Barcelona 1 2020 review – Mercedes in the right direction

After long weeks of waiting, the drivers and teams returned to the track this week in Catalonia to try to quickly test the 2020 single-seaters. A timing indeed tightened this season, since this week, like the following, lost a day complete driving, hence the need for the teams to work quickly and well.

With stable technical regulations this year, most of the cars lined up in Barcelona this week were evolutions of their predecessors, even if Renault or Racing Point brought cars quite different from last year, the RP20 notably evoking the Mercedes W10.

Largely absent from the start of the runs twelve months ago, the Williams FW42 saw her little sister FW43 show up on time for the green light on Wednesday. All with an identical basic concept, but with development pushed to the maximum in order to conserve resources for 2021.

But it's again Mercedes who got people talking. The world champions have uncovered the technical discovery of the winter, in the form of Dual Axis Steering, which fueled conversations in the Montmelo paddock and on the internet.

A novelty that seems legal, but who on the other hand will not find an extension in 2021 as confirmed by the F1 this Friday.

Question of kilometers

First point to immediately highlight for the teams: the overall reliability and regular attendance of the cars on the track. From the first day, all teams had covered more than 100 laps, with more than 1400 laps in total from the ten formations entered.

A constant found during the following day, but somewhat called into question this Friday with several avatars. At the house of Ferrari, Sebastian Vettel was slowed down by an engine problem, when mechanical problems on the Williams FW43 of Nicholas latifi during the same session, slowed down Grove's entity.

That's one ill SF1000

A slight problem for Ferrari and Sebastian Vettel on Day Three of #F1Testing#F1 pic.twitter.com/RZTHVrtSiK

- Formula 1 (@ F1) February 21, 2020

After a start without heavy clouds, Haas F1 Team also experienced an end of testing marked by the release of Kevin Magnussen (Haas) in the afternoon after a puncture and a rim spacer problem putting a premature end to the American team's tests.

RED FLAG

Problems for K-Mag – the Haas driver goes into the barriers at Turn 7 #F1Testing pic.twitter.com/E5E4HAvbKo

- Formula 1 (@ F1) February 21, 2020

In terms of mechanical problems, Red Bull will have been forced to change Alex's Power Unit as a precaution Albon at midday Thursday, before confirming that no breakdown was ultimately to be deplored. Renault will also have had to deal with the on-track stop of Daniel Ricciardo Friday afternoon.

Despite an electrical alert on Bottas' W11, it is ultimately Mercedes which is still doing the best in terms of accounting, with Lewis Hamilton et Valtteri Bottas as true convicts of the track, having accumulated 494 laps and nearly 2300 km in three days. A great performance with the reduction in the number of days of driving. Mercedes had completed 610 laps in week 1 with one day to spare.

Red Bull Racing did not appear to be outdone with 471 laps on the clock for the RB16 – Honda, the second best total ahead McLaren et Alfa Romeo (424 turns). The British team did not seek absolute performance and was rather discreet in this regard, preferring to accumulate laps. Alfa Romeo Racing stood out with Kimi Räikkönen's best time yesterday in 1'17″091.

Behind these four teams with more than 400 laps, we find Alpha Tauri and Renault. The French team, despite Ricciardo's stop on the track this Friday, made up for a small initial delay on its rivals, thanks to the Australian's 93 laps on the last day.

The big mileage “disappointment” comes from Ferrari, with barely more than 350 laps. Only Williams and Haas do less well in this aspect.

If we look at the mileage by drivers, Lewis Hamilton was the most productive with 273 laps, ahead of Max Verstappen (254) et Carlos Sainz (237). Among the starting drivers, Kevin Magnussen suffered from his four laps this Friday.

Mercedes on pace on the clock

It still remains difficult to evaluate the performance seen during these tests. By setting the best time in 1'15″732, on the softest C5 tires provided by Pirelli in Catalonia, Valtteri Bottas came seriously close to his 2019 pole (1'15″406), but established in these conditions of totally different driving (qualifications, temperature, etc.)

It should be noted that the two Mercedes drivers used the softest C5 compounds to set their best times this Friday.

Behind the two Silver Arrows, Kimi Räikkönen (Alfa Romeo) was the closest of the two Mercedes, on the same tire compound, in 1'17″091 (more than half a second away), a benchmark of on Thursday, his teammate Antonio Giovinazzi also using the C5 rubber for his best time.

The rest of the peloton only used C4 tires at best, as Esteban Ocon (Renault) and Lance stroll (Racing Point) which complete the top 5. But Ferrari's probable non-search for performance must qualify this ranking, just like the hierarchical positioning of Red Bull, Verstappen and Albon not having worn the softest tires during their best ride. What about fuel quantities and settings?

There is no doubt that the second week of running starting next Wednesday will see the teams focus their efforts a little more on performance.

All the information and the complete analysis of these tests, carried out by our special correspondents in Catalonia, can be found in AUTO issue 2256hebdo, available from Monday evening in digital version, and from next Wednesday on newsstands.

In the meantime, don't forget that our F1 2020 Guide is available in digital version and on newsstands.