Final Barcelona F1 Test 2013: DAY 4 - Jenson concludes the last pre-season testing session

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A positive end to three weeks of testing in Spain. Jenson concluded the 12 days’ running with a productive 122 laps of the Circuit de Catalunya today.

At the conclusion of the test, sporting director Sam Michael said:

“After completing over 5,000 kilometres, through dry and wet conditions, we have collected plenty of data from MP4-28A. A large part of winter testing is taken up with methodically working through many systems checks and verifying that the correlation between design and track is solid – that’s more important in modern F1 as track testing opportunities are so limited.

“A special thank-you to everybody put so much effort into the testing program. We’re all really looking forward to the first race in Melbourne in two weeks – from the laptimes we’ve seen the season is going to be incredibly close!”

Location: Circuit de Catalunya
Driver: Jenson Button
Track length: 4.655km
Laps: 122
Km covered: 568
Best laptime: 1m 21.444s

What’s next?

We return to MTC, prep, and pack for Melbourne.

DAY 4 Standings

Pos / Driver / Constructor / Time / Laps

1 / Nico Rosberg / Mercedes AMG / 1m 20.130s / 131

2 / Fernando Alonso / Ferrari / 1m 20.494s / 120

3 / Jenson Button / Vodafone McLaren Mercedes / 1m 21.444s / 122

4 / Nico Hulkenberg / Sauber / 1m 21.541s / 118

5 / Kimi Raikkonen / Lotus / 1m 21.658s / 50

6 / Paul di Resta / Force India / 1m 21.664s / 112

7 / Pastor Maldonado / Williams / 1m 22.415s / 42

8 / Sebastian Vettel / Red Bull Racing / 1m 22.514s / 100

9 / Valtteri Bottas / Williams / 1m 22.524s / 31

10 / Charles Pic / Caterham / 1m 23.115s / 116

11 / Jules Bianchi / Marussia / 1m 23.167s / 62

12 / Daniel Ricciardo / Scuderia Toro Rosso / 1m 23.628s / 91

13 / Max Chilton / Marussia / 1m 24.103s / 49

~ Official photo and report courtesy of Vodafone McLaren Mercedes ~

Copyright © 2013, mercedesgla. All rights reserved.

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Final Barcelona F1 Test 2013: DAY 3 - Last drive for Checo ahead of Australian GP

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The penultimate day of pre-season testing – and Checo’s final day in MP4-28 before Melbourne. For the first time this week, weather conditions were stable and favourable: it was bright and sunny all day, which allowed the team to focus on a full day of running.

The morning was devoted to evaluating a number of different mechanical set-ups. The team then committed to a series of system changes over the lunchbreak before kicking off with a long run in the afternoon. Some live pitstop practice was also included – allowing Checo to get a feel for racing with the team in Australia later this month.

Location: Circuit de Catalunya
Driver: Sergio Perez
Track length: 4.655km
Laps: 101
Km covered: 470
Best laptime: 1m 22.694s
Test dates: Four days (February 28- March 3)

What’s next?

The final day: Jenson resumes running duties, and will wrap up our pre-season evaluation ofMP4-28 with more aero and mechanical set-up work.

DAY 2 Standings

Pos / Driver / Constructor / Time / Laps

1 / Lewis Hamilton / Mercedes AMG / 1m 20.558s / 117

2 / Felipe Massa / Ferrari / 1m 21.266s / 94

3 / Adrian Sutil / Force India / 1m 21.627s / 109

4 / Pastor Maldonado / Williams / 1m 22.305s / 34

5 / Valtteri Bottas / Williams / 1m 22.468s / 31

6 / Esteban Gutierrez / Sauber / 1m 22.553s / 99

7 / Mark Webber / Red Bull Racing / 1m 22.658s / 59

8 / Sergio Perez / Vodafone McLaren Mercedes / 1m 22.694s / 101

9 / Jean-Eric Vergne / Scuderia Toro Rosso / 1m 23.223s / 114

10 / Romain Grosjean / Lotus / 1m 23.380s / 46

11 / Davide Valsecchi / Lotus / 1m 23.448s / 16

12 / Jules Bianchi / Marussia / 1m 24.028s / 74

13 / Giedo van der Garde / Caterham / 1m 24.235s / 126

~ Official photo and report courtesy of Vodafone McLaren Mercedes ~

Copyright © 2013, mercedesgla. All rights reserved.

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Final F1 Test at Barcelona: DAY 1+2 - Jenson and Checo continue the development of the MP4-28

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DAY 1 Report

Overnight heavy rain and constant drizzle throughout the morning meant it was a slow start to the final pre-season test of 2013. Today was Sergio Perez’s penultimate day in the MP4-28 before Melbourne, and the wet weather prompted the team to undertake a more conservative run programme.

