Bahrain Test 28th February 2007

Programme: Pedro joined Lewis on track in Bahrain today as the test team continued the scheduled programme of work for the session. Lewis and Pedro were able to complete 303 and 281 kilometres of the track respectively as they worked through his scheduled test plan for the session.
Drivers for tomorrow: Fernando and Pedro
Duration of test: Six days (Thursday 22nd February – Thursday 1st March excluding Sunday 25th and Monday 26th February)


Driver Constructor Time Laps
Felipe Massa Ferrari 1m30.640 100
Lewis Hamilton Vodafone McLaren Mercedes 1m31.178 56
Kimi Raikkonen Ferrari 1m31.490 94
Giancarlo Fisichella Renault 1m31.967 109
Pedro de la Rosa Vodafone McLaren Mercedes 1m31.971 52
Heikki Kovalainen Renault 1m32.068 30
Nick Heidfeld BMW Sauber 1m32.254 73
Jenson Button Honda Racing 1m32.293 73
Tonio Liuzzi Toro Rosso 1m32.359 47
Robert Kubica BMW Sauber 1m32.648 54
Rubens Barrichello Honda Racing 1m32.650 61
Takuma Sato Super Aguri 1m32.837 100
Ralf Schumacher Toyota 1m33.054 85
David Coulthard Red Bull Racing 1m33.146 52
Mark Webber Red Bull Racing 1m33.238 53
Jarno Trulli Toyota 1m33.384 33

Bahrain Test 27th February 2007

Programme: The Vodafone McLaren Mercedes test team resumed their programme in Bahrain today. Fernando worked through the day’s plan of Bridgestone Potenza evaluation and set-up options with the MP4-22 without any problems, completing a race distance in the afternoon. Unfortunately Lewis's similar programme ended two hours early when he stopped on track with an oil leak.

Drivers for Day Five: Fernando and Lewis

Drivers for tomorrow: Fernando and Lewis
Duration of test: Six days (Thursday 22nd February – Thursday 1st March excluding Sunday 25th and Monday 26th February)

Driver Constructor Time Laps

Felipe Massa Ferrari 1m31.260 102
Kimi Raikkonen Ferrari 1m31.539 95
Fernando Alonso Vodafone McLaren Mercedes 1m31.851 96
Robert Kubica BMW Sauber 1m32.108 74
Lewis Hamilton Vodafone McLaren Mercedes 1m32.193 55
Giancarlo Fisichella Renault 1m32.556 82
Heikki Kovalainen Renault 1m32.688 19
Franck Montagny Toyota 1m32.999 37
Jarno Trulli Toyota 1m33.150 64
Sebastian Vettel BMW Sauber 1m33.219 34
Christian Klien Honda Racing 1m33.378 90
David Coulthard Red Bull Racing 1m33.526 69
Mark Webber Red Bull Racing 1m33.540 74
James Rossiter Honda Racing 1m33.597 78
Takuma Sato Super Aguri 1m33.813 75
Ralf Schumacher Toyota 1m34.030 36
Scott Speed Toro Rosso 1m34.057 44

Bahrain Test 24th February 2007 - A McLaren Mercedes one-two

Fernando Alonso and Lewis Hamilton led the way for McLaren Mercedes as the first three day test at the Bahrain circuit came to an end. Alonso set a best lap of 1:30.994s a tenth faster than Rookie Hamilton.

Felipe Massa and Kimi Raikkonen were next up for Ferrari seven and eight tenths off the ultimate pave while Heikki Kovalainen recorded the fifth fastest time for Renault.

Rubens Barrichello and Jenson Button were next up for Honda while David Coulthard extracted some pace from the Renault-powered Red Bull to set the eighth fastest time ahead of Piquet in the second R27.

Nick Heidfeld, fastest on Friday, was tenth best today just ahead of team-mate Robert Kubica ahead of Anthony Davidson in the interim Super Aguri Honda. Franck Montagny was next up in his Toyota ahead of Mark Webber in the second RB3.

Toro Rosso ran Scott Speed for the first time in the new Ferrari-powered STR2 indicating that perhaps the contractual problems have been resolved/ Speed was 16th fastest just behind Jarno Trulli’s Toyota and ahead of Tonio Liuzzi who ran only a handful of laps in the STR2.

24/02/2007
1 . F. Alonso - McLaren Mercedes MP4-22 - 1:30.994 (+ 0.000 ) - 73 laps
2 . L. Hamilton - McLaren Mercedes MP4-22 - 1:31.094 (+ 0.100 ) - 53 laps
3 . F. Massa - Ferrari F2007 - 1:31.718 (+ 0.724 ) - 52 laps
4 . K. Raikkonen - Ferrari F2007 - 1:31.867 (+ 0.873 ) - 100 laps
5 . H. Kovalainen - Renault R27 - 1:32.032 (+ 1.038 ) - 86 laps
6 . R. Barrichello - Honda RA107 - 1:32.115 (+ 1.121 ) - 129 laps
7 . J. Button - Honda RA107 - 1:32.137 (+ 1.143 ) - 78 laps
8 . D. Coulthard - Red Bull Renault RB3 - 1:32.220 (+ 1.226 ) - 73 laps
9 . N. Piquet - Renault R27 - 1:32.334 (+ 1.340 ) - 102 laps
10 . N. Heidfeld - BMW Sauber F1.07 - 1:32.451 (+ 1.457 ) - 65 laps
11 . R. Kubica - BMW Sauber F1.07 - 1:32.475 (+ 1.481 ) - 95 laps
12 . A. Davidson - Super Aguri Honda RA106 - 1:32.553 (+ 1.559 ) - 126 laps
13 . F. Montagny - Toyota TF107 - 1:32.917 (+ 1.923 ) - 110 laps
14 . M. Webber - Red Bull Renault RB3 - 1:33.034 (+ 2.040 ) - 73 laps
15 . J. Trulli - Toyota TF107 - 1:33.062 (+ 2.068 ) - 104 laps
16 . S. Speed - Toro Rosso Ferrari STR2 - 1:33.255 (+ 2.261 ) - 60 laps
17 . V. Liuzzi - Toro Rosso Ferrari STR2 - 1:35.868 (+ 4.874 ) - 7 laps.

