2011 F1 testing day 1: Valencia

2011 F1 testing

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Kamui Kobayashi, Sauber C30, Valencia, 2011

Official pre-season testing begins today with all bar one of the teams in action at the Valencia circuit in Spain.

See below for details on today’s test session.

Circuit

Today’s test is at the Circuit Ricardo Tormo in Valencia, Spain:


View Larger Map

Direction: Anti-clockwise
Length: 4.005km
Fastest lap (all-time): 1’08.540 (Anthony Davidson, Honda, 2006)

The permanent track just outside Valencia, a short distance from the street track which hosts the European Grand Prix.

It has a short and compact configuration which does not have the kind of long straights seen on most modern F1 tracks. With lots of corners packed closely together it is most similar to the Hungaroring of the tracks on the 2011 F1 calendar.

Drivers

The following drivers will be participating in today’s test:

TeamCarDriver
Red BullRB7Sebastian Vettel
McLarenMP4-25Gary Paffett
FerrariF150Fernando Alonso
MercedesW02Nico Rosberg (am), Michael Schumacher (pm)
RenaultR31Vitaly Petrov
WilliamsFW33Rubens Barrichello
Force IndiaVJM03Nico Hulkenberg (am), Paul di Resta (pm)
SauberC30Kamui Kobayashi
Toro RossoSTR6Jaime Alguersuari
HRTF110Narain Karthikeyan
VirginVR-01Jerome d’Ambrosio

Not participating: Lotus

Best laps at this circuit in 2010

TeamCarTimeDriver
FerrariF101’11.470Fernando Alonso
SauberC291’12.056Kamui Kobayashi
McLarenMP4-251’12.256Lewis Hamilton
RenaultR301’12.426Robert Kubica
MercedesW011’12.438Michael Schumacher
Toro RossoSTR51’12.576Jaime Alguersuari
WilliamsFW321’13.377Rubens Barrichello

Not present at this test in 2010: Red Bull, Lotus, HRT, Virgin

Live coverage

You can find live timing on the Williams website here:

I am at the circuit for the test and will post updates via Twitter and reply to comments when I can below.

Follow me and everyone else at the test via Twitter using the Live F1 Twitter app (no Twitter account needed).

Image © Julien Leroy / firstlap.be

Author information

Keith Collantine
Lifelong motor sport fan Keith set up RaceFans in 2005 - when it was originally called F1 Fanatic. Having previously worked as a motoring...

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141 comments on “2011 F1 testing day 1: Valencia”

  1. What time does testing begin.. UK time?

    1. And NZ time :)

      Shall we just say CET?

      1. Autosport claims that the test will begin at 9 not sure at what standard time it is?

        1. I suppose it’s local time? That should be right about now

          1. Testing starts 9am GMT. 10am in valencia.

          2. If that is the Spanish time then it should start now if that is GMT then it will start an hour later which I think is right as we still have Torro Rosso & Mercedes to reveal their cars.

    2. Why is the BBC not covering the testing? and by that I mean video feeds rather than bloody live text which really is useless. Last year they had video coverage…

      1. Because they have just made some pretty big cuts to their online budget.

  2. Is any website showing the live timing of the test?

  3. http://live.autosport.com/

    Gave commentary and times during the tests last year :)

    1. But this year they aren’t? Or have a miss something?

      1. I’m assuming they will. But i don’t know for sure. Those dates on the page usually become clickable links once the testing has started.

        1. I think it will in about 1 hour time when the testing officially starts.Shame the official Formula1.com is not bringing it live.

          1. Autosport are providing coverage, but you have to pay for the priviledge. £1.99 for the 3 days

    2. The Autosport iPhone app seems to be giving the Autosport text commentary for free…

  4. Will be catching up on all this around 1pm.

  5. Thanks for best laps in 2010, very interesting to compare!

  6. hopefully this will have live timings
    http://www.attwilliams.com/test-timings

  7. Wow you have to pay for autosport coverage :/

    1. Such a shame last year they did for free after months when we thought that we will enjoy some action on track things just goes wrong for us.

      Seems like Keith is the only hope for those who can’t effort to buy that.

  8. Autosport gone greedy..

  9. link for spanish site:

  10. Can’t believe Autosport are making us pay! Crazy!

    I think di Resta will be fastest at the end of the day. Very competent in last years Force India…

    1. thanks for the link.

  11. God the BBC annoy me.. They say we deserve more coverage and they dont even cover testing.. They could at least have a camera up there and a live feed on the website..

