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Winter testing 2008-2009 (merged)


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#1 noikeee

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Posted 29 September 2008 - 14:20

This is a bit early, yes. There's a full month and 3 races to go until the season ends. But I've got some news:

http://autosport.aei...s.stories/58830

The brand new Portimão circuit in Portugal is due to be homologated by the FIA after an inspection on the 13th of October. After that, it will receive its first event at the 2nd of November which is a World Superbike race. The circuit is currently under the final stages of construction and the road accesses are scheduled to be completed by the 26th of October.

The relevant info? McLaren is set to be the first F1 team to run in the circuit, from the 17th to 19th of November (drivers yet unknown), while all other F1 teams test at Barcelona the same days. Afterwards, McLaren will prepare a report as a review of the circuit's conditions, and if this report is positive, all 10 F1 teams will run in a joint test from the 20th to 22nd of January 2009 in Portimão. Several teams have already started searching for hotels and some info on the area.

F1 is back to Portugal. :up:

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#2 gerry nassar

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Posted 29 September 2008 - 14:26

Nice to see F1 head back to Portugal, its been a while.

Ok - keep this thread for all winter testing.

#3 pgj

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Posted 29 September 2008 - 16:01

Good news.

#4 noikeee

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Posted 08 October 2008 - 16:38

Vid of the new track, mostly onboard with PWRC driver Armindo Araújo: http://autosport.aei...s.stories/59339

#5 barteks

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Posted 08 October 2008 - 18:23

Posted Image

Reminds me a bit Barcelona or Estoril...

#6 D.M.N.

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Posted 08 October 2008 - 19:06

Big question as with any circuit is overtaking.

#7 lukywill

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Posted 08 October 2008 - 19:15

i hope that such threads don't last long.

test 2009.2010
bmw 2010
ferrari 2013

what the is this?

#8 lukywill

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Posted 08 October 2008 - 19:16

Originally posted by paranoik0


F1 is back to Portugal. :up:


when?

testing sessions are a boredom.

mclaren there in next nov... hum i'll see that.

#9 anbeck

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Posted 08 October 2008 - 19:23

Originally posted by lukywill
i hope that such threads don't last long.


Would you mind to explain in further detail?

#10 pingu666

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Posted 08 October 2008 - 20:04

Originally posted by lukywill


when?

testing sessions are a boredom.

mclaren there in next nov... hum i'll see that.


wsbk are racing soon there

#11 Lazy Prodigy

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Posted 08 October 2008 - 20:43

Originally posted by barteks
Posted Image

Reminds me a bit Barcelona or Estoril...

look like a modified Barcelona indeed :down: but good to see F1 back there

#12 noikeee

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Posted 08 October 2008 - 21:07

That's just one of the layouts, Superbikes use a long sweeping final corner, F1 use an extra Bahrain-like sharp chicane at the first corner.

I agree I didn't think much of the layout on paper, but after looking at the vid I like it more, there's some big hills in the middle of the track! The sun reflects too much in the asphalt in the beginning of the vid, but you can see the track well from 4:00 onwards.

#13 anbeck

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Posted 08 October 2008 - 21:45

Originally posted by paranoik0
The sun reflects too much in the asphalt in the beginning of the vid, but you can see the track well from 4:00 onwards.


Ah, thanks for pointing out that. I stopped the video after some horrible eye-cancer provoking editing during the first minute and then after the exposure done on the inside of the car rather than on the track.

So I'll give it another try tomorrow :)

#14 TwoCents

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Posted 08 October 2008 - 22:13

Originally posted by lukywill
i hope that such threads don't last long.


Ya kidding?

Pre-season testing is (almost) the most exciting bit of the F1 season as far as I'm concerned. It's already October with the current season almost gone.

And that Portugal track layout looks a LOT like Barcelona, including the final corner chicane.

#15 AFCA

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Posted 23 October 2008 - 18:19

The € 200 million worth Portimão circuit has obtained the FIA '1T' homologation which allowes Formula 1 tests to take place.