Bahrain Test 23rd February 2007

Having shown the pace of the new F1.07 during winter testing in Europe, BMW Sauber carried its speed to the desert climes of Bahrain as Nick Heidfeld led the way on the second day of testing in the Middle East.

On his first day of running in Bahrain, Fernando Alonso posted the second quickest time, nearly six tenths of a second off the pace displayed by Heidfeld. Alonso set a time of 1min 31.225secs during the day as the team worked on evaluation of the MP4-22 package in the warm Bahrain conditions. Lewis Hamilton in the second car was fourth fastest with the pair sandwiching Jenson Button on the timesheets. Both Button and Hamilton, like the BMW duo, completed full race runs during the afternoon.

Leading times (February 23) - Bahrain:

1. Nick Heidfeld BMW-Sauber 1min 30.469secs 114 laps

2. Fernando Alonso McLaren-Mercedes 1min 31.225secs 72 laps

3. Jenson Button Honda-Honda 1min 31.807secs 117 laps

4. Lewis Hamilton McLaren-Mercedes 1min 31.931secs 95 laps

5. Robert Kubica BMW-Sauber 1min 32.220secs 108 laps

6. Kimi Raikkonen Ferrari-Ferrari 1min 32.240secs 75 laps

7. Nelson Piquet Jnr Renault-Renault 1min 32.539secs 90 laps

8. Felipe Massa Ferrari-Ferrari 1min 32.584secs 70 laps

9. Rubens Barrichello Honda-Honda 1min 32.614secs 73 laps

10. Heikki Kovalainen Renault-Renault 1min 32.973secs 74 laps

11. Mark Webber Red Bull-Renault 1min 33.139secs 71 laps

12. Jarno Trulli Toyota-Toyota 1min 33.155secs 98 laps

13. Anthony Davidson Super Aguri-Honda 1min 33.246secs 119 laps

14. David Coulthard Red Bull-Renault 1min 33.930secs 46 laps

15. Vitantonio Liuzzi Toro Rosso-Ferrari 1min 34.187secs 32 laps

16. Ralf Schumacher Toyota-Toyota 1min 34.464secs 55 laps

Bahrain Test 22nd February 2007

Honda show the pace....Ferrari fastest....following are the timings...analysis to follow soon....


Mclaren's Programme: Vodafone McLaren Mercedes is testing this week for the first time at the Bahrain International Circuit. The test team has set-up base at the Grand Prix track for a six day session. All the team’s main competitors are also present at the Bahrain test, which marks the final on track development opportunity before the start of the 2007 Formula 1 season. Work for Lewis and Pedro today focused on final sign-offs on elements of the MP4-22 package, such as software, as the team ran the Melbourne spec of the MP4-22 for the first time.


Sakhir- 22/02/2007
1 . F. Massa - Ferrari F2007 - 1:31.778 (+ 0.000 ) - 86 laps
2 . K. Raikkonen - Ferrari F2007 - 1:31.901 (+ 0.123 ) - 47 laps
3 . J. Button - Honda RA107 - 1:32.097 (+ 0.319 ) - 84 laps
4 . L. Hamilton - McLaren Mercedes MP4-22 - 1:32.194 (+ 0.416 ) - 82 laps
5 . P.de la Rosa - McLaren Mercedes MP4-22 - 1:32.628 (+ 0.850 ) - 48 laps
6 . S. Vettel - BMW Sauber F1.07 - 1:32.646 (+ 0.868 ) - 97 laps
7 . J. Trulli - Toyota TF107 - 1:32.784 (+ 1.006 ) - 34 laps
8 . N. Heidfeld - BMW Sauber F1.07 - 1:32.815 (+ 1.037 ) - 49 laps
9 . R. Barrichello - Honda RA107 - 1:32.920 (+ 1.142 ) - 100 laps
10 . A. Davidson - Super Aguri Honda RA106 - 1:33.396 (+ 1.618 ) - 74 laps
11 . H. Kovalainen - Renault R27 - 1:33.579 (+ 1.801 ) - 113 laps
12 . N. Piquet - Renault R27 - 1:33.807 (+ 2.029 ) - 92 laps
13 . M. Webber - Red Bull Renault RB3 - 1:34.076 (+ 2.298 ) - 27 laps
14 . D. Coulthard - Red Bull Renault RB3 - 1:34.594 (+ 2.816 ) - 30 laps
15 . R. Schumacher - Toyota TF107 - 1:35.254 (+ 3.476 ) - 35 laps
16 . V. Liuzzi - Toro Rosso Ferrari STR2 - 1:36.345 (+ 4.567 ) - 25 laps.

Barcelona Test 14th February 2007

Date: Wednesday 14th February 2007

Drivers: Fernando Alonso and Lewis Hamilton
Location: Circuit de Catalunya, Barcelona, Spain
Track Length: 4.727km
Weather: Sunny
Track temperature: 23.9° Celsius
Air temperature: 20.1° Celsius
Laps run today: 241
Laps run in total at test: Total – 562: Fernando – 237 / Lewis – 248 / Pedro – 77
Kilometres covered today: Fernando - 544km approx. / Lewis - 595km approx.
Kilometres covered in total at test: Total – 2,657km approx: Fernando – 1,120km approx / Lewis – 1,172km approx. / Pedro – 364km approx.
Best lap time today: Fernando – 1m22.103 at 10.28 / Lewis – 1m22.292 at 12.10
Programme: Work in Barcelona continued to focus on the aerodynamic development and set-up evaluation with the MP4-22
Next Test: Bahrain - Three days (Thursday 22nd – Saturday 24th February)


MARTIN WHITMARSH: "This week saw the Vodafone McLaren Mercedes race team travel to Barcelona. We completed a number of race simulations, including Grand Prix specific activities such as pit stop practice as the team acclimatise themselves to the new equipment for 2007. Alongside this preparatory work, the development programme for the MP4-22 continued apace with Fernando, Lewis and Pedro putting more miles onto the package as we work through our scheduled programme. In addition to the work on track, Pedro has spent time at the McLaren Technology Centre today working with the engineers in Woking on a simultaneous programme to that being run by Fernando and Lewis, as we push hard on all fronts to maximise the performance of this car. The Circuit de Catalunya is the first genuine high speed track we have tested at this year, so it has been an interesting week and we have gained some useful intelligence on the car prior to testing moving to Bahrain.”

