Dos de tres (SPA-ENG)

Source

Los pilotos parecen no estar conformes con los nuevos vehículos, el descontento es grande principalmente de los máximos exponentes entre los conductores, Max Verstappen y Fernando Alonso se han quejado de la lentitud de sus vehículos y la nueva forma de conducción donde aparentemente hay que desacelerar en las rectas para permitirles a las baterías su recarga. Según algunas opiniones, los nuevos monoplazas serán sensiblemente más lentos que los de años anteriores.

Gasly ha mencionado que las dificultades a las que se enfrentarán en el procedimiento de largada probablemente harán que las mismas sean caóticas aunque divertidas, agregó.

Esta semana tendremos los últimos 3 días de pruebas antes de que la primera carrera a disputarse en Australia el 8/3 se ponga en marcha, algunas novedades tendremos y quizás haya llegado el momento de sacar a relucir todo lo que se tiene y lo que se carece.

Two out of three

With just one day to go before the final stretch of FIA-organized Formula 1 free practice sessions, there are still many details to analyze and conclusions to be drawn from. However, I do not doubt that what has happened so far offers some clues about what we can expect in this season, which is about to begin in just three weeks.

Surely none of the teams that will be competing on the starting grid this year have yet revealed the full potential of their cars to the public, or especially to the engineers and technicians of their rivals. It is their prerogative to hold back their best for the start of the season and only then reveal their strengths and weaknesses, because I am sure that they all have good points and also difficulties in some areas of this innovative yet challenging set of regulations.

The reason for this secrecy is understandable; however, it carries some risks. The main one is that the solutions they have implemented may not be tested to their full potential, and in that case, it will also be a surprise for the teams themselves to see them deployed for the first time in a race, a risk that is perhaps unnecessary.

Certainly, everyone has done private testing, and perhaps there they've worked openly, without any pretense, but it's not the same as doing it on a circuit where the only vehicle is your own. There's no turbulence, no other vehicles to overtake or be overtaken, no competitive atmosphere, and everything is much more relaxed. In my profession, we say that testing a system is not the same as putting it into operation in a real-world work environment. The programmer's syndrome is the tendency to avoid thoroughly testing anything you're not sure about, even in controlled environments.

With two-thirds of the official FIA tests now completed, some conclusions can be drawn, always keeping in mind that everyone is hiding something. In that regard, it can be said that the most powerful engine hasn't been the Mercedes, around which a strong cloud of suspicion has been raised due to its hot compression, which is said to be higher than the maximum allowed by the regulations. The surprise in this area has been the Red Bull Powertrains Ford, which has demonstrated reliability and a top speed superior to the rest.

Now, another advantage for Mercedes is being mentioned in the paddock: faster battery recovery compared to the competition's engines. Speaking of power, the title of top speed, vacated by Renault's withdrawal from the category, has been taken by Honda, which so far has shown a significantly lower top speed than its competitors. We're talking about 20 km/h less, an eternity in this category.

Red Bull and Mercedes have proven to be the most consistent, closely followed by Ferrari, which prefers to maintain a low profile and avoid major announcements. Its engine has completed the equivalent of 14 Grand Prix races without any serious issues. For the new series of tests starting tomorrow, they will replace that engine to disassemble it and analyze wear.

McLaren is another team that has shown strength in some areas, although some inconsistency and problems that required hours in the pits cast a shadow of doubt on its true potential.

Alpine and Williams have shown consistency, though still in the midfield in terms of potential. For the French team, it's a significant improvement over last year, while for the British team, the doubts that plagued everyone when they failed to arrive in time for Montmeló have been largely dispelled.

Haas, Audi and Racing Bull are perhaps a small step behind the others, still looking for a balance that will allow them to recover some of the ground they gained in the previous season.

Finally, Cadillac and Aston Martin both have a lot of work ahead of them. Cadillac's situation is understandable given their limited experience, while Aston Martin may be facing some serious problems they didn't expect at this stage.

The drivers seem unhappy with the new cars. The discontent is particularly strong among the top drivers, Max Verstappen and Fernando Alonso, who have complained about the slowness of their vehicles and the new driving style, which apparently requires slowing down on the straights to allow the batteries to recharge. According to some opinions, the new cars will be noticeably slower than those of previous years.

Gasly mentioned that the difficulties they will face in the starting procedure will likely make them chaotic, though entertaining, he added.

This week, we have the final three days of testing before the first race in Australia on March 8th. We'll see some new developments, and perhaps it's time to reveal everything we have and everything we lack.