F1 Winter Testing: Day One Round-Up

Barcelona enjoyed the dulcet tones of multiple V6 engines today, as the first session of winter testing finally got under way.

Alfa Romeo were awake bright and early to reveal their car and livery – becoming the final team to do so – before Kimi Raikkonen took it out for a quick spin (literally), getting stuck in the gravel in the first 15 minutes of the session.

Red Bull’s social media team were also up early do a second ‘reveal’, showing off the traditional matte livery they have used over the past four years and disappointing fans that had grown fond of the shakedown livery they had initially debuted.

Sebastian Vettel’s Ferrari began taking the challenge to Mercedes early doors, putting in an impressive number of laps and topping the timing sheet with an eyebrow-raising 1m18. The same success could not be said of Ferrari’s sub-team Haas; Romain Grosjean was forced to pull over on track, causing a red flag after a couple of successful installation laps due to fuel pressure loss. At least Haas’s mechanics weren’t short of work to do!

At the lunchtime break, Vettel remained at the top of the timesheets with a 1m18 and an impressive 72 laps. Just behind him was Perez in the Racing Point car with a 1m19, and Bottas with a 1m20. While Ferrari seemed keen to display their might early on, Mercedes clearly felt no pressure to respond so early in the session.

Ferrari Media

The session recommenced at 2pm and although some teams chose to test with the same driver, others decided to make the swap and we saw five-time world champion Lewis Hamilton take the wheel for the first time since the shakedown at Silverstone last Friday.

Hamilton put in a healthy number of laps, most of them running in the 1m20 range, once again feeling absolutely no pressure to be topping the timing sheets just yet.

There was a slightly hair-raising moment for McLaren when Carlos Sainz’s car stopped at the end of the pit lane causing the third red flag of the day. McLaren were quick to redeem themselves though, managing to run an impressive 119 laps, staying comfortably in the 1m20s, and even managing to come second to Vettel’s Ferrari with a respectable 1:18.5. It’s an optimistic start for a team that has suffered a great deal of disappointment in previous seasons.

On the theme of disappointment, more sad news came from the Williams garage. After being unable to complete a planned shake-down on Saturday, and announcing they would not be taking part in today’s testing, a further announcement came after lunch confirming they would not be able to take part in testing until Wednesday ‘at the earliest’.

Deputy team boss Claire Williams described the delay as ‘extremely disappointing’, and indeed with Robert Kubica taking a seat this season after an eight-year hiatus from F1, it is disappointing to delay his anticipated return even further.

Daniel Ricciardo made his debut for Renault this afternoon after his teammate Nico Hulkenberg had a positive morning, describing the car as “the best I’ve seen at Renault”, which is a promising hint for what is to come. Both commentators and fans are slowly getting used to seeing Danny in a black and yellow race suit, this didn’t faze Danny who put in a respectable 44 laps, making Renault one of five teams that have surpassed the 100-lap milestone today.

Daniel Ricciardo (AUS) Renault Sport F1 Team RS19.
Formula One Testing, Day 1, Monday 18th February 2019. Barcelona, Spain.

There was an interesting moment in the last hour of the session between Hamilton and Kvyat in the Toro Rosso, as Kvyat pushed Hamilton to work to overtake him. After a couple of laps and pointing out the nose of the Mercedes car, Hamilton was forced to back off as he was unable to complete the manoeuvre, which begs the question: do the front-wing changes help or hinder Mercedes performance?

Kimi Raikkonen was his usual charismatic self before completing 114 laps in the freshly unveiled Alfa Romeo car, going into the test with the aim of getting a ‘more real picture of the car’, but with the unintentional aim of causing the final red-flag of the day, one minute before the end of the session.

Today was unquestionably Ferrari’s day with Vettel putting in a whopping 169 laps and remaining quickest throughout the whole session with a 1:18.1. Second came Carlos Sainz in the McLaren with a 1:18.5 and Grosjean with a 1:19.1 in spite of only completing 65 laps before stopping on track earlier in the session.

Overall though, the theme for today was getting a feel for the car and putting the laps in; no exciting racing just yet, but it’s a promising start for the 2019 season.

 

[Featured image – Dan Istitene/Getty Images]

RB15 racing livery revealed ahead of first test

It’s business as usual in the Red Bull garage as they have finally unveiled the racing livery for the RB15 ahead of the first session of winter testing which began in Barcelona this morning.