Pinheiro, boss of the new venue, on McLaren coming to test in Portugal: ''It's almost confirmed, but still not completely.''

#16 potmotr

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Posted 23 October 2008 - 18:25

I wish they'd stayed at Estoril. That was a great track.

#17 Atreiu

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Posted 23 October 2008 - 18:27

Originally posted by potmotr
I wish they'd stayed at Estoril. That was a great track.


It was great before they added the chincane and first corner hairpin. Now it's just same oll, same oll.

#18 AFCA

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Posted 24 October 2008 - 18:16

Honda will be testing alongside McLaren at Portimão.

#19 Jodum5

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Posted 25 October 2008 - 01:20

THey spend 200 million euro for a test track?

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#20 noikeee

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Posted 25 October 2008 - 01:32

Originally posted by Jodum5
THey spend 200 million euro for a test track?


Yeah, I don't quite understand their business model.

There's said to be a lot of interest from all sorts of international series to test, but even if the track is occupied most of the year with testing, and hosts 4 or 5 big events (LMES, FIA GT, Superbikes, A1GP, GP2) plus some national events, I don't see how that is enough to pay a 200 million euro investment.

Then again I'm **** at economy.

#21 dutra

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Posted 03 November 2008 - 02:27

Well, 08 is finished! Congratulations to Lewis.

Now we will have probably the most important "winter season" in ten years or even more. KERS, slicks, aerodinamic changes... All the teams must run against time. In 98 McLaren showed up in Melbourne over a second faster than anyone else after a sucessfull winter season. This time we could expect something like that or it will be a very close call for all the teams?

This year yet:


17-19 November: Barcelona
8-11 December: Jerez
15-17 December: Jerez

#22 tahadar

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Posted 03 November 2008 - 02:32

cant wait to see the aero and mech developments that will unravel themselves over the comings weeks and months! should be interesting too see who ditches KERS in favor of a lighter car and thus more ballast to throw around, whose system works and how the aero rules are interpreted by the teams.

#23 ruby soho

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Posted 03 November 2008 - 05:01

I dont know if i like winter testing and the cars coming together more than actual racing :cat:

#24 Lazy Prodigy

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Posted 03 November 2008 - 05:25

Originally posted by ruby soho
I dont know if i like winter testing and the cars coming together more than actual racing :cat:

I find winter testing more interesting than the racing on track its. So your not alone

#25 dutra

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Posted 03 November 2008 - 05:43

Originally posted by Lazy Prodigy
I find winter testing more interesting than the racing on track its. So your not alone


I wouldn't go that far. But definetly the real work is done during those sessions.

#26 raiseyourfistfor

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Posted 03 November 2008 - 06:00

Are bridgestone supplying slicks for these tests? Also will the teams be running 09 aero already?

#27 Slowinfastout

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Posted 03 November 2008 - 06:02

Some interesting infos on Kers in that article:

Toyota to introduce KERS only in mid-2009

"We are working flat out on KERS, but our sincere view is that people underestimate some of the major challenges,"


"We will run a car in January with KERS in a monocoque not designed for it, which we could not race, but it will be a test platform - and our gut feeling is that the earliest (it will race) will be mid season. We don't know yet. We are still testing on rigs.
So it is not that we are not going to race it. Just our position is different from some other teams who believe it will be an instant in."

"Fundamentally we will have a car that will run KERS, but it will be very difficult to race. That is all I am prepared to say, and we would have to modify it to be able to race."


The dilemma about racing KERS at the start of the season is further complicated by the fact that next year's move to slick tyres means that teams ideally want as much weight as possible at the front of the car.

Williams co-owner Patrick Head believed that such an issue could force other teams to follow Toyota's lead and delay the introduction of the systems.

We've got now four grooves in the front tyres, it started with three, and we've got four grooves in the rear tyre," explained Head.

When you take those grooves out it increases the contact patch area more at the front in relative terms than it does at the back. That is quite likely to cause you to want to run quite forward weight distribution.