Checo conducted some aero mapping in the morning before the team chose to focus on developing a stable set-up on the Intermediate tyre and putting some solid mileage on our 2013 package. With 100 laps under his belt, it was a positive first day.

Location: Circuit de Catalunya
Driver: Sergio Perez
Track length: 4.655km
Laps: 100
Km covered: 466
Best laptime: 1m 26.538s
Test dates: Four days (February 28 - March 3)

What’s next?

With more wet weather predicted for tomorrow, Jenson’s programme is expected to be a continuation of today’s. Drier conditions are forecast for Saturday and Sunday – a benefit to the team as it brings together all the elements that constitute the aerodynamic package that it runs in Australia next month.

DAY 1 Standings

Pos / Driver / Constructor / Time / Laps

1 / Mark Webber / Red Bull Racing / 1m 22.693s / 90

2 / Lewis Hamilton / Mercedes AMG / 1m 24.348s / 113

3 / Jean-Eric Vergne / Scuderia Toro Rosso / 1m 25.017s / 59

4 / Valtteri Bottas / Williams / 1m 26.458s / 85

5 / Sergio Perez / Vodafone McLaren Mercedes / 1m 26.538s / 100

6 / Esteban Gutierrez / Sauber / 1m 26.574s / 92

7 / Paul di Resta / Force India / 1m 27.107s / 57

8 / Felipe Massa / Ferrari / 1m 27.541s / 112

9 / Max Chilton / Marussia / 1m 28.166s / 78

10 / Charles Pic / Caterham / 1m 28.644s / 83

11 / Romain Grosjean / Lotus / 1m 34.928s / 52

DAY 2 Report

The anticipated heavy showers largely held off and the majority of the day’s running was conducted on a dry track. A still-damp morning meant Jenson’s early running was limited to aero mapping and a couple of mechanical evaluations.

As the circuit dried out, Jenson switched to Pirelli’s Medium compound and ran through a number of different mechanical set-up iterations to find a good balance for MP4-28. The programme was efficient and productive, with Jenson going quicker on each subsequent run.

By mid-afternoon, the team was able to evaluate a number of upgrades over a series of longer runs. While these were interrupted by a late-afternoon red-flag stoppage, Jenson was still able to log some considerable mileage and even incorporate a series of live pitstop simulations into the mix.

Location: Circuit de Catalunya
Driver: Jenson Button
Track length: 4.655km
Laps: 72
Km covered: 335
Best laptime: 1m 23.181s
Test dates: Four days (February 28- March 3)

What’s next?

Saturday is Checo’s final day in the car before Melbourne. With clearer weather forecast, the aim will be to quickly run through further mechanical and aerodynamic evaluations before continuing more set-up work.

DAY 2 Standings

Pos / Driver / Constructor / Time / Laps

1 / Romain Grosjean / Lotus / 1m 22.716s / 88

2 / Jenson Button / Vodafone McLaren Mercedes / 1m 23.181s / 72

3 / Pastor Maldonado / Williams / 1m 23.628s / 75

4 / Sebastian Vettel / Red Bull Racing / 1m 23.743s / 65

5 / Nico Hulkenberg / Sauber / 1m 23.744s / 79

6 / Adrian Sutil / Force India / 1m 24.215s / 62

7 / Daniel Ricciardo / Scuderia Toro Rosso / 1m 25.483s / 61

8 / Max Chilton / Marussia / 1m 25.598s / 75

9 / Giedo van der Garde / Caterham / 1m 26.316s / 48

10 / Nico Rosberg / Mercedes AMG / 1m 26.655s / 120

11 / Fernando Alonso / Ferrari / 1m 27.878s / 102

~ Official photos and reports courtesy of Vodafone McLaren Mercedes ~

Copyright © 2013, mercedesgla. All rights reserved.

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Barcelona F1 Test 2013: Complete Report from Vodafone McLaren Mercedes

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DAY 1 Report

The second of Formula 1’s three pre-season Spanish tests kicked off today at Barcelona’s Circuit de Catalunya, an aero-dependent track that will provide teams with a clearer idea of the state of their preparations ahead of the 2013 season.

Sergio Perez kicked off the running this morning, his second outing behind the wheel of MP4-28. As at last week’s test at Jerez, the team spent the morning running through a series of aero tests before breaking to reset the car for some set-up comparison work.

After lunch, Sergio began a series of longer runs to evaluate the effects of the mechanical set-up changes. He also took the opportunity to more fully acclimatise himself to the cockpit controls and team communications that he will start to encounter in the races.