    1. I think FOM would have something to say about that…

  12. I just hope people who can enter the autosport site will update the timing every now & then.

    1. not much happening safe installation laps

      1. Alonso Ferrari F150 1:18.436 4 laps
      2. Paffett McLaren MP4-25 1:30.471 +12.035 4 laps

      are the only times set.

  13. Hi guys, I got the Autosport iPhone app, will post the times when they happen :P

  14. It used to be a dutch site with live timing and commentary and pics.. does anybody remember?? I used to watch pre-season testing there for the past 2 years

      1. thansk a lot!

  15. How hard would it be, really for FOM to publish the live timings on their site..??

    1. Not too much but just part of Bernie as they won’t get any money what so ever to keep the live timing active.

      1. All they need to do is stick some advert banners on there and they get income from it…web-marketing 101 really…

  16. The C30 driven by the unique Japanese grill, Kamui Kobayashi.

    Gotta love Google Translate..!!!

    1. japanese grill, love it :D

  17. Excellent Google translation!

    10.19h Just write it, just leave someone. The C30 driven by the unique Japanese grill, Kamui Kobayashi.

  18. ye f1 today , i was just about to post that

  19. R31 takes its first bow. The best sounding car in the pit lane thanks to our innovative exhaust system

  20. Gary Paffet 12 seonds off the pace of Alonso…

  21. Thanks for Links

  22. These Google translations are going to be fun:

    Hulkenberg that has no wheel holder this year, which is found Force India test driver also comes on the track.

    Cheers for the Autosport Mobile App tip Nathan. The testing is there for free (once you pay for the App)

  23. 9:32

    1st – Alonso/Ferrari 1:18.436
    2nd – Paffett/McLaren 1:30.471

    1. well Paffet did improve it a bit in the next laps to 1.26.212. Still none seem to be about setting times.

  24. First day of testing last year was won by Massa with a 1:12.5… Alonso at 1:18 is obviously not trying particularly hard.

    1. They will be slower than last year (or should be) by possibly seconds

    1. Now we only have to get there in time to look at a car going through. But better than no video at all, I suppose!

  25. 9:39

    1st – Alonso/Ferrari 1:18.438
    2nd – Paffett/McLaren 1:26.212

  26. Vettel on track now

  27. 9:44

    1st – Alonso/Ferrari 1:18.438
    2nd – D’Ambrosio/Virgin 1:19.482
    3rd – Paffett/McLaren 1:26.212

    1. times are getting into a comparable range now:

      D’Ambrosio got below Alonso’s time after 8 laps of running (with last years car): 1:17.991

  28. 9:50

    1st – D’Ambrosio/Virgin 1:17.991
    2nd – Hulkenberg/Force India 1:18.331
    3rd – Alonso/Ferrari 1:18.438
    4th – Paffett/McLaren 1:26.212

    1. where are you getting the times from Nathan? I have the dutch site as well as that french one, but none has all the times right!

    2. Hulk got a time under 1:17 (1:16.988)in. Temperatures rising and tyres coming up to grip slowly?

  29. Looks like they have started running, very few laps done
    Link below gives pictures and live timing.
    Alonso has done 4 laps – best time is 1:18

    http://www.f1today.nl/live-update/2011/02/01/circuit-de-la-comunitat-valenciana.html

  30. How many Tabs can Firefox cope with at once? This lot is taking up five (though the Williams one is suspiciously quiet and could perhaps be let go.) Six if you count work.

  31. Is is just me or is the Williams Live Timing not working?

  32. See, this is what I don’t like about testing: everyone reads so much into it, but we have no idea what the teams are doing. Teams that are slow might be running heavy fuel loads; fast teams could just as easily be running on fumes. And yet people take what happens as gospel truth. As Sauber proved last year, speed in testing does not mean speed in racing. So at the end of the day, the times tell us nothing, but people get worked up over them.

    Testing should be closed to everyone but the teams. Let the media in to take a few photos of the car launches, but that’s it.