I'm not sure what it's like for other people, but for us, with pretty much all of our ballast taken up with a KERS that we can't really run more forward than the impact area for the side impact test, it's very difficult for us to achieve the weight distribution that we suspect we will need to make a successful car next year."



"You have got to remember that the KERS, when you analyse the potential, the difference it makes can be somewhere between 0.1s and 0.3s, perhaps at the maximum 0.35s per lap, putting aside whether it helps you overtake.

Having your weight distribution inappropriate for the tyres by more than one or two percent will probably make more difference than those one or two tenths of a second per lap."


Howett also expressed his disappointment that news of Toyota's plans for KERS had leaked out of the FOTA discussions in China.

"I do resent that people have mentioned that," he said.
"It was a genuine meeting of absolute confidence where everybody sincerely explained (their situation) - saying that if we allowed this concession on certain discussions then we want to freeze the monocoque. We said okay, this is our sincere position at the moment."


Max and his KERS is giving F1 teams a real headache... especially when you consider it is being used as leverage to spec the monocoque. :down:

#28 dutra

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Posted 03 November 2008 - 07:40

Originally posted by raiseyourfistfor
Are bridgestone supplying slicks for these tests? Also will the teams be running 09 aero already?


Well, I don't have the answer but probably they should do both things. I don't see the point in using something from 08 season. Unless KERS testing, that could be made with 08 cars.

#29 dutra

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Posted 03 November 2008 - 17:06

Another comparision:

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#30 Clatter

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Posted 03 November 2008 - 17:22

Originally posted by raiseyourfistfor
Are bridgestone supplying slicks for these tests? Also will the teams be running 09 aero already?


Bridgestone have been supplying slicks for some of the tests already this season, and the teams have simulated the 09 aero, but obviously the real thing won't be available until the new cars hit the track.

Which team will win that race?

#31 bugmenot

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Posted 03 November 2008 - 17:23

Lewis won the WDC less than 24 hours ago and this is actually more interesting. Goes to show how little a season prior to huge regulation changes really mean. 2008 is over and basicly everyone is looking at the winter tests. I think the post/thread count this past day proves it.

Bring on the winter tests! :up:

#32 wewantourdarbyback

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Posted 03 November 2008 - 17:42

Originally posted by Clatter


Bridgestone have been supplying slicks for some of the tests already this season, and the teams have simulated the 09 aero, but obviously the real thing won't be available until the new cars hit the track.

Which team will win that race?

It depends on whether they want people to see it. Some will just run 'b' versions of the current car. Williams have already run a spec of the new rear wing of course.

#33 Clatter

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Posted 03 November 2008 - 18:05

Originally posted by wewantourdarbyback
It depends on whether they want people to see it. Some will just run 'b' versions of the current car. Williams have already run a spec of the new rear wing of course.


Only until the new car is ready. No way a team will delay running it any longer than they have to.

#34 quasi C

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Posted 03 November 2008 - 19:04

I dont know if i like winter testing and the cars coming together more than actual racing

The answer is often worrying...

2008/9 winter testing will be epic given all the changes, for example Williams have already run a 2009 rear wing and diffuser. Roll on the 17th!

#35 Francesc

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Posted 03 November 2008 - 19:09

I can't wait for this to start, and Loeb is going to test for Red bull in 2 weeks at Barcelona :eek: :clap:

#36 color

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Posted 03 November 2008 - 19:22

Originally posted by Francesc
I can't wait for this to start, and Loeb is going to test for Red bull in 2 weeks at Barcelona :eek: :clap:


yeah, bring him on... :up:
Kimi and Robert have been talking about WRC career recently... :rolleyes:
this would be awesome!

#37 FA and RK fan

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Posted 04 November 2008 - 07:59

Originally posted by quasi C

The answer is often worrying...

2008/9 winter testing will be epic given all the changes, for example Williams have already run a 2009 rear wing and diffuser. Roll on the 17th!


i wonder why other teams didn't introduce that before. For sure an engine cover with no wings and holes can be made quickly, with small men power and front wing also. They have 500 or 1000 people at factory.

