Quite recently the raceway at Jerez in Spain hosted the first tests of the new Formula 1 cars prepared according to the new technical regulations. It brought a lot of new impressions to the pilots and teams. One of such impressions, as mentioned by the majority of pilots, was that 6-cylinder turbocharged engines lack speed and the cars are now more difficult to handle. The measurements performed during the tests did prove that the new race cars lost some speed in cornering.
Best lap time was shown at Jerez by the Formula 1 rookie Kevin Magnussen but it’s eight (!) seconds worse than the lap time demonstrated ten years ago by Michael Schumacher right here during similar tests. The drivers fear that Grand Prix might lose some of its attraction.
«We have lost downforce, around 20–30 per cent from last year, and now also the tyres are one step harder”, Adrian Sutil said. »It makes it more difficult all the time. F1 is a bit too slow at the moment. From the engine side it is very powerful, so we are not down on the power side, it is nice to drive and nice to have a turbocharger. But from the aerodynamics, I think we have to step up a little bit, because F1 should also be quick in the corners. And the tyres are just too hard. I don't understand why they have to be so conservative. I think we can at least have a tyre with decent grip situation."
Fernando Alonso shared his opinion that lower speeds will level down the pilots’ physical challenge to drive but at the same time he agreed that it was rather interesting to handle the new cars. «It's not the same from a physical point of view. These cars are easier than Formula 1 has been,» the Spanish pilot said. “The forces and speed are less in the corners, but on the other hand there are more parameters to control, more buttons on the steering wheel. There is more criticality in terms of driving and having control of the car in high-speed corners and with traction. It's just different. I've driven karts that are half a minute slower than F1 and I still sweated and enjoyed driving. As long as you are driving at the limit, the lap time you do, it doesn't change the emotional point of view. This car is still fun to drive."
Williams driver Felipe Massa agrees with Alonso. «The car is much slower than last year. When you drive on the limit you're trying to use everything from the car, so when the car is difficult to drive it doesn't feel so slow, it feels difficult. But when it's easy and grippy to drive, it feels slow even if you have a much quicker lap time.»
Adrian Sutil assumes that the speed of the cars would bounce back over the course of the season. «I think you have seen over many years with new regulations from the car, that once it gets going, they pick up seconds every months or two months as the car improves. So I expect a similar growth. Hopefully F1 will be fast enough again.»
Pre-season tests have been held in the Spanish Jerez each year starting from 1999. The statistics collected there allows comparing the speed of F1 race cars over the course of time. This season their speed has really decreased in comparison with the previous years. The numbers are close to those demonstrated in 2001 while the best lap times were set in 2004 and 2005.
Meanwhile Bernie Ecclestone, who is right now under investigation on suspicion of bribery, was rather harsh and negative in expressing his opinion over the new engines, demonstrated lap times and where such innovations might lead.
According to autosport.com.ru