Driver Constructor Time Laps
David Coulthard Red Bull Racing 1m21.855 113
Nick Heidfeld BMW Sauber 1m21.958 97
Felipe Massa Ferrari 1m21.964 93
Fernando Alonso Vodafone McLaren Mercedes 1m22.103 115
Nico Rosberg WilliamsF1 1m22.280 87
Lewis Hamilton Vodafone McLaren Mercedes 1m22.292 126
Kimi Raikkonen Ferrari 1m22.369 45
Franck Montagny Toyota 1m22.446 108
Giancarlo Fisichella Renault 1m22.758 91
Heikki Kovalainen Renault 1m22.783 56
Mark Webber Red Bull Racing 1m22.834 61
Jenson Button Honda Racing 1m23.061 92
Rubens Barrichello Honda Racing 1m23.257 39
Alex Wurz WilliamsF1 1m23.275 39
Sebastian Vettel BMW Sauber 1m23.569 56
Ralf Schumacher Toyota 1m23.789 83
Christijan Albers Spyker F1 1m23.947 87
Takuma Sato Super Aguri 1m24.568 124
James Rossiter Honda Racing 1m24.605 5
Tonio Liuzzi Toro Rosso 1m26.296 31

McLaren tie up with Sports Institute

McLaren Mercedes and the Kuortane Sports Institute have announced a new partnership.

The partnership will see the Kuortane Sports Institute supporting the McLaren Human Performance Programme, which has been designed to take a scientific approach to driver preparation.

The Institute is an international training and coaching centre located in the west of Finland. The partnership will see the Institute conducting physical performance tests as well physical and medical examinations and providing professional consultations related to human performance improvement with the drivers and members of the race and test teams.

In early January 2007, the partnership began in earnest when the drivers, as well as a number of their race team colleagues, spent a week at the Institute taking part in a number of seminars as well as general physical training and team work development.

"Our agreement is a very important step in the development and promotion of the Kuortane Sports Institute’s global physical training and evaluation services," said Tapio Korjus, Manager of the High Performance Training Centre at the Kuortane Sports Institute. "McLaren Mercedes wants to be the best and as a result the team is leading the way with its comprehensive human performance training programme.
"

"The Kuortane Sports Institute is extremely proud that a top Formula One team like McLaren Mercedes has chosen the Kuortane Sports Institute as its partner in assessing and developing the physical performances of its drivers and the team. The Kuortane Sports Institute will make the utmost effort to ensure the success of the McLaren Human Performance Programme."

"We are pleased to be working with the Kuortane Sports Institute in taking a more scientific approach to our current fitness and wellbeing programme," said McLaren F1 CEO Martin Whitmarsh. "The physical demands of driving a modern Formula 1 car mean that the drivers have to possess the highest level of human performance – the same as other world class athletes."

"The cars are designed and built using a scientific approach to obtain data to understand and rectify any weaknesses. The fitness of a driver or a member of the team can be a very influential variable on our overall racing performance, so together with the Kuortane Sports Institute, we have developed a scientific approach to assessing physical performance to pinpoint any possible weaknesses and then to work on improving these areas. Both the team and the Kuortane Sports Institute are looking forward to a successful future working together."

Barcelona Test 13th February 2007

Date: Tuesday 13th February 2007
Drivers: Fernando Alonso and Lewis Hamilton
Location: Circuit de Catalunya, Barcelona, Spain
Track Length: 4.727km
Weather: Sunny all day
Track temperature: 29.5
Air temperature: 17.1
Laps run today: 181
Kilometres covered today: Fernando – 298km approx.
Lewis – 558km approx.
Best lap time today: Fernando – 1m21.901 at 13.30 Pedro – 1m22.078 at 15:36
Programme: Vodafone McLaren Mercedes continued to work on set-up and aerodynamic development with Lewis joining Fernando at the Circuit de Catalunya, as the team pushes forward with its pre-season test plan. Lewis also spent the afternoon conducting race simulation work, including pit stop practice, although his long runs were affected by a number of red flag stoppages.
Drivers for tomorrow: Fernando and Lewis
Duration of test: Three days (Monday 12th – Wednesday 14th February)

Driver
Constructor Time Laps
Felipe Massa Ferrari 1m21.181 108
Kimi Raikkonen Ferrari 1m21.719 154
Heikki Kovalainen Renault 1m21.819 100
Fernando Alonso Vodafone McLaren Mercedes 1m21.901 63
Giancarlo Fisichella Renault 1m21.997 130
Lewis Hamilton Vodafone McLaren Mercedes 1m22.078 118
Robert Kubica BMW Sauber 1m22.100 57
Jarno Trulli Toyota 1m22.227 96
Nico Rosberg WilliamsF1 1m22.249 11
Alex Wurz WilliamsF1 1m22.288 55
Franck Montagny Toyota 1m22.476 96
Nick Heidfeld BMW Sauber 1m22.618 92
Rubens Barrichello Honda Racing 1m22.669 85
Jenson Button Honda Racing 1m22.816 91
Mark Webber Red Bull Racing 1m22.916 83
David Coulthard Red Bull Racing 1m23.322 50
Anthony Davidson Super Aguri 1m23.969 97
Christijan Albers Spyker F1 1m24.425 108

McLaren take charge in Spain

McLaren’s Pedro de la Rosa topped the times as testing began at Barcelona’s Circuit de Catalunya on Monday. De La Rosa clocked a best lap of 1m 22.634s at the Spanish circuit - just over two hundredths of a second quicker than BMW Sauber’s Robert Kubica.
Tester De La Rosa was joined on track by McLaren race driver Fernando Alonso, who was third quickest. The pair completed over 130 laps during the day as they continued work on aero and set-up development for the team’s 2007 challenger, the MP4-22. With McLaren’s race team in attendance the duo also found time to practice pit stops.

Alongside second-placed Kubica, BMW Sauber fielded test driver Timo Glock, who ended the session in 10th. While Kubica concentrated on aero work and tested brakes, Glock ran a busy programme, which focused on systems, diagnostics and recovery work.

