Hmm, they are sounding pretty confident right now, so my guess is that they wanted to stretch development as long as possible. If it works for Newey, why shouldn't it work for Brawn? The others will take time to copy any new concept if it proves worthy, giving Brawn another season-start advantage. But I guess we will know more starting tomorrow.

Cooper

Jaime Alguersuari thinks MGP is not a title contender:

http://www.f1sa.com/index.php?option=com_c...&Itemid=219

We will see. It's better to be underrated and overachieve, than to be overhyped and underachieve.

What new parts do they have today? Heard they have a new aero package, but not seen any photos yet.

NobleF1 The Mercedes GP car is running with the upgraded aero package today - but the final 2010 diffuser spec will wait until Bahrain

Rosberg: "Alles liegt eng beisammen. Unser Schritt für Bahrain ist so groß, dass er einiges ändern könnte. Daher macht es jetzt keinen Sinn, Vorhersagen zu treffen"

"Everybody is close together. Our imporovements for Bahrain are so big that it could change a couple of things, so it makes no sense to make predictions right now."

http://www.motorsport-total.com/f1/news/20...d_10022603.html

i cant spot anything new on the pics so far, f1today.nl

could you post the links please

Schumacher did some installation laps with the old aero in the early morning

http://www.f1today.nl/foto/8021/

thanks


But maybe thats the case?

http://translate.google.co.uk/translate?u=...l=&ie=UTF-8

Mercedes GP is waiting for the new front wing to arrive from the UK. Don't expect many laps until then...

OfficialMGP: Some more changes to the car and Michael is now out doing a sequence of runs with some practice pit stop activity

NobleF1: Schumacher seems to be doing lots of systems checks as his times are very random. Looks like there will be a practice pit stop coming up too

So is my hope that those two friends [Seb, Michael] will share podium in Oct, assuming the cars are not utter dogs, but I am not sure in which order.

47 1:24.991 +3.302
48 1:24.189 -0.802
49 1:24.159 -0.03
50 1:24.245 +0.086
51 1:24.410 +0.165
52 1:24.527 +0.117
53 1:24.621 +0.094
54 1:24.407 -0.214
55 1:24.250 -0.157
56 1:21.809 -2.441

nice

Yeah, I just saw that. Almost a 2.5 second drop in one lap. He must not be pushing that hard with the previous laps, or maybe he pitted for new tires? Although it was reported he did it in succession. Interesting.

i was like that too, and now he is back in the 1.24s

it's like he's playing with us

Weird. Either massive sandbagging, or they are testing in "tyre preservation mode" or "fuel saving mode" of some sort. If it's the latter, that makes me think we'll see some very interesting things strategy-wise this year.

Maybe that's what Nico meant by saying he could go faster still.

and it's still an interim car...looking for merc pictures post lunchbreak

slightly different RWEP (spotted on f1tech board)

Inspired by the Red Bull one.

I always wonder how performance is gained from such changes

Exhaust area looks different, although it could be the angle...

New exhaust cover. Can't tell if the wing is new. The rear wing bottom side panels are at a 90 degree point now.

the bottom one is the new one

Just a hunch here - but I should think that turbulence at the rear of the car and vortices generated by those trailing edges of the wing supports would very much affect the diffuser's performance. Every part there must work to create lower pressure in the general vicinity of the diffuser exit, so as to suck more air from underneath the car.

http://www.motorsport-total.com/f1/bilder/...8633&sort=1

Is that a new front spoiler?

OfficialMGP: The car's been in the garage for a little while whilst we made some changes but Michael's back in now and almost ready to go out...

It´s interesting to see that they´re always lapping in the low ´24- mid ´25.
I have not seen a stint in the ´22-´23 or ´26-´27 so far like almost all others did (at least the latter)

The Michael Schumacher entered the pit, engineers changed the front wing of MGP W01 and continued his efforts.

From the greek site

AMuS report on testing: http://translate.google.co.uk/translate?u=...l=&ie=UTF-8

DC: "Red Bull, Mercedes and Ferrari look stable. The McLaren seems to have a few problems with traction. The Sauber is nervous on the front axle, but fast. The Renault looks sluggish, but probably has a lot of fuel on board. From the Toro Rosso, I'm not smart. Alguersuari takes quite funny lines. The Williams still has too much understeer. "

Schumi is putting in some very consistent (albeit not awesome) laptimes. Was there a conclusion on that 1:21 in the midst of the 1:24s?

edit: I am a little worried about the total number of laps. Some of it is probably due to the new parts for today but I hope he can do a massive amount of laps on sunday.