    1. er…if you dont like it…why are you here?

      just a bit of fun for those who are F1 starved

      1. I’m all for having fun, I just think everyone should remember that they can’t read too much into it.

  33. 9:55

    1st – Hulkenberg/Force India 1:15.948
    2nd – D’Ambrosio/Virgin 1:17.991
    3rd – Alonso/Ferrari 1:18.438
    4th – Paffett/McLaren 1:26.212

  34. 10:00

    1st – Hulkenberg/Force India 1:15.948
    2nd – Alonso/Ferrari 1:16.207
    3rd – D’Ambrosio/Virgin 1:17.991
    4th – Barrichello/Williams 1:24.424
    5th – Paffett/McLaren 1:26.212

  35. plus we dont yet know what the pirelli tyres are worth (in relation to lap time) whether they are faster or slower/ degrade quicker or less.

    plus it is apparantly VERY cold in valencia right now

    1. Yes, I just had a look at the pictures posted by Keith and Schumi looks like he is really hiding in his coat there.

  36. 10:05

    1st – Alonso/Ferrari 1:15.371
    2nd – Hulkenberg/Force India 1:15.948
    3rd – Kobayashi/Sauber 1:16.354
    4th – D’Ambrosio/Virgin 1:17.991
    5th – Paffett/McLaren 1:18.223
    6th – Alguersuari/Toro Rosso 1:21.365
    7th – Barrichello/Williams 1:24.424

  37. 10:10

    1st – Alonso/Ferrari 1:15.371
    2nd – Hulkenberg/Force India 1:15.948
    3rd – Kobayashi/Sauber 1:16.354
    4th – Paffett/McLaren 1:16.753
    5th – D’Ambrosio/Virgin 1:17.991
    6th – Alguersuari/Toro Rosso 1:18.260
    7th – Barrichello/Williams 1:24.424
    8th – Karthikeyan/Hispania
    9th – Schumacher/Mercedes
    10th – Di Resta/Force India
    11th – Vettel/Red Bull
    12th – Rosberg/Mercedes
    13th – Petrov/Renault

  38. 10:15

    1st – Alonso/Ferrari 1:15.371
    2nd – Hulkenberg/Force India 1:15.948
    3rd – Paffett/McLaren 1:16.256
    4th – Kobayashi/Sauber 1:16.354
    5th – D’Ambrosio/Virgin 1:17.991
    6th – Alguersuari/Toro Rosso 1:18.260
    7th – Vettel/Red Bull 1:18.507
    8th – Barrichello/Williams 1:24.424
    9th – Karthikeyan/Hispania
    10th – Schumacher/Mercedes
    11th – Di Resta/Force India
    12th – Rosberg/Mercedes
    13th – Petrov/Renault

  39. from now on i’ll just be posting faster times, not the entire table

  40. Barrichello improves to 1:21.822

  41. Barrichello – 1:20.193

  42. Hulkenberg – 1:15.615

    1. thanks for keeping us updated, Nathan.

      1. no problem Bas

  43. Barrichello – 1:18.714

  44. 1 F.Alonso Ferrari 1.15.371
    2 N.Hulkenberg Force India 1.15.615
    3 G.Paffett McLaren 1.16.299
    4 K.Kobayashi Sauber 1.16.354
    5 J.D’Ambrosio Virgin 1.17.991
    6 J.Alguersuari Toro Rosso 1.18.260
    7 S.Vettel Red Bull 1.18.507
    8 R.Barrichello Williams 1.18.888
    9 N.Rosberg Mercedes 1.36.506

  45. Rosberg – 1:36.506

  46. Looks like Ferrari got the reliability right again. They have done as much laps as Hulk and Paffet in their teams old cars.

    1. yer well they’ve already done plenty of on-track testing before they even got to valencia

  47. yes I like to see that Bas (being a Ferrari fan :)

    only the engine that let us down last year (and a couple of times in 08 too)

  48. Karthikeyan – 1:24.147

    1. Looks like HRT got closer to the front running cars with their recent developments, LOL.

  49. moves him up to 9th ;p

  50. Karthikeyan – 1:19.723

    1. So now he is right beind the Williams, he must be really enjoying himself out there.
      I gather the Hulk feels good to be in the FI as well.

  51. Petrov – 1:20.633

  52. Rosberg – 1:19.930

    1. And that did his car in!

  53. Rosberg causing a Red Flag

  54. Does anyone have any info regarding Nico`s stop in the pitlane a few minutes ago?

  55. He stopped on the main straight – http://twitpic.com/3vfaqn/full

  56. Hey guys. Live timing working now

    http://www.attwilliams.com/test-timings

  57. Thx for the link maclauren

  58. Right. I really hope this isn’t some kind of breach of copyright regarding the f1fanatic name or anything, but I set up an unofficial live blog for people to live chat during the test. It’s not nearly as good as the ones on here because I haven’t hooked it up to Twitter or anything, I just thought it would be convenient for people. The link is here, hope it works and again apologies if I’m stepping on anyone’s toes and/or if this is already being done and I’ve missed it elsewhere.