Alexander Wurz put Williams an impressive fourth in the order, while team mate Nico Rosberg finished in ninth. The pair covered over 100 laps in total, as they worked through as series of set-up changes and became familiar with the Spanish track’s new chicane. Rain in the early afternoon also gave the duo the opportunity to swap their dry Bridgestone tyres for wets.

Ferrari, meanwhile, had a difficult day in Barcelona with their latest F2007 machine. Both Felipe Massa and Kimi Raikkonen’s cars developed electrical problems in the morning and although the repairs were completed before lunch, the pair were hampered further by the wet conditions in the afternoon. Massa eventually finished in fifth, while Raikkonen, just under two-tenths down on his team mate, took the sixth slot.

Toyota drivers Jarno Trulli and Franck Montagny were seventh and 12th respectively, as they continued to put the team’s 2007 car, the TF107 through its paces.

“We’ve got through a lot of laps today, which is good because one of our main targets for this period is to achieve good reliability for the first race,” explained Dieter Gass, Toyota’s chief engineer. “We have also done some set-up work and found out more about the new car because Barcelona is a representative track to do that. The tyres seem to behave very consistently and even though there is a tendency for rear drop-off you can see the lap times keep improving through the runs.”

Heikki Kovalainen was the quickest Renault driver in 8th, the Finn outpacing his team mate Giancarlo Fisichella, who finished in 11th. Like McLaren, Renault had their race mechanics on hand to test pit stop and refuelling practice.

At Honda, tester Christian Klien was 13th fastest as he focused on aerodynamic evaluations, while Rubens Barrichello was 17th, working through general set-up tests on the team’s new RA107. Jenson Button will take over driving duties on Tuesday, alongside Barrichello.

Red Bull had both race drivers in action in RB3s. While David Coulthard finished in 14th, his new team mate Mark Webber was just three-tenths slower in 15th. Completing the day’s line-up were Anthony Davidson in 16th for Super Aguri and Adrian Sutil in 18th for Spyker.

Testing continues in Barcelona on Tuesday.

Unofficial Monday times from Barcelona:
1. Pedro De la Rosa, McLaren, 1:22.634
2. Robert Kubica, BMW Sauber, 1:22.658
3. Fernando Alonso, McLaren, 1:22.726
4. Alexander Wurz, Williams, 1:23.043
5. Felipe Massa, Ferrari, 1:23.077
6. Kimi Raikkonen, Ferrari, 1:23.215
7. Jarno Trulli, Toyota, 1:23.239
8. Heikki Kovalainen, Renault, 1:23.491
9. Nico Rosberg, Williams, 1:23.592
10. Timo Glock, BMW Sauber, 1:23.656
11. Giancarlo Fisichella, Renault, 1:23.896
12. Franck Montagny, Toyota, 1:24.015
13. Christian Klien, Honda, 1:24.227
14. David Coulthard, Red Bull, 1:24.291
15. Mark Webber, Red Bull, 1:24.531
16. Anthony Davidson, Super Aguri, 1:24.574
17. Rubens Barrichello, Honda, 1:24.934
18. Adrian Sutil, Spyker, 1:25.581

Alonso expects there is more to come

Fernando Alonso has poured cold water on observations that he is now the clear favourite to defend his world titles in 2007.

Despite switching from Renault to McLaren, the 25-year-old Spaniard is clearly piloting the quickest machine so far this winter. But Alonso told Tele5 at Jerez on Thursday that his MP4-22 is not necessarily ready to win.

"My lap times look good and everyone seems to be behind us, but the car is far from being ready for Australia and we are running out of test days," the newspaper Diario As quoted him as saying in the television interview.

"As things stand today, although we're going fast, the car's not ready for winning just yet," AFP report Alonso as saying. "It's not ready yet and the days are slipping by."

As said it interpreted the comments as a logical playing down of expectations from the back to back world champion, and the campaign also seemed coordinated, with Woking's Pedro de la Rosa, Lewis Hamilton and Martin Whitmarsh all echoing that 'we need to improve' the car before the circus touches down in Melbourne.


Alonso added: "At the moment, the thing I like best about this car is the colour."

McLaren will fit a bodywork and engine upgrade to the car at the final two tests of the pre-season.

Alonso admitted that the Mercedes-Benz motor 'needs a little more power' and also suggested that the handling could be improved.

Asked about the team's rivals, he said: "Ferrari are going very well. Renault will start the year well but as usual they will be slow to improve. BMW could be the great surprise of the year, perhaps even fighting for wins.

"Honda, in my opinion, are not going as well as they say they are."

Alonso pre-season favourite

Felipe Massa has emerged as a dark horse to win the world championship in 2007.

A survey of the Italian magazine AutoMotoSport revealed in a survey that seven out of ten leading Grand Prix personalities think reigning champion Fernando Alonso will triumph in his first season for McLaren this year.

But the three remaining F1 figures - Bernie Ecclestone, Jean Alesi and even Ferrari's Stefano Domenicali - think Massa will have the upper hand on his highly rated new team-mate Kimi Raikkonen and emerge with the coveted crown.

Indeed, Raikkonen hinted at his trouble to adapt to the red racer at Jerez this week when he answered 'not really' to a question about whether his driving style suited the new control tyres.


Racer magazine quoted Ecclestone as saying: "I wouldn't like to put my money on anybody, but I think if I had to, I would probably put it on Massa.

"You've got to have a whole package, it's not just the driver but a package."

Hamilton says pace 'close' to Alonso

On the last day of dry running at Jerez this week, McLaren Mercedes rookie Lewis Hamilton pipped his illustrious team-mate Fernando Alonso.

The English youngster seemed pleased with the feat when he spoke in an interview with the Spanish newspaper Marca.

"It is difficult to read too much into it because we are doing different things, but we are close together," 22-year-old Hamilton said.

"It was a good day for me, but I have worked hard every day so far and these are the results."

Hamilton, however, followed McLaren's new party-line in denying that the Mercedes-powered team possesses clearly the best performing 2007 car on the winter tracks.

He insisted: "There are many things that we still have to do before we get to the first race, that is for sure.
"

Hamilton also rejected suggestions that Alonso, just three years his senior but with six years more experience in the F1 paddocks, can be his 'teacher' throughout '07.

"I would not say that he is my teacher," the Briton started, "but, for sure, I can learn from him.