After an exciting week of livery reveals, Red Bull were the talk of the pit-lane by unveiling an unusual geometric livery ahead of the official ‘shake-down’ and filming day at Silverstone. It was made clear from Red Bull’s press release that the livery being displayed wasn’t set to last: “In recent years, we’ve chosen to kick off the year with some memorable paint jobs – but we revert back to our well established racing colours pretty quickly”.

The clarifications did not prevent fans disappointment as many had hoped the livery would have at least lasted until the end of pre-season testing, which begins today.

Thomas Butler / Red Bull Content Pool

The traditional matte colour scheme remains, with the trademark charging bull along either side of the car. The livery has been updated slightly to reflect their partnership with Honda, however it doesn’t create much of a difference to the design overall.

Although it would have been nice to see Red Bull really shake things up with their livery, it doesn’t stop them shaking things up on the grid this season. The Red Bull has put on its racing suit – bring on 2019!

 

[Featured image – Thomas Butler / Red Bull Content Pool]

Ferrari launch their 2019 campaign at Fiorano

Ferrari launched their 2019 contender this morning at a car launch event at Fiorano. 

In attendance was Scuderia Ferrari team boss Mattia Binotto, Sebastian Vettel, and Vettel’s new team-mate Charles Leclerc.

With the updated regulations in force, the stunning SF90 sports a freshly designed matte-finish red and black livery, with several technical tweaks – most noticeably on the front wing – having been put in place in the hope of making Formula 1 races more action-packed and competitive, with more overtaking and smaller time margins between the teams.

CEO of Ferrari Louis Camilleri said, “The car embodies the latest state of the art technology, reflects the new regulations for the coming season and is the fruit of the combined enormous work and talent of everyone in the Scuderia.”  

Ferrari Media

With the last Ferrari champion being Kimi Räikkönen, the team have high hopes that their two drivers will be fighting for race victories and both the drivers’ and constructors’ Championships. 2019 marks Sebastian Vettel’s fifth year with the Italian team, whereas rising star Charles Leclerc will be making his Ferrari debut in just his second year in the premier class.

The Monégasque and the German will be fierce competition for their rivals over at Mercedes, who have retained their 2018 line-up of five-time drivers’ champion Lewis Hamilton, and Valtteri Bottas. There is much speculation regarding how Red Bull will fare having dropped Renault as their engine supplier in favour of Honda, however with winter testing coming up in Catalunya, there should be a clearer idea as to how competitive each team will be. With an experienced champion in Vettel, and with Leclerc’s natural talent, the duo will undoubtedly have starring roles in the forthcoming season. 

Daniel Ricciardo’s surprise move to Renault caused a knock-on effect in the drivers’ market which has produced one of the most exciting line-ups in recent memory. Robert Kubica will return to the sport after a prolonged absence due to sustaining injuries in a 2011 rallying accident; Brits Lando Norris and George Russell will race with British teams McLaren and Williams; Antonio Giovinazzi will take part in his first full Formula 1 season at Alfa Romeo Racing with Kimi Räikkönen as his teammate; and at Red Bull, fan-favourite Max Verstappen is paired with Pierre Gasly.  

Pre-season testing is set to get underway on Monday, the 18th of February, with the first race scheduled for the 17th of March. An unpredictable year lies ahead, however one thing is certain – the 2019 F1 season is shaping up to be a thriller.

 

[Featured image – Ferrari Media]

Racing Point unveils 2019 design at Canadian International Auto Show

Racing Point have revealed their 2019 livery, in a team launch held at the Canadian International Auto Show in Toronto.

Alongside the livery of their new car, the team also announced a title sponsorship deal with online sports betting platform SportPesa and the subsequent renaming of the team as SportPesa Racing Point F1 Team.

Water treatment company BWT remain as another major sponsor for the team, and as such their livery retains much of the bright pink that the team has run for the past couple of years, alongside streaks of SportsPesa blue along the engine cover and around the halo and rear wing.

SportPesa Racing Point F1 Team

Racing Point had been running in fourth in the constructors’ championship for much of the year as Force India before going into administration over the course of the summer break. They were bought out by a consortium led by Lawrence Stroll, father of 2019 driver Lance, and managed to remain on the grid, but forfeited their points tally and arrived at the Belgian Grand Prix back at square one. They ultimately recovered to finish seventh in the championship.