    1. I would have joined in, but it doesn’t seem to allow me, saying you are no longer logged in.

      There seems to be a bit of time now, before they get going in the afternoon. Ferrari going for the testing endurance record again with 44 laps in with the new car. McLaren beat that amount of laps, but that’s in their old car.
      Sauber seems to have improved reliability a lot comparing last year!

  59. Can anyone tell for how long will the morning session will continue & when will the afternoon session will start?

    1. Vettel is the only car out on track.

      1. Alonso & Vettel is fighting it out on track while testing just as they did in Abu Dhabi in 2010

      2. I think it is about 20 minutes, but possibly and then a brake af about 30 minutes, but i do not remember exactly.

  60. I think this is probably the best live timing coverage of testing where you can see full stints http://www.msfree.gr/ms.php?id=18694

    1. Thanks for that link, remember we had that last year as well.

    2. Very good link. Thx TJ

    3. According to this site, the Hulk took 52+ MINUTES to complete lap 30… Did he stop half way for lunch or so?

      1. He caused a red flag at 11:55. Not sure he actually got going after that.

  61. not sure if this has been posted before but its a pretty good video of the adjustable rear wing in action

    http://www.gpupdate.net/en/videos/723/sauber-s-moveable-rear-wing/

    1. I saw that posted by Adam Cooper. Looks prety interesting, doesn’t it?

      Almost makes you want for these 360° cameras they have in Indy racing!

      1. yea, i was surprised at how much it changes! must make a big difference

  62. Judging by the fact HRT have only done a few laps they might be running something of an intermediate car.

    Or might it just be they have no experience of testing so they have to learn how. Might also be finding out Narain is having trouble keeping the neck straight after not being in a F1 car for ages.

  63. Thanks TJ for the link. And yes we also had it last year.

    Wow Hulkenberg is very impressive. He deserves to be racing this year.

  64. Guys, can anyone explain to me what happened with Rosberg??

  65. The force indias are second and third. just shows you what an effect the double diffuser has.

  66. JoeBlack… i`m searching the web for the same thing. It`s very alarming the fact that Mercedes didn`t exit the pits since the 12 am incident.

    1. Was something in the hydraulics, BBC has a line about it from Rosberg. But now Schumi is driving, so they got it repaired.

  67. Apparently Rosberg had some sort of hydraulics problem, but he did say that the car handles much better then last year. Looks like Schumi won’t be able to have a go today…:(

    1. They are not driving with the same car :)

      1. yeah i know, but he may have the same problems. Why else would they stay in the garage?

    2. yes he will… :)

  68. Nico on the track?

    1. Looks like Michael is finally coming on the track

  69. The 2010 Cars ie. McLaren and Force India are they not modified to 2011 regs. Like the deffusers would be single and not blown??

    1. No, they are the genuine 2010 stuff. No need to change just for testing, if they don’t want to.

      In testing they do not have to run according to reglement. They might even run low weight, or 4wd for testing, not that that would make much sense, but it is allowed to test all sorts of things.

      1. YES they have modified (or set it up) it to 2011 simulated down force levels.

  70. Oh and forgot to mention the Virgin car seems to be a step forward from last year. I know it’s early yet….

    1. Very early, as Virgin are running their 2010 car for now. Main difference to testing last year is, it is reliable now and they know the setup inways as well as some aero development during the season.

  71. 8 N. Rosberg
    Mercedes 1:16.450 1:16.450 +2.681 14
    9 M. Schumacher
    Mercedes 1:16.450 +2.681 6

    Like a twins :)

    1. I think that is just a glitch in the timing app., where Schumi’s first laps were recorded as Rosbergs before he got his own listing.

      Rosberg stopped before lunch with 12 laps in and a time of 1.19:930 and did not get back in the car in the afternoon.

  72. Funny. I know it doesn’t matter – not even the slightest this early on – but Rosberg again beat Schumacher by the smallest possible margin: posting his lap time earlier than Schu.

    That’s all that separates them because they have the exact same lap time…

  73. Atticus,

    its a mistake by the timing computer. They are using the same car so they posted the 1:16.450 time under both drivers by mistake.

    note that rosberg has not been in the car since noon, only did 9 laps and his fastest was in the range of 1:19 before the hydraulics gave up.

  74. Have herpes or HPV Cure it now Naturally

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