"For example, his (telemetry) data; I am already able to see where I am losing out to Fernando and where I can improve.

"Anyway, we are getting along really well - I don't feel nervous around him, we chat about the car and the changes we are making. We are working well together."

Alonso says McLaren may boycott Jerez tests

McLaren may boycott future tests at Jerez if the circuit does not ramp up paddock security, according to world champion Fernando Alonso.

In an interview with Spanish television network Tele5, the 25-year-old complained about the hundreds of countrymen who this week disrupted his work at the southern test venue.

As Alonso moved about the Jerez paddock, he was regularly swamped with requests for personal autographs and photos.


"I am happy that Spanish people are following my progress in the pre-season," the newspaper Diario As quoted Alonso as saying, "but my team is considering not returning to Jerez because they are letting too many people into the paddock."

He added: "It is getting out of hand and it would be a shame if I could not return to one of my home circuits to test."

Jerez Test 8th February 2007

The times meant very little in reality as the Formula One circus concluded the group test today at Jerez. With rain hindering normal procedure, many cut their programmes down and did not complete a full day as planned.

Due to the weather conditions and in view of the limited testing mileage permitted this year the BMW Sauber squad decided to stop testing at mid-day.

Pedro de la Rosa put in a good few laps for McLaren Mercedes while Fernando Alonso completed just nine laps in the sister MP4-22.

Jerez - 08/02/2007
1 . N. Heidfeld - BMW Sauber F1.07 - 1:29.486 (+ 0.000 ) - 36 laps
2 . A. Wurz - Williams Toyota FW29 - 1:30.061 (+ 0.575 ) - 69 laps
3 . T. Glock - BMW Sauber F1.07 - 1:30.213 (+ 0.727 ) - 27 laps
4 . K. Raikkonen - Ferrari F2007 - 1:30.628 (+ 1.142 ) - 89 laps
5 . N. Rosberg - Williams Toyota FW29 - 1:30.684 (+ 1.198 ) - 64 laps
6 . R. Barrichello - Honda RA107 - 1:30.684 (+ 1.198 ) - 47 laps
7 . F. Massa - Ferrari 248 F1 - 1:30.746 (+ 1.260 ) - 44 laps
8 . J. Trulli - Toyota TF107 - 1:30.981 (+ 1.495 ) - 89 laps
9 . F. Montagny - Toyota TF107 - 1:31.027 (+ 1.541 ) - 75 laps
10 . D. Coulthard - Red Bull Renault RB3 - 1:31.166 (+ 1.680 ) - 66 laps
11 . M. Webber - Red Bull Renault RB3 - 1:31.405 (+ 1.919 ) - 68 laps
12 . P. de la Rosa - McLaren Mercedes MP4-22 - 1:31.479 (+ 1.993 ) - 71 laps
13 . F. Alonso - McLaren Mercedes MP4-22 - 1:31.573 (+ 2.087 ) - 9 laps
14 . M. Andretti - Honda RA106 - 1:32.387 (+ 2.901 ) - 62 laps.

Mclaren Vs Ferrari in 2007??

Looking at the testing times, we can say that both Mclaren and Ferrari have pace, and are heading for direct fight for Championship in 2007. Whats surprising is Jerez timings shows its not a only Alonso Vs Kimi, but (as if now) its Lewis Vs Massa. We will have to wait for season to unfold to tell us the true picture, buts its surely going to be interesting fight between Mclaren and Ferrari. Btw Renualts,Williams (yes they seem to have gained speed with their new Toyota Engine), BMW and Toyota all have shown good pace. That means we are surely going to have some real good fight his time.
Can't wait more for season starter Australian GP.

Jerez Test 7th February 2007

Date: Wednesday 7th February 2007
Drivers: Fernando Alonso and Lewis Hamilton
Location: Circuito de Jerez, Jerez de la Frontera, Spain
Track Length: 4.423km
Weather: Sunny with track temperatures as high as 28.5° Celsius and ambient temperatures reaching 18.8° Celsius
Track temperature:
Air temperature:
Laps run today: 211
Kilometres covered today: Fernando – 459km approx / Lewis – 473km approx
Best lap time today: Fernando – 1m20.040 at 12.17 / Lewis – 1m19.810 at 11.49
Programme: The set-up and aerodynamic work for the MP4-22 was continued today with Fernando joining Lewis at the circuit in southern Spain. In addition assessment of the brakes and power steering for the 2007 challenger were also a focus. Fernando stopped on the circuit during the afternoon following a momentary loss of oil pressure, which resulted from an evaluation programme the Spaniard was running in this area. As a result, Fernando returned to the track straightaway, with no disruption to his test plan. Drivers for Day Three: Fernando and Pedro de la Rosa
Duration of test: Three days (Tuesday 6th - Thursday 8th February)


Driver: Constructor: Time : Laps
Felipe Massa Ferrari 1m19.739 46
Lewis Hamilton Vodafone McLaren Mercedes 1m19.810 107
Robert Kubica BMW Sauber 1m19.831 95
Fernando Alonso Vodafone McLaren Mercedes 1m20.040 104
Kimi Raikkonen Ferrari 1m20.052 47
Nelson Piquet Jr Renault 1m20.052 78
Alex Wurz WilliamsF1 1m20.127 75
Nico Rosberg WilliamsF1 1m20.137 67
Ralf Schumacher Toyota 1m20.600 61
Mark Webber Red Bull Racing 1m20.617 37
David Coulthard Red Bull Racing 1m20.693 70
Nick Heidfeld BMW Sauber 1m20.696 85
Jenson Button Honda Racing 1m20.747 83
Ricardo Zonta Renault 1m20.763 88
Jarno Trulli Toyota 1m20.888 82
Marco Andretti Honda Racing 1m22.147 91

Mclaren Pics from Day One

De la Rosa leads the way for McLaren on First day of Jerez Testing

Less than three-tenths of a second covered the fastest six runners today as testing resumed at Jerez and it was Pedro de la Rosa who led the way in his McLaren Mercedes MP4-22.

The Spaniard completed an impressive 108 laps, bettered only by his team-mate Lewis Hamilton who was fourth fastest overall and Nelson Piquet in his Renault.

