Thoughts, from Jerez to Barcelona

In a week teams will switch on the engines, kicking off the second four-days of collective test. After the inauguration at Jerez circuit, Spain will be again the background for the tests of F1 Circus, from Thursday 19th to Sunday, February 22nd. This time will be Montmelò circuit to host the open wheels and it will be the fifth weekend (as well as the first European round) of 2015 Formula 1 World Championship.

After the first session, teams withdrew in their Headquarters, in order to analyze the collected data and program the new tests to be produced in the next session. A year of hybrid technology development has already given a return: the cars are 3″ faster than the first session, twelve months ago. The work within the teams is intense, having to maximize the potential of their new creatures. “Once back at home, team has to analyze thousands of data collected on track and compare them with those of wind tunnel and simulator. Another problem is that if the test program is not completed, it is necessary to plan s best as possible the next test that will inevitably become more complex”, Gian Carlo Minardi says on www.minardi.it. The manager from Faenza lived with his Minardi Team, for over twenty years, the phase of inauguration and pre-seasonal development. “In these fifteen days separating the first official launch from the second, the work will be developed in parallel with the introduction of new aerodynamic and improving overall car reliability, looking for appropriate solutions to the problems of reliability suffered in the past season. For example, Mercedes gave me the impression of having worked in this direction, by focusing the work on the electronics and mechanics of gearbox; the same crash gearbox suffered the third day seems apparently a result of a wanted stress test”, the former builder continues.

Tests are meticulously prepared events and teams go on track with programs defined and studied day by day. “It always follows a schedule of works, planned by the technical staff around a desk and considering both car and driver. Programs can be changed only if there are serious technical problems. This explains why each team seems to act without any interest in the competition with other rivals. In this phase, Team Principal has normally a marginal role. Therefore, it is easy to meet the Patrons of Teams around the circuit, to follow the work on track of theirs drivers. This happens especially in smaller teams, when they have in their ranks young or not very experienced drivers. Nice the image of Tost, Team Principal of Red Bull, who has focused on two rookies like Verstappen and Sainz Jr and was moving around Jerez track”.