Still difficult to judge, but I think lap times are starting to look good. I thought this 17-lap stint in the morning looked good minus the big drops to 1:30-35, but I think those were deliberate rather than problems with the tyres or something. You don't get that much slower. So basically he was in low-mid 1:24s in this stint. During the same period Alonso was doing mainly high 1:24s and 1:25s on a 21 lap stint:

11:29:51 1:30.050 0 1 0 0
11:30:04 1:24.075 0 0 1 0
11:31:01 1:24.076 0 0 0 0
11:33:11 1:24.210 0 0 0 0
11:34:01 1:24.545 0 0 0 0
11:36:01 1:24.470 0 0 0 0
11:37:02 1:24.449 0 0 0 0
11:39:01 1:24.715 0 0 0 0
11:40:01 1:24.389 0 0 0 0
11:41:01 1:25.071 0 0 0 0
11:43:01 1:24.711 0 0 0 0
11:44:01 1:30.461 0 0 0 0
11:46:01 1:35.949 0 0 0 0
11:51:03 1:25.027 0 0 0 0
11:53:01 1:24.673 0 0 0 0
11:54:01 1:28.031 0 0 0 0
11:56:01 1:35.897 1 0 0 0

And of course that 1:21 lap in the middle of a series 1:24s was also interesting in the afternoon. If that wasn't a mistake or he didn't cut a chicane.

And Rosberg thinks the new parts in Bahrain will bring massive improvement. So maybe it's not looking so bad for Mercedes after all.

Am starting to look pleased. Some hint of sandbagging there, MS showing he can do much faster ;)

Front wing is new. Just look at the protruding portion scooping upwards near the tyres.

Its the angle. Does not look like the new wing to me. What we need to look at is (I think) where the nose and front wing connects. The nose seems to be designed for the new front wing, but the current wing clearly does not match the nose where it connects.

the comments from michael are again very promising ("there is much more to come from the team both here and in Bahrain"), im starting to think Mercedes will be the team to beat in Bahrain

http://twitter.com/legardj/status/9686189406

it has never looked bad IMO, and yeah those 1.30s in the stint were system checks i remember Noblef1 saying it, and what was also interesting Alonsos one 20 lap stint today was with average 1.24.9 and Rosberg did yesterday a 24 lap run with average 1.24.6. And i calculated the average of the stint that you posted leaving out the 1.30s and 1.35s and that 1.28 i got 1.24.440 for Schumi and then i also calculated the 13 lap stint where he did 1.24s but one lap was 1.21 but i left the 1.21 out and the average i got was 1.24.609. But if i didnt leave that 1.21 out i got 1.24.409

Now this is the Michael I know. Playing down his chances rather than up. And that when lap times actually start to look more encouraging than before. So maybe a pessimistic Michael is another good sign.

Schumacher: Mercedes not fast enough yet

After taking over at the wheel of the MGP W01 from team-mate Nico Rosberg, Schumacher made his first on-track appearance in Barcelona today as compatriot Nico Hülkenberg set the leading pace, with the Williams being a full second quicker than Schumacher.

"Maybe not," Schumacher replied when asked by GPUpdate.net if the squad formerly known as Brawn will be challenging for wins from the off.

"I can't make judgements about other teams at the moment but I do know that we're not in the position we want to be to be challenging for wins straight away; we are working hard and the season is long - the main aim at the moment is not to be too far off."


http://f1.gpupdate.net/en/formula-1-news/2...ast-enough-yet/

Strange that Michael talks totally differently than Nico. Either massive sandbagging or Nico is overoptimistic.

the Swiss newspaper Blick, and Germany’s n-tv, claim that the seven time world champion’s will earn 21 Euro ? and not 7 million Euro?

Some observations from DC around midday today:



http://www.auto-motor-und-sport.de/formel-...ll-1765621.html

From the McLaren thread:

http://tweetphoto.com/12579245 "Some seriously quick cars out there" according to Hamilton. "Red Bulls, Sauber, Mercedes. Ferrari quick runs too."

http://www.twitlonger.com/show/c0v25

At least Hamilton seems to be impressed by Mercedes.

7 from Merc, the rest from personal sponsors

as is Vettel

Q. There are two weeks until Bahrain, what is your plan for the season?

SV: I think it will be a long season, a hard fight. It looks extremely close at the moment. I think Ferrari has a bit of an advantage now. It might change before Bahrain, who knows? It might change in the next two days. But I think nevertheless it will be extremely close within four teams - Ferrari a bit ahead, then Mercedes, McLaren and us. So that's four teams, eight drivers - it's busy if only one can win!

http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/81737

http://translate.google.bg/translate?js=y&...sl=de&tl=en
" A problem with the cooler holding the Mercedes GP W01 for an hour down in the garage.
I do not think that we just win the first race. Our aim in Bahrain is not too far away from the best. But the season is long. There is no reason why should we not fight for the championship. "
"With a lot of fuel on board makes the car run well,"
"I could say that Ferrari is fast, but I do not know if it's indeed the case. It is very difficult to interpret the difference in lap times, especially here in Barcelona . It may well be that one that seems to slow, is actually very fast. "
When asked whether it would slow toward the end of the trial was time to laugh Schumacher: "It's still one days time."
Should read: On Sunday, the former champion will reveal the cards.