Alex Wurz got down to business with the new Williams Toyota FW29 that was launched last Friday. The Austrian put in a solid 72 laps of running lapping just 0.035s slower than pace-setter de la Rosa, despite going off track late in the session.

Robert Kubica was third fastest in his BMW Sauber while tester Sebastian Vettel was 11th in the sister machine. With Hamilton fourth fastest in his McLaren, Kimi Raikkonen took the fifth fastest time in his Ferrari.

Ralf Schumacher, fastest on the penultimate day of testing last week in Valencia, was sixth fastest today in his Toyota but still just 0.253s off the ultimate pace. Jenson Button was seventh in his Honda while Franck Montagny set the eighth fastest time. Nico Rosberg got to grips with his new FW29 and was ninth fastest ahead of Luca Badoer in the second F2007.

Red Bull continued their winter programme with David Coulthard and Mark Webber setting the 12th and 15th fastest times respectively with Piquet and Ricardo Zonta, between for Renault. Christian Klien brought up the tail of the timesheets in the second Honda.

Jerez - 06/02/2007
1 . P. de la Rosa - McLaren Mercedes MP4-22 - 1:20.001 (+ 0.000 ) - 108 laps
2 . A. Wurz - Williams Toyota FW29 - 1:20.036 (+ 0.035 ) - 72 laps
3 . R. Kubica - BMW Sauber F1.07 - 1:20.159 (+ 0.158 ) - 46 laps
4 . L. Hamilton - McLaren Mercedes MP4-22 - 1:20.233 (+ 0.232 ) - 111 laps
5 . K. Raikkonen - Ferrari F2007 - 1:20.245 (+ 0.244 ) - 86 laps
6 . R. Schumacher - Toyota TF107 - 1:20.254 (+ 0.253 ) - 55 laps
7 . J. Button - Honda RA107 - 1:20.371 (+ 0.370 ) - 99 laps
8 . F. Montagny - Toyota TF107 - 1:20.409 (+ 0.408 ) - 46 laps
9 . N. Rosberg - Williams Toyota FW29 - 1:20.525 (+ 0.524 ) - 62 laps
10 . L. Badoer - Ferrari F2007 - 1:20.666 (+ 0.665 ) - 62 laps
11 . S. Vettel - BMW Sauber F1.07 - 1:20.715 (+ 0.714 ) - 51 laps
12 . D. Coulthard - Red Bull Renault RB3 - 1:21.021 (+ 1.020 ) - 48 laps
13 . N. Piquet - Renault R27 - 1:21.264 (+ 1.263 ) - 117 laps
14 . R. Zonta - Renault R27 - 1:21.392 (+ 1.391 ) - 67 laps
15 . M. Webber - Red Bull Renault RB3 - 1:21.858 (+ 1.857 ) - 27 laps
16 . C. Klien - Honda RA107 - 1:22.083 (+ 2.082 ) - 35 laps.

Sauber tips Alonso to defend F1 crowns

Peter Sauber has tipped Fernando Alonso to defend his back to back drivers' championships in 2007.

Two of his former drivers appear to also be in the title hunt, but Sauber reckons the Spaniard is already ahead of the game at the wheel of a new McLaren.

"Alonso could be the key to success for McLaren," the Swiss, who at the end of 2005 sold his Hinwil based squad to BMW, told Motorsport Aktuell.

"The last question mark is whether they can get their reliability right."

In 2001, Sauber gave Kimi Räikkönen his debut, while in 2004 the dwindling career of Giancarlo Fisichella was rescued with a seat for the Swiss team.

But Sauber said: "Alonso has not only the speed of a Räikkönen, but the completeness and race intelligence of a Schumacher. I don't really see that with Kimi."

Finn Räikkönen, 27, has switched from McLaren after five fruitless seasons to fill Schumacher's vacant post.

Sauber's observations also seem to be borne out in the winter time sheets so far, after the new McLaren MP4-22 appeared more competitive than Ferrari's F2007 car.

He also thinks Renault will miss the departed Alonso, after the French squad emerged from Valencia apparently lacking the performance of their big-two rivals.

Sauber admitted that he has been "disappointed" in the last two seasons with Fisichella's performance. The Roman's teammate in 2007 will be rookie Heikki Kovalainen.

Jerez - Day 1 Morning result

1 Dlr 1'19.992 62
2 But 1'20.404 30
3 Ham 1'20.461 65
4 Rai 1'20.475 47
5 Kub 1'20.749 24
6 Ros 1'20.956 39
7 Cou 1'21.021 34
8 Piq 1'21.261 66
9 Moa 1'21.388 10
10 Rsc 1'21.794 34
11 Vet 1'21.795 27
12 Web 1'21.859 37
13 Bad 1'21.868 15
14 Zon 1'21.979 22

Will add final timings soon.

Jerez - Tuesday 6th – Thursday 8th February

McLaren has generally set the winter pace so far...We are hoping for the best.

Eight teams have converged at Jerez to resume winter test runs.

Only the controversy-stricken Super Aguri and Toro Rosso do not plan to test this week, while Spyker will also stay away from Jerez because it is running its newly launched F8-VII for the first time at Silverstone for two days.

McLaren Mercedes, Ferrari, Renault, Williams Toyota, BMW Sauber, Red Bull Renault, Toyota and Honda will kick off the action on Tuesday, with testing to take place daily between 9am and 5pm.

The test is scheduled to run until Thursday.


Notably, the first laps will be put on Williams' new Toyota-powered FW29 at Jerez, while Ferrari make available two F2007s for Kimi Raikkonen and Felipe Massa.

American teenager Marco Andretti, meanwhile, will get his second test with Honda.

Formula One to enter a new era in 2007

Before we go into new season, lets see what are the changes made for new year 2007.

A lot of changes have been made within the F1 Teams, but also the Sporting Regulations are a bit different than in 2006. "Vodafone Mclaren Mercedes Blog" points out the biggest changes in the Sportingl Regulations for the 2007 Formula One World Champion.

The Race Weekend Schedule has been amended as follows:

Friday:
10.00-11.30 Free Practice
14.00-15.30 Free Practice

Saturday:
11.00-12.00 Free Practice
14.00-15.00 Qualifying

Sunday:
14.00 Race
(or at other times according to the relevant local schedule).