Speaking at the launch, team principal Otmar Szafnauer said: “After months of hard work behind-the-scenes it’s incredibly exciting to come to Canada and present our new identity. The long-term aim is to take this team to the very top of the sport.

“We are putting the building blocks in place and it’s important we take a good step forward in 2019 as we begin this new era. We want to be fighting for podiums on merit and aiming for a strong top four finish in the championship.”

 

Red Bull ‘driving into a new era’ with the launch of RB15

Red Bull Racing revealed their 2019 F1 car today, labelled the RB15, ahead of pre-season testing in a few weeks time. This comes after Toro Rosso’s unveiling on Monday which revealed another high-shine and  vibrant livery with the trade-mark Red Bull colours.

Red Bull have been a hive of activity on social media in the build-up to the launch, conducting interviews with drivers Max Verstappen and Pierre Gasly that discussed how they have geared up for the new season, and how nice it is having an Aston Martin as a company car. Verstappen also addressed the youthfulness of this year’s driver pairing and said, “I don’t think it is an advantage but also not a disadvantage… When you are 30 years old you have a lot more experience, it’s not necessarily that you are faster”. Quite right Max.

In the 2018 F1 season fans enjoyed a sleek, matte livery, contrasting with the Baby Bulls ‘fizzy drink’ aesthetic, with Aston Martin’s sponsorship proudly displayed on its rear spoiler.

Today, Red Bull have treated fans to a one-off livery in honour of an official filming day at Silverstone. It is unclear whether this livery will be used in pre-season testing, however it is thought normal service will resume come the Melbourne Grand Prix.

The Aston Martin Red Bull Racing RB15. Image courtesy of Getty Images / Red Bull Content Pool

 

 

 

 

 

 

For now, fans can enjoy yet another matte navy blue and red livery; the car retains its traditional ‘charging bull’ motif, but with a greater emphasis on geometric patterns than in previous years.

So, what can we conclude from today’s unveiling?

Yep, it’s definitely a Red Bull!

Mercedes reveal W10 ahead of Silverstone shakedown

Reigning world champions Mercedes have released images of their 2019 title contender online, ahead of a shakedown test at Silverstone later today.

The W10  largely sticks with Mercedes’ signature silver, black and turquoise colour scheme but has added a mesh-like gradient pattern of three-pointed stars to the engine cover, and a silver halo as opposed to last year’s black.

F1 W10 EQ Power+ Shakedown, Silverstone

Like the designs of its rivals, it features a simpler front wing design as mandated by the 2019 regulations, along with a larger rear wing and mirrors positioned further out on the bodywork to compensate for any reduced visibility. Mercedes Technical Director James Allison has also spoken of emphasis being placed on the suspension system and on the aerodynamics, in an attempt to make the W10 kind on its tyres.

Mercedes have utterly dominated the hybrid era in F1, taking a clean sweep of drivers’ and constructors’ championships every year since 2014. The last couple of seasons, however, have seen Ferrari begin to challenge the Silver Arrows on track, even if internal struggles and various mistakes have meant that they have fallen short of that challenge being sustained across an entire year.

Mercedes’ line-up remains unchanged from last year. Lewis Hamilton will be aiming to become just the second-ever driver to claim six world championships, while Valtteri Bottas enters his third season with the team and will be hoping for a more consistent performance than the one he gave in 2018.

F1 W10 EQ Power+ Shakedown, Silverstone

Speaking of the upcoming 2019 season, team principal Toto Wolff said, “The 2019 season will be a new challenge for all of us. The regulations have changed quite substantially. We have to start from scratch, we need to prove ourselves again – against our own expectations and against our competitors.

“We start the season with zero points, so we’re taking nothing for granted and there’s absolutely no feeling of entitlement
to be at the front. In fact, with the regulation change for the new season, every team can have a shot at the title and we’re seeing all of them as a potential threat.”

The W10 will be seen for the first time on track at Silverstone as part of a shakedown test, driven by Bottas in the morning and then Hamilton in the afternoon.

 

[Featured image: F1 W10 EQ Power+ Shakedown, Silverstone]

Ricciardo a “more mature person” after 2018 difficulties

Renault’s new signing Daniel Ricciardo has said he believes he has become a “more mature person” as a result of the struggles he went through in 2018 when driving for Red Bull.

Speaking at the launch of Renault’s R.S.19, Ricciardo said, “Everything I learnt in 2018 will make me a better version of myself in 2019. The difference will be a more mature person. I have more clarity of where I’m going and I am for that to be shown with good results on track.

