

[Craig.]

yes and no.
They can turn it round and say. It was only through their help and funding that the team was kept running over the winter. They also gave Brawn a significant chunk of money to get the team through the 09 season. And they can claim since it was them who decided to focus on 09 so early into the season, that its the reason behind their quick times.
I agree though I think they gave up on the F1 thing too quickly.

[Craig.]

ok button has just done a 1.19.1.
This is ridiculously quick even if they are running underweight. So much for the regulations slowing them down again.

[Craig.]

Ferrari say they cant match the pace of the Brawn gp car even on fumes. Alonso thinks its pace is real. If this is the case then we've got a long season ahead of us. lol. I am getting the feeling they are running underweight. There is no way they can be that much faster than the top teams.
http://translate.google.com/translate?u ... angpair=dl

[C]

Ferrari say they cant match the pace of the Brawn gp car even on fumes. Alonso thinks its pace is real. If this is the case then we've got a long season ahead of us. lol. I am getting the feeling they are running underweight. There is no way they can be that much faster than the top teams.
http://translate.google.com/translate?u ... angpair=dl

I had a sneak peak at some bookies websites yesterday (not a gambling type), and was interested to see William Hill are obviously quite worried by Brawn's pace, particularly Button's. You'll get longer odds putting money on the Ferrari drivers, in fact on any other driver i the field!

As of today

Button: 5/2

Raikonnen and Massa: 9/2 and 5/1 IIRC.

A lot of people taking a chance on a shock from Brackley by the looks of things. There even equal in =3rd with BMW at 4/1 for the Championship.

[Craig.]

yeah I saw on autosport something about that. Which is why I think those who took a chance on button or Rubens a few weeks ago when it was 200/1 are probably rubbing their hands together at these tests.

However, a report out of one newspaper today has said Bridgestone have allowed BGP to run on differant compounds to the other teams to make up for the fact they missed out on the tyre tests earlier in the winter. Now if that is true, and they have for instance been running the super softs, while the rest have been running the mediums and hards which I believe is the likely tyre choice for Barcelona this year. It would explain why there is such a huge gap. I really cant be bothered to check through the stint times that are avaliable but I dont remember them running overly long stints which could further back up the report. However they are still expected to match on simmilar tyres, Toyota, Ferrari and BMW.
I just cant wait now for Australia for some sort of answer lol. Less than two weeks, the final test this week is underway for the teams who've run less mileage than others. Williams, BGP, Mclaren and Renault.