Revised Friday Practice Format

• Teams may only use two cars in any one practice session with one driver allocated to each car.
• Each team can elect to run an additional driver during practice sessions one and two but as a result one of the race drivers can then not be used. The stewards must be informed before the end of initial scrutineering.
• The two free practice sessions on the first day of practice have been extended from one hour to 90 minutes each.

Tyre use and allocation

• Only one tyre supplier is to be present in the Championship and they must equip 100% of the entered teams and make available identical quantities and specifications of tyres to all teams during a calendar year.
• During the event no driver may use more than 14 sets of dry-weather tyres, four sets of wet-weather tyres and three sets of extreme-weather tyres.
• Each team will be allocated eight sets of dry-weather tyres, four of each specification, for use during practice one and two.
• Each driver will be allocated ten further sets of dry-weather tyres, five of each specification, for use during the remainder of the event. However, one set of each specification must be returned to the tyre supplier before the start of the qualifying practice session and may not be used during the remainder of the event.
• Unless he has used wet or extreme-weather tyres during the race, each driver must use at least one set of each specification of dry-weather tyres during the race.

Engine Penalties

• The two-race engine regulations will now only apply to the second day of practice and the day of the race.
• Engines homologated and used during the last two events of 2006 must now be used during the 2007, 2008, 2009 and 2010 seasons.

Engine Homologation

• A homologated engine is an engine identical in every respect to either:
(1) An engine delivered to the FIA on or prior to 8th October 2006, such engine having completed two race events during the 2006 Championship season.
(2) An engine delivered to the FIA on or prior to 1st March 2007, such engine being identical to one delivered under (1) above but which has been modified by having any of the parts listed below changed as a result of the 19,000rpm limit:
• inlet and exhaust ports
• combustion chamber
• inlet and exhaust camshafts (including followers)
• inlet and exhaust valves
• piston shape and squirt jets
• piston pins
• connecting rod small ends and bearings
• big end bearings and oil flow rate to them

• Further changes, for car installation purposes only and which have no direct performance benefit, will also be permitted. Such changes are limited to:
• engine pick-up points to chassis and gearbox
• fluid inlets and outlets
• fixings for engine ancillaries
• electrical sensor installations
• engine ballast weight attachments
• bodywork and skid block fixings

• If a competitor intends to modify any of the parts listed above he must have provided precise details of the planned changes to the FIA on or before 15th December 2006.

Safety Car

• From the time the “SAFETY CAR DEPLOYED” message is displayed no car may enter the pit lane until all cars on the track have formed up in a line behind the safety car and the message “PIT LANE OPEN” is shown on the timing monitors.
• A ten second time penalty will be imposed on any driver who enters the pit lane before the second message is shown on the timing monitors.
• No penalty will be imposed if a driver enters the pits or stops in his designated garage area for the sole purpose of changing from dry-weather to wet or extreme-weather tyres or vice-versa without refuelling or carrying out any further work on the car.
• Once it is safe to do so, the message “LAPPED CARS MAY NOW OVERTAKE” will be shown on the timing monitors. Any lapped cars will be permitted to pass the cars on the lead lap and the safety car and then proceed around the track and take up position at the back of the line of cars.

2007 Technical Regulations

• All cars must be fitted with red, blue and yellow cockpit lights the purpose of which are to give drivers information concerning track signals or conditions. The lights must be Light Emitting Diodes (LEDs) each with a minimum diameter of five mm and which are fitted in order that they are directly in the driver’s normal line of sight.
• In order to give rescue crews an immediate indication of accident severity each car must be fitted with a warning light which is connected to the FIA data logger.
• The velocity used in the frontal impact test has been increased from 14m/s to 15m/s.
• Each car must now have an emergency anti-penetration panel constructed of 6.2mm Zylon.
• An additional five kg has been added to the minimum race weight of the car to offset the emergency chassis panel.

VALENCIA - 2nd February 2007

Date: Friday 2nd February 2007

Drivers: Lewis Hamilton and Pedro de la Rosa

Location: Circuit Ricardo Tormo, Valencia, Spain


Track Length: 4.005km


Weather: Overcast and cold, but dry

Track temperature: High of 14.3 degrees Celsius

Air temperature: High of 12.3 degrees Celsius

Laps run today: 184

Laps run in total at test: Total – 591

Fernando – 291

Lewis – 120

Pedro – 180

Kilometres covered today: 745km approx.

Lewis – 481km approx.

Pedro – 264km approx.

Kilometres covered in total at test: Total – 2,367km approx.

Fernando – 1,165km approx.

Lewis – 481km approx.

Pedro – 721km approx.

Best lap time today: Lewis – 1m11.120 at 16.43 Pedro – 1m12.401 at 11.29

Programme: With the dry weather conditions remaining in Valencia today, Lewis joined Pedro on track as the Vodafone McLaren Mercedes team continued to put mileage on the MP4-22. The focus remained on the aerodynamic testing and set-up work with the 2007 challengers, as the team develops a full understanding of the MP4-22. Lewis’s programme also incorporated a full race distance, as the Vodafone McLaren Mercedes driver completed a number of long runs. Pedro’s day ended shortly before the end of the session with an engine failure that happened a number of kilometres after the end of the lifecycle of the Mercedes-Benz FO 108T engine. The engine had been used by Fernando for over 1,100km, before switching to Pedro’s car today and covering over 200km, to allow the team to explore its limits.

Next Test: Jerez - Tuesday 6th – Thursday 8th February



Driver: Constructor: Time : Laps
Lewis Hamilton Vodafone McLaren Mercedes 1m11.120 120
Kimi Raikkonen Ferrari 1m11.853 118
Robert Kubica BMW Sauber 1m12.245 57
Pedro de la Rosa Vodafone McLaren Mercedes 1m12.401 66
Giancarlo Fisichella Renault 1m12.566 103
Sebastien Vettell BMW Sauber 1m12.673 73
Heikki Kovalainen Renault 1m12.678 99
Mark Webber Red Bull Racing 1m12.791 25
Jenson Button Honda Racing 1m12.992 93

Lewis Hamilton was the fastest man on track today at the circuit of Valencia. Due to the bad weather, a lot of teams decided to extend the test with one day. Kimi Raikkonen and Robert Kubica completed the top 3. Next week, the teams will start testing at Jerez.