“I feel a lot of positive pressure and expectation to do good things, but that’s something I’m looking forward to taking on.”

Ricciardo suffered eight DNFs in 2018 thanks to mechanical failures, but still managed to take two race wins on his way to sixth in the drivers’ championship, two positions behind Red Bull team-mate Max Verstappen.

Renault Sport F1 Team

Since their return to F1 as a works team, Renault have only improved, going from ninth in the 2016 constructors’ championship to sixth in 2017 and then to fourth in 2018. Ricciardo, who will be driving alongside Nico Hulkenberg in 2019, expressed his keenness to get on with the job and help elevate the team to the next level.

“Renault has a massive history in motorsport, so to be a part of the next step of their Formula 1 journey is an exciting challenge,” he said. “I’m here to do a job on track and drive as fast as possible, but I would like to bring the team energy. I want to put a spring in everyone’s step because that’s part of my job and also my character.

“I aim to be able to get the team to work that extra bit harder, put in more effort and rally everyone together. I’d like to be a catalyst for positive energy.”

 

[Featured image – Renault Sport F1 Team]

Scuderia Toro Rosso debuts 2019 livery, myWorld partnership

On 11 February 2019, Scuderia Toro Rosso unveiled their 2019 contender, the STR14, in a Tron: Legacy-evoking YouTube video.

For 2019, the Baby Bulls are sticking to their tried-and-true ‘drinks can on wheels’ look featuring prominent Red Bull branding. The logo of Toro Rosso’s new partner, myWorld, joins those of Casio’s Edifice brand and the human resources consultancy, Randstad.

In a press release issued on 8 February, Toro Rosso Principal Franz Tost said,

“Innovation is at the core of Formula 1 and I’m delighted that Toro Rosso will be working with myWorld, a future-oriented organisation that unites different brands under one umbrella to provide innovative fan and customer loyalty programmes to associations and corporations. Through this partnership we will support them in promoting how consumers, and also partners, can benefit from their international Shopping Community.”

Rafał Pięta, myWorld International’s CEO, seconded,

“In view of myWorld’s international focus, this collaboration is an important step. Cooperation with Scuderia Toro Rosso is an optimal platform from which to present our group of companies to an international audience.”

This new partnership can only help the squad, which slipped from 7th in the Constructors Championship in 2017 to 9th in 2018.

Side view of the Scuderia Toro Rosso STR14 . Image courtesy of Digital Lighthouse / Red Bull Content Pool

In addition to the myWorld partnership, 2019 brings Daniil Kvyat’s return to fill the seat of Red Bull-bound Pierre Gasly and Alexander Albon’s transition from Formula E’s Nissan e.dams, replacing the ill-starred Brendan Hartley.

Honda returns to power the STR14 with the RA619H for 2019.

Featured Image courtesy of Digital Lighthouse / Red Bull Content Pool

Renault launch 2019 F1 contender

Renault have revealed their 2019 F1 contender, the R.S.19, becoming the fourth team to do so thus far.

The car features largely the same livery as its predecessor, save for a touch more yellow around the rear wing and on the inside of the front wing endplates.

Underneath the similar exterior, however, Renault claim that only the R.S.19’s power steering system bears any resemblance to their 2018 car, with the other components undergoing a radical overhaul in a search for extra performance. The changes visible in the images released online centre around those mandated by the 2019 regulations, and include the larger rear wing and simplified front wing.

Renault Sport F1 Team

Underneath the bodywork, particular focus was paid by Renault to their power unit, building on the promise shown by the C-spec engine used by Red Bull in the tail end of last season, in the hopes that Renault can begin to close the gulf between itself and the ‘big three’ of Mercedes, Ferrari, and Red Bull, and start to challenge for podiums.

2018 was Renault’s most successful season in F1 since their return to the sport as a works team, and it resulted in a fourth-place finish in the constructors’ championship. The team will be hoping that the R.S.19 will continue that momentum, with the signing of Daniel Ricciardo to partner Nico Hulkenberg – who enters his third year with Renault – a real statement of intent.

The announcement of Ricciardo’s move from Red Bull to Renault was one of the biggest stories of last year, and both Ricciardo and Hulkenberg have spoken of relishing the prospect of racing against one another as team-mates. It is a battle that is definitely worth keeping an eye on as the year progresses.

 

 

©2014-2024 ThePitCrewOnline