I know they tried it all out in simulators and stuff, but do you thing it will be a hide and seek game in this year testing season. I am sure teams will try to hide every advantage they will come up with.

#38 Francesc

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Posted 04 November 2008 - 09:39

Honda already said they will introduce a RA109 in January which will be completly different to the car they will run at Melbourne

#39 AFCA

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Posted 04 November 2008 - 10:17

Originally posted by Francesc
Honda already said they will introduce a RA109 in January which will be completly different to the car they will run at Melbourne


Which is basically what every team says each year at the launch of their car. And once they've gotten to the first race there are often only a few things that are different, well from the outisde at least...

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#40 Francesc

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Posted 04 November 2008 - 10:35

So true :lol: :)

#41 barteks

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Posted 04 November 2008 - 22:34

Are teams allowed to run 2 cars during winter tests now?

#42 barteks

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Posted 06 November 2008 - 00:00

BMW Sauber apparently decided to move for Valencia to run private tests from 17th to 19th November...

#43 noikeee

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Posted 11 November 2008 - 14:14

Toro Rosso to test Buemi, Sato and Bourdais next week in Barcelona; Autosport also mentions Pantano, Senna and Barrichello as outside possibilities for their seats but won't be testing for now: http://www.autosport...rt.php/id/72073

#44 intelligentsia

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Posted 13 November 2008 - 19:22

BMW - Valencia

17th Monday - Kubica & Klein
18th Tuesday - Kubica & Heidfeld
19th Wednesday - Heidfeld & Klein



Red Bull - Barcelona

17th - Loeb
18th - Vettel/ Loeb
19th - Vettel

Renault

17th - van der Garde & Piquet
18th - van der Garde & Piquet
19th - Grosjean & Piquet

Williams

17th - Hülkenberg
18th - Rosberg
19th - Hülkenberg

Torro Rosso

17th - Buemi & Sato
18th - Buemi & Sato
19th - Buemi & Sato

Honda

17th - Di Grassi & Senna
18th - Di Grassi & Senna
19th - Di Grassi & Senna

Force India


17th - Sutil
18th - Sutil
19th - Sutil

Mclaren

17th - Paffett & De la Rosa
18th - Paffett & De la Rosa
19th - Paffett & De la Rosa

Ferrari

17th - Badoer
18th - Badoer
19th - Badoer

#45 Mika Mika

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Posted 13 November 2008 - 19:35

Originally posted by intelligentsia

Red Bull - Barcelona

18th - Vettel/ Loeb


Awesome!!!!

#46 Francesc

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Posted 13 November 2008 - 19:58

Only 1 car for Williams, 30.000 km limit may be close, finally Hulkenberg will test the FW30 again after almost 4 months without doing it

Originally posted by intelligentsia
Torro Rosso

17th - Buemi & Sato
18th - Buemi & Sato
19th - Buemi & Sato


I thought Bourdais was supposed to going to test for 1 and a half days

Originally posted by intelligentsia
Mclaren

17th - Paffett & De la Rosa
18th - Paffett & De la Rosa
19th - Paffett & De la Rosa
[/B]


They could use Di Resta instead of Paffett...

#47 dutra

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Posted 13 November 2008 - 20:22

How many "Sebastiens" left to drive for RBR/STR?

#48 Eliteboy99

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Posted 13 November 2008 - 20:48

loeb did his shake down test at silverstone today. By all accounts he was on it. I didn't see him, but could hear him from the office and compared to nakajima last week, he definately sounded as though he was on it.

can't wait to see how he does. Maybe a full time switch?? would never happen but would be good.

#49 MortenF1

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Posted 13 November 2008 - 21:00

McRae did some very respectable times testing a Jordan in, I think '97. (But whichever year it was, the car was the previous seasons model.)

#50 Mika Mika

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Posted 13 November 2008 - 21:03

Originally posted by race addicted
McRae did some very respectable times testing a Jordan in, I think '97. (But whichever year it was, the car was the previous seasons model.)


Id expect noting less form McRae legend!!!!