The F1 newswire – Tuesday 7 February

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The F1 newswire – Tuesday 7 February – testing edition

Tuesday, 07 February 2012 18:00

All the news the teams see fit to print, in one handy digest produced every 24 hours.

With days spent in transit and launches to cover, today's newswire has been split into three editions. Here you will find the official team quotes from the first day of winter testing in Jerez.

Timesheet-toppers LOTUS were pleased with their day's running, despite an interruption in the afternoon. "It was a flawless morning with a slightly interrupted afternoon as we changed the second of the KERS batteries which we ran today," technical director James Allison said. "Overall it was a very promising day in terms of reliability and it gives us a good springboard for the rest of the test. So far Kimi's feedback on the car has been complimentary in terms of the balance, the braking and other features. The steering is slightly heavy for his liking at the moment, but we already have a different steering rack being completed which he will use in Barcelona."

Times might be meaningless at the moment, but there's no denying it was a good day for FORCE INDIA – the team showed reliability and pace. "To complete over 100 laps on the first day of testing is the ideal way to begin our week in Jerez," technical director Andrew Green said. "We made good progress with the job list and managed to complete all the objectives set for the day. We ran on the new 2012-spec hard and medium Pirelli tyre compounds throughout, which will help give us some consistency when analysing the data tonight. As usual, Paul’s feedback was excellent and we’re starting to get a good idea of the set-up direction we should take for the coming days. Jules will be in the car tomorrow morning so the priority is to get him comfortable and up to speed quickly. We will also continue with more of the work we started today and try to get as many miles on the car as possible."

Over at MERCEDES, it was down to the two drivers to pass judgement on a day spent running last year's car. “We made a very good start to our testing programme today and completed 56 laps this morning," Nico Rosberg said. "I was driving the 2011 car, so it felt comfortable straightaway. We tested some different things in perfect weather conditions and started learning about the 2012 Pirelli tyres and how they work. I was really happy to be out on track in my Mercedes and I know that, back at the factory, our development of the new car is running according to our plan." Teammate Michael Schumacher said: "After a long break, it feels terrific being back in the car and hitting the circuit again. Our main job was to get a first impression of the tyres for 2012 and to start understanding them. They feel like a step forward, more consistent and comfortable to drive, and the biggest difference is with the rear tyre. Thanks to everybody at Pirelli for their good job this winter. Let's see what we can learn tomorrow."

Some early morning supply issues led to a lack of running for RED BULL, but the team were not concerned by the minor problem. "The delay meant we didn’t get running until midday, which is a little bit frustrating, but otherwise I think this has been the best car build we’ve ever had,” head of race engineering Ian Morgan said. "Fortunately the delay wasn’t too severe, as it was very cold early this morning and for the first hour and a half I don’t think the track was in great condition anyway. So we probably only lost an hour or so of proper running. When Mark did get going, it was pretty smooth and we didn’t see anything unexpected. We have done a lot of simulation work and today pretty much confirmed what we are getting from that. It’s nice to repeat it on track and we’re happy with how things went. We’re set to do some tyre evaluation tomorrow. It’s a tight testing schedule and tomorrow is Mark’s last day in the car here, before Sebastian takes over, so we have a lot to get through."

It was a good start to the season for TORO ROSSO, but an apparent oil pressure issue brought an early end to the day's running. "We completed 57 laps today, so we are quite pleased with the first outing of the new car which seems to have a good base from which we can move forward," team principal Franz Tost said. "Daniel felt confident in the car and we ran trouble free until we lost some oil pressure, at which point the engine protector did its job and stopped the car. We are now investigating this loss of oil pressure, but we are confident we can have another good day tomorrow. As the failure happened at four o’clock, we only lost one hour’s track time which we expect to make up for tomorrow. The car looks nice but the important thing is that it should be fast. My first impression, having enjoyed the rare experience of going out onto the track to watch it in action through some corners this morning, is that the basis of the car is quite good and healthy."

Despite a red flag this afternoon, there are no concerns over at SAUBER. "We had a productive first day of testing; the car proved to be reliable which is always a good start and enabled us to do some long runs," head of track engineering Giampaolo Dall’Ara said. "The systems’ checks were positive and the temperatures are alright as well. For evaluation we worked on tyres and set-up and were running different fuel loads. We also carried out some mechanical work and did intense pit stop practice with new procedures in place. At the end of the test programme we finally checked the fuel system."

With no comments available from MCLAREN team personnel, it was up to Jenson Button to sum up his day in the MP4-27. "It’s been a good day: this morning, we ran through our installation and systems checks and the running was good," he said. "We’ve been gathering data on aerodynamics, downforce levels, temperatures and the feeling inside the cockpit. We did a 15-lap timed run this afternoon, which is a good starting point for us – and the consistency was okay. It’s been a positive day: there are no niggly areas with the car, which is nice. Overall, today was just a starting point, and was all about putting miles on the car. There are some promising signs, so I’m happy. It’s now important for us to get a clean day of running tomorrow, put some miles on the car and find a direction that we like. Today’s a very good basis for the next few days."

In lieu of any quotes from team personnel or from Felipe Massa, FERRARI prepared a short report on their day's running: "First day of testing in 2012 for Scuderia Ferrari who, with Felipe Massa at the wheel, gave the F2012 its debut. For the full day, work centred almost exclusively on data acquisition relating to the handling of the new car: Felipe completed a total of 69 laps, the quickest in a time of 1.22.815. Testing at this track continues tomorrow, again with the Brazilian driver at the wheel."

Despite an early end to the day for CATERHAM, it was a good debut for the new car. "It is always a good feeling to see the new car out on track for the first time after all the hours everybody in the team has put in over the last few months to get us to this point," chief technical officer Mike Gascoyne said. "We had to bring day one to an early end after damage to the starter shaft meant we were unable to start the engine which is a shame because it was an unusual issue and we had enjoyed a positive morning, working through the usual day one system checks and running without any reliability issues on the car until that point. Heikki’s early feedback on the car is good and there is plenty to come from this car so we are looking forward to a positive next three days in Jerez."

It was a day hampered by teething problems for WILLIAMS, preventing the team from getting the most out of the car. "We performed a number of systems checks on the car today, including testing our new engine installation and some aerodynamic correlation runs," chief operations engineer Mark Gillan said. "Unfortunately testing was cut short with a couple of initial teething problems which we are currently investigating. We intend to get these fixed this evening in time for a full test programme with Pastor tomorrow."

It should be no surprise to see HRT at the bottom of the pack, given that the team are currently running last year's car. "We’ve gone through a couple of months of intense work and it was very important for everyone to be here and get things going on the track," team principal Luis Perez-Sala said. "I must say that I am very proud of the job done by everybody to achieve this. A large amount of the team and the materials are new so we needed to put these into practice. Everything went well, with no relevant problems, and we’ve taken another step, albeit a small one, in the right direction which is what matters right now."

Check back here tomorrow for the latest news direct from the teams.

For launch articles and technical specs of the McLaren, Ferrari, Force India, Lotus, Sauber, Red Bull, Toro Rosso, and Williams, check out f1katewalker . Additional coverage of the Jerez tests can also be found at that link. Kate Walker

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