Check Out final day testing video:

VALENCIA - 1st February 2007

Not Fernando Alonso but Ralf Schumacher clocked the fastest time today at Valencia. Fisichella and Kovalainen completed the top three, just like they did yesterday. Today running wasn't interrupted by the bad weather, but by red flags caused by drivers suffering mechanical problems.

Results
1. R.Schumacher Toyota 1:11.297 60
2. Fisichella Renault 1:11.621 121
3. Kovalainen Renault 1:11.643 108
4. Alonso McLaren-Mercedes 1:11.710 95
5. Heidfeld BMW-Sauber 1:11.989 99
6. Raikkonen Ferrari 1:12.360 66
7. de la Rosa McLaren-Mercedes 1:12.361 69
8. Massa Ferrari 1:12.418 98
9. Kubica BMW-Sauber 1:12.857 20
10. Button Honda 1:12.976 77
11. Davidson Super Aguri-Honda 1:13.143 133
12. Coulthard Red Bull-Renault 1:13.450 59
13. Rossiter Honda 1:13.728 03
14. Webber Red Bull-Renault 1:13.796 23
15. Nakajima Williams-Toyota 1:13.945 82

Check out third day's video:



Pedro de la Rosa's Interview:

VALENCIA - 31 January 2007

Date: Wednesday 31st January 200

Drivers: Fernando Alonso and Pedro de la Rosa

Location: Circuit Ricardo Tormo, Valencia, Spain

Track Length: 4.005km

Weather: Mixed conditions throughout the day

Track temperature: High of 23 degrees Celsius

Air temperature: High of 15.2 degrees Celsius

Laps run today: 133

Laps run in total at test:

Fernando – 365km approx.

Pedro – 168km approx.

Kilometres covered today: Total – 533km approx.

Best lap time today: Fernando – 1m12.581 at 14:42 Pedro – 1m14.283 at 14:12

Programme: Despite the clear skies in the morning when running began, the track was wet from overnight rain and took a long time to dry out. As a result the programme of Bridgestone Potenza Wet Weather tyre testing continued. Pedro took to the track shortly before 14:00, joining Fernando in the on-going development schedule with two MP4-22s on track and both drivers spent some time on dry tyres. By 15:30 the rain had begun to fall again and this saw the team return to wet tyres for the remainder of the session.

Drivers for tomorrow: Fernando and Lewis Hamilton

Duration of test: Four days (Tuesday 30th January – Friday 2nd February)





Driver : Constructor : Time : Laps
Fernando Alonso Vodafone McLaren Mercedes 1m12.581 91
Giancarlo Fisichella Renault 1m12.737 39
Heikki Kovalainen Renault 1m12.771 43
Kimi Raikkonen Scuderia Ferrari 1m12.771 53
Nick Heidfeld BMW Sauber 1m13.012 52
Jarno Trulli Toyota 1m13.297 48
Robert Kubica BMW Sauber 1m13.309 43
Felipe Massa Scuderia Ferrari 1m13.574 85
Rubens Barrichello Honda Racing 1m13.692 72
James Rossiter Honda Racing 1m13.732 29
Ralf Schumacher Toyota 1m13.839 31
Pedro de la Rosa Vodafone McLaren Mercedes 1m14.283 42
Kazuki Nakagima Williams F1 1m14.401 120
Giedo van der Garde Super Aguri 1m14.811 24
David Coulthard Red Bull Racing 1m15.940 26
Takuma Sato Super Aguri 1m22.332 16


Video: (I am really sorry, Its a Ferrari Testing Video)

VALENCIA - 30 January 2007

Date: Tuesday 30th January 2007

Drivers: Fernando Alonso

Location: Circuit Ricardo Tormo, Valencia, Spain

Track Length: 4.005km

Weather: Wet during the morning, drying out steadily during the afternoon

Track temperature: High of 17.5 degrees Celsius

Air temperature: High of 12.8 degrees Celsius

Laps run today: 102

Kilometres covered today: 408km approx

Best lap time today: 1m12.563 at 16.28

Programme: Evaluation of the Bridgestone Potenza Extreme Wet Weather tyres, including some transition work to the Wet Weather options. Alongside the tyre work, Fernando and the test team also focused on continued systems sign-off with the MP4-22. For the final couple of hours of the test, the team ran with dry weather tyres, enabling them to cover the full Bridgestone Potenza range during the day. Fernando stopped on track with only five minutes remaining of the session with a minor oil leak.

Drivers for tomorrow: Fernando and Pedro

Duration of test: Three days (Tuesday 30th January – Thursday 1st February

Driver Constructor Time Laps
Fernando Alonso Vodafone McLaren Mercedes 1m12.563 102
Kimi Raikkonen Scuderia Ferrari 1m13.529 47
Nelson Piquet Jr Renault 1m13.549 33
Franck Montangy Toyota 1m13.672 31
Sebastian Vettel BMW Sauber 1m13.684 87
Jarno Trulli Toyota 1m13.734 66
Nick Heidfeld BMW Sauber 1m13.848 54
Giancarlo Fisichella Renault 1m13.866 33
Rubens Barrichello Honda Racing 1m14.026 40
Kazuki Nakagima WilliamsF1 1m14.520 73
James Rossiter Honda Racing 1m14.644 52
Takuma Sato Super Aguri 1m15.673 35
Mark Webber Red Bull Racing 1m16.815 31
Luca Badoer Scuderia Ferrari 1m17.135 46

Interesting Event:

ALONSO PUSHES BADOER OUT VALENCIA F1 TESTING

Check out the video:



Other First day testing videos:

Valencia Test 30 Jan - Feb 2 2007

The McLaren Mercedes team kick off on Wednesday an exclusive three-day(later chnaged to four-day) test at the Ricard Tormo circuit in Valencia.

The test, taking place behind closed doors, saw Fernando Alonso, Lewis Hamilton and Pedro de la Rosa getting back to work following last week's shakedown of the new MP4-22 car.

I am adding new posts for each day of testing.

Vodafone Mclaren Mercedes

Hello friends,

Welcome to Team Vodafone Mclaren Mercedes Blog. I will start this blog with MP4-22 launc video. MP4-22 has great looks and also has great pace.(4 day test at Valencia 30 Jan- 2nd Feb).

Enjoy