Formula 1 first pre-season test times (Ferrari on top)

[flohtingPoint]

Pos Driver Team Time Laps 1. Massa Ferrari (B) 1:12.574 102 2. de la Rosa BMW Sauber-Ferrari (B) 1:12.784 74 3. M.Schumacher Mercedes GP (B) 1:12.947 40 4. Rosberg Mercedes GP (B) 1:13.543 39 5. Paffett McLaren-Mercedes (B) 1:13.846 86 6. Barrichello Williams-Cosworth (B) 1:14.449 75 7. Buemi Toro Rosso-Ferrari (B) 1:14.762 18 8. Kubica Renault (B) 1:15.000 69

With Schumi not far behind at all. The former Brawn car is looking rather formidable at this moment in time.

It's great to see that Felipe has not lost his pace and still can pilot the hell out of the car. I cant wait to see what Alonso can do with it, as for two years he's been stuck with a pedestrian car.

More at: http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/81182

For you McMerc fans, they had a tester out there today, as seen by the times and hopefully one can expect to see Button and Hamilton in the car the next two days of this test period.

A combo pic of everyone's diffusers

Bonus video of MSC piloting the new Mercedes GP car: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9bJ0I-5Ea-Q
Modified by flohtingPoint at 5:10 PM 2/1/2010

[sbird1]

Interesting to see de la Rosa sitting in the #2 spot. The grid is going to be full this year. A lot of new teams and changes. Still doesn't seem right for The Shu to be in a Mercedes. Can you give any info on this Paffett character? I'm lazy.

[flohtingPoint]

After the testing ban, I stopped paying attention to most testers, so I know little to nothing. The little bit I know is that he's a Brit who won the DTM title a few years back.

[Bubba1]

After the testing ban, I stopped paying attention to most testers, so I know little to nothing. The little bit I know is that he's a Brit who won the DTM title a few years back.

I'm rooting for Massa this year. Glad to see he's off to a great start. Amazing how Schumi can step into new car, with a new team and crew after a long lay off and be instantly competitive.

[ADDirishboy]

I'm rooting for Massa this year. Glad to see he's off to a great start. Amazing how Schumi can step into new car, with a new team and crew after a long lay off and be instantly competitive.

He's been out of the game for how long? And he is still owning his own team mate in the same car by .6 seconds. Ridiculous.

[sentrastace]

[flohtingPoint]

I'm rooting for Massa this year. Glad to see he's off to a great start. Amazing how Schumi can step into new car, with a new team and crew after a long lay off and be instantly competitive.

Ditto, but then again I'm a Ferrari fan so I'd be rooting for him regardless.

Schumi did wonderfully, but it's not a totally new team, as he's racked in his 7 world championships with Ross Brawn. He also hasn't had that much time off from being in the monocoque of an open wheel racer, since he did a GP2 test/development a small while back.

He's been out of the game for how long? And he is still owning his own team mate in the same car by .6 seconds. Ridiculous.

'06 was the last time Schumi was behind the wheel of a F1 (aside from his f2007 test last year), he has experience with the V8 they went to from the beefy V10's. Major differences between those cars and the ones day include the aero package change of last year, no traction control, no tuned mass damper, slick race tires reintroduced and of course the testing ban.

[sbird1]

Anybody know if KERS is out this season? I think I remember hearing that it was. Correct?

[flohtingPoint]

Anybody know if KERS is out this season? I think I remember hearing that it was. Correct?

No KERS. Hamilton will have deal w/out his "I win" button that helped him in the 2nd half of the season last year.

[duffman1278]

I heard they banned beverages

[flohtingPoint]

P Pilotes Equipes Temps Ecarts Trs1 F.Massa Ferrari 1:11.722 +-.--- 782 K.Kobayashi Sauber 1:12.056 +-.--- 643 L.Hamilton McLaren 1:12.256 +-.--- 954 N.Rosberg Mercedes 1:12.899 +-.--- 685 R.Barrichello Williams 1:13.377 +-.--- 656 R.Kubica Renault 1.13.659 +-.--- 657 S.Buemi Toro Rosso 1:14.862 +-.--- 74

Taken from a Spanish live timing site, these are the 2nd days times as of right now. Felipe is really doing his thing while the big surprise here is Kobayashi. Anyone that has watched him race know he has balls but no one could expect this kind of pace from him. Could it be that Japan has actually produced a driver worth a damn? We'll have to wait on reports of their fuel loads to find out, as he might have logged that on a near empty tank, as Sauber needs all the good press they can get.

While Kobayashi was entertaining to watch in his two races last year, there is a flipside to this. Some of his behavior at Interlagos was completely unacceptable, especially when he caused Nakajima's off. I can only assume that the stewards went easy on him as it was his first Grand Prix. Just about every driver that dueled with him had complaints about his over aggressive weaving. Should he go a whole season like that, I can see him being stripped of his Super License. We can only hope that he can find a happy medium to still stay within the sporting code of defending drivers but yet give us quite a show.

[flohtingPoint]

Final times from today:Pos Driver Team Time Laps 1. Massa Ferrari (B) 1:11.722 124 2. Kobayashi BMW Sauber-Ferrari (B) 1:12.056 96 3. Hamilton McLaren-Mercedes (B) 1:12.256 108 4. Kubica Renault (B) 1:12.426 119 5. Rosberg Mercedes GP (B) 1:12.899 119 6. Barrichello Williams-Cosworth (B) 1:13.377 102 7. Buemi Toro Rosso-Ferrari (B) 1:13.823 107

It's really good to see that Kubica found some pace in that Renault. I have no idea how they'll do this year, as their car looks like last years car only longer to compensate for fuel.