2015 Formula 1 Thread

[momo]

Testing Day 8 (Day 4 from Barcelona)

1. Grosjean, Lotus, 1:24.067, 111 laps;
2. Rosberg, Mercedes, 1:24.321, 131 laps;
3. Kvyat, Red Bull, 1:24.941, 104 laps;
4. Nasr, Sauber, 1:24.956, 73 laps;
5. Bottas, Williams, 1:25.345, 129 laps;
6. Sainz, Toro Rosso, 1:25.604, 88 laps;
7. Vettel, Ferrari, 1:26.312, 76 laps;
8. Hulkenberg, Force India, 1:26.591 36 laps;
9. Alonso, McLaren, 1:27.956, 20 laps.

[momo]

The accident happened shortly before Sunday's scheduled lunch break. Observers described the McLaren, which was travelling relatively slowly at the time of the crash, as suddenly spearing across the circuit before banging into the trackside wall.

"The speed was slow - maybe 150kph," Sebastian Vettel, who has replaced Alonso at Ferrari for the 2015 season, said. "Then he turned right into the wall. It looked strange."

Suggestions that Alonso may have suffered an electrical shock while at the wheel of the MP4-30 have been discounted while McLaren themselves have dismissed claims that their driver fainted.

"Fernando’s accident was just one of those things that happens in testing," said team boss Boullier. "Fortunately, he’s fine, but was concussed during the accident, which therefore required an overnight stay in hospital as a precaution. That’s normal practice after a concussion.

"Inevitably, some media reports have sought to exaggerate the severity of the incident – it was just a normal testing accident."

[momo]

Alonso in hospital for 3rd straight night. Clearly a bit more than precautionary.

[pHILSANITY07]

Yea and I don't know I really buy the wind claim that they said was the cause.

Manor-Marussia announced that they will race in the season opening race at Australia with Will Stevens. Plan to use an updated 2014 version car for the first 3 rounds before switching to a newer car.

[Ruffdaddy]

Man that's pretty odd...I wonder how much he will trust the car now.

Why the hell do they test in shit climates?

[pHILSANITY07]

Beats me, but they do it every year so I guess they should be used to it.

[Ruffdaddy]

Well...he's out of the hospital now, but resting at home and not testing the next 4 days.

[pHILSANITY07]

This is the odds from Bovada on the Drivers Championship
Hamilton 8/11
Rosberg 5/2
Vettel 12/1
Ricciardo 16/1
Alonso 18/1
Kimi 25/1
Bottas 33/1
Button 33/1
Massa 50/1
Kvyat 66/1
Verstappen 250/1
Grosjean 250/1
Maldonado 250/1
Hulkenberg 1000/1
Perez 1000/1

Not listed is Saubers two drivers Ericsson and Nasr. Also Sainz, Jr


Constructors
Mercedes 1/7
Ferrari 12/1
Red Bull 12/1
Mclaren 12/1
Williams 14/1
Lotus 100/1
Force India 1000/1
Sauber 1000/1
Toro Rosso 1000/1

[momo]

time for speculation!

I think Haas has secretly funded the renewed manor-marussia outfit. Likely not directly but through a proxy.

Why?
1. he bought all of marussias shit. if marussia was going to run this year, wouldnt they need that "stuff"?

2. the money could be house money. if he gets the $40M for marussias's 9th place, he probably doesn't have much into this effort as he got to buy everything for fractions.

3. he stands to gain a lot of experience and a talent pool consisting of marussia's and caterham's employees.

4. it's a ferrari power plant too. nice way to get a jump start on 2016 by running in 2015!

[pHILSANITY07]

I've been thinking that for a while that Haas might be involved. From what I read the power plant is going to be the 2014 version.

[Ruffdaddy]

I was actually wondering if ferrari was doing it to game engine development restrictions somehow.

[pHILSANITY07]

That or it gives them another team to try things with. Right now they only have themselves and Sauber. So with Marussia maybe they can give them engines that are in development and needs testing.

[momo]

Testing Day 9 (Day 1 from Barcelona 2nd week)

1) Felipe Massa, Williams, 1:23.500, 103 laps;
2) Marcus Ericsson, Sauber, 1:24.276 122 laps;
3) Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes, 1:24.881, 48 laps;
4) Daniil Kvyat, Red Bull, 1:25.947, 75 laps;
5) Romain Grosjean, Lotus, 1:26.177, 75 laps;
6) Kimi Raikkonen, Ferrari, 1:26.327, 80 laps;
7) Carlos Sainz, Toro Rosso, 1:27.261, 86 laps;
8) Jenson Button, McLaren, 1:31.479, 7 laps.


mercedes with an mgu-k failure miss the afternoon.
williams show pace.
mclaren, smh

[momo]

another female makes f1 ranks as Carmen Jorda joins lotus as a test driver:

http://www1.skysports.com/f1/news/12433/9733324/carmen-jorda-becomes-development-driver-for-lotus-and-will-test-e23-car-in-2015

[Ruffdaddy]

She's hot, but her last 3 seasons in GP3 resulted in a combined total of zero points...