The afternoon concluded with a live pitstop practice. It was a productive day.

Location: Circuit de Catalunya
Driver: Sergio Perez
Track length: 4.655km
Laps: 77
Km covered: 358
Best laptime: 1m24.144s
Test dates: Four days (February 19-22)

What’s next?

Sergio concludes his running. Jenson takes over for Thursday and Friday.

DAY 1 Standings

Pos / Driver / Constructor / Time / Laps

1 / Nico Rosberg/ Mercedes AMG / 1m 22.616s / 54

2 / Kimi Raikkonen / Lotus-Renault / 1m 22.672s / 44

3 / Fernando Alonso / Ferrari / 1m 22.952s / 110

4 / Sebastian Vettel / Red Bull Racing / 1m 22.965s / 66

5 / Pastor Maldonado / Williams / 1m 23.733s / 86

6 / Daniel Ricciardo / Scuderia Toro Rosso / 1m 23.884s / 73

7 / Sergio Perez / Vodafone McLaren Mercedes / 1m 24.124s / 77

8 / Paul di Resta / Force India / 1m 24.144s / 82

9 / Esteban Gutierrez / Sauber / 1m 25.124s / 68

10 / Max Chilton / Marussia / 1m 26.747s / 65

11 / Charles Pic / Caterham / 1m 27.534s / 49

DAY 2 Report

Sergio concluded his running at the Circuit de Catalunya, racking up 97 laps after an extremely productive day.

As usual, the morning kicked off with a series of shorter runs, aimed at gaining the engineers a better understanding of the car’s track-to-tunnel aero correlation and its reaction to a series of mechanical set-up changes.

Into the afternoon, the team ran through a number of longer runs – these were aimed at providing Sergio with a better understanding of the methods and systems that will be used by the race team during a race weekend, including cockpit switch adjustments and understanding radio messaging.

What’s next?

Jenson kicks off his running at Barcelona tomorrow. His programme will pick up where Checo’s left off, including further correlation and set-up work. With poorer weather on the horizon for Friday, the team will monitor the forecast and may choose to adapt the programme in order to optimise track time over the next two days.

Location: Circuit de Catalunya
Driver: Sergio Perez
Track length: 4.655km
Laps: 97
Km covered: 452
Best laptime: 1m21.848s
Test Dates: Four days (February 19-22)

DAY 2 Standings

Pos / Driver / Constructor / Time / Laps

1 / Sergio Perez / Vodafone McLaren Mercedes / 1m 21.848s / 97

2 / Sebastian Vettel / Red Bull Racing / 1m 22.197s / 84

3 / Kimi Raikkonen / Lotus-Renault / 1m 22.697s / 43

4 / Lewis Hamilton / Mercedes AMG / 1m 22.726s / 121

5 / Fernando Alonso / Ferrari / 1m 23.247s / 76

6 / Valtteri Bottas / Williams / 1m 23.561s / 98

7 / Daniel Ricciardo / Scuderia Toro Rosso / 1m 23.718s / 70

8 / Paul di Resta / Force India / 1m 23.971s / 62

9 / Nico Hulkenberg / Sauber / 1m 24.205s / 88

10 / Max Chilton / Marussia / 1m 25.115s / 67

11 / Charles Pic / Caterham / 1m 26.243s / 102

DAY 3 Report

Jenson’s first day in the car at this week’s test.

The first three hours of the day were spent focusing on mechanical set-up work and the evaluation of tyres.

The team then elected to carry out some larger mechanical changes over the lunchbreak, meaning Jenson didn't return to the track until 3pm. Thereafter, he focused on longer runs with a number of simulated pitstops.

What’s next?

The team plans to conduct more aero work tomorrow if the weather stays fine. However, with rain forecast for the whole day, our plans may change and we could well end up running Pirelli’s 2013 wet-weather compounds for the first time.

Location: Circuit de Catalunya
Driver: Jenson Button
Track length: 4.655km
Laps: 71
Km covered: 331
Best laptime: 1m22.840s
Test dates: Four days (February 19-22)

DAY 3 Standings

Pos / Driver / Constructor / Time / Laps

1 / Fernando Alonso / Ferrari / 1m 21.875s / 97

2 / Nico Hulkenberg / Sauber / 1m 22.160s / 91

3 / Romain Grosjean / Lotus-Renault / 1m 22.188s / 119

4 / Nico Rosberg / Mercedes AMG / 1m 22.611s / 108

5 / Pastor Maldonado / Williams / 1m 22.675s / 79

6 / Valtteri Bottas / Williams / 1m 22.826s / 68

7 / Jenson Button / Vodafone McLaren Mercedes / 1m 22.840s / 71

8 / Adrian Sutil / Force India / 1m 22.877s / 78

9 / Mark Webber / Red Bull Racing / 1m 23.024s / 108

10 / Jean-Eric Vergne / Scuderia Toro Rosso / 1m 23.366s / 106

11 / Max Chilton / Marussia / 1m 25.690s / 58

12 / Giedo van der Garde / Caterham / 1m 26.177s / 83

DAY 4 Report

Final day of the Barcelona test, and the second day in the cockpit for Jenson.

Despite temperamental weather – it started to spit with rain from first running this morning, meaning Jenson only conducted a single run on slicks – the team completed a full programme and was pleased with progress.

The rain also allowed the team to run Pirelli’s Intermediate and Full Wet compounds – another very useful opportunity ahead of the unpredictable weather often encountered at the opening races.

What’s next?

The team remains in Barcelona for a second session next week (Feb 28-Mar 3). Driving duties will be split Sergio-Jenson-Sergio-Jenson, and the car will run in Melbourne-spec for the first time.

Location: Circuit de Catalunya
Driver: Jenson Button
Track length: 4.655km
Laps: 70
Km covered: 326
Best laptime: 1m 23.633s
Test dates: Four days (February 19-22)

DAY 4 Standings

Pos / Driver / Constructor / Time / Laps

1 / Lewis Hamilton / Mercedes AMG / 1m 23.282s / 52

2 / Jenson Button / Vodafone McLaren Mercedes / 1m 23.633s / 70

3 / Jean-Eric Vergne / Scuderia Toro Rosso / 1m 24.071s / 80

4 / Jules Bianchi / Force India / 1m 25.732s / 96

5 / Esteban Gutierrez / Sauber / 1m 26.239s / 61

6 / Giedo van der Garde / Caterham / 1m 27.429s / 50

7 / Felipe Massa / Ferrari / 1m 27.563s / 80

8 / Mark Webber / Red Bull Racing / 1m 27.616s / 64

9 / Max Chilton / Marussia / 1m 29.902s / 51

10 / Romain Grosjean / Lotus-Renault / 1m 34.800s / 41

11 / Valtteri Bottas / Williams / - / 23

12 / Pastor Maldonado / Williams / - / 13

~ Official photos and reports courtesy of Vodafone McLaren Mercedes ~

Copyright © 2013, mercedesgla. All rights reserved.

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Vodafone McLaren Mercedes premieres new MP4-28 car for the 2013 F1 Season

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Vodafone McLaren Mercedes-Benz launched the new MP4-28 2013 title contender during a special presentation ceremony held at Woking, United Kingdom. The new driver lineup for the upcoming F1 season, consisting of former champion Jenson Button and newcomer Sergio 'Checo' Perez, has also been introduced in front of the media and guests invited at team's headquarters. Follow after the jump for the official press release and further technical data on the new McLaren-Mercedes MP4-28 single-seater. Enjoy!

Vodafone McLaren Mercedes launched its 2013 Formula 1 challenger and kicked off a year of 50th anniversary celebrations with a spectacular parade of classic racing cars at the McLaren Technology Centre this morning.

The parade brought to life a string of race- and championship-winning McLarens from across the decades, included 1970’s M8D CanAm sportscar, Emerson Fittipaldi’s iconic 1974 M23, Ayrton Senna’s dominant 1988 MP4/4, our 1995 Le Mans-winning F1 GTR, Mika Hakkinen’s MP4-13 car from 1998 and Lewis Hamilton’s 2008 MP4-23.

The display culminated in the arrival of our 2013 race drivers, Jenson Button and Sergio ‘Checo’ Perez – who arrived driving a development model of our new McLaren P1TM sportscar and a 12C Spider, respectively.

Evolution through history

The display of classic McLarens was a timely reminder of the weight of history that constantly hangs over a team with such high expectations each and every season. Following such a winning pedigree is the aim and intention of each and every man and woman who comes to work at McLaren every day.

And, for everyone involved in its inception, the Vodafone McLaren Mercedes MP4-28 is the logical culmination of everything we’ve ever done: it’s the sum of 50 years’ experience, expertise and passion.

The MP4-28 isn’t merely a refinement of last year’s seven-race-winning car, it’s a deep and sweeping re-design of an already successful chassis in several key areas – most notably around the nose and front suspension, the sidepod profiles and the rear bodywork.

Vodafone McLaren Mercedes MP4-28 Technical Specification
Chassis

Monocoque - McLaren-moulded carbonfibre composite incorporating front and side impact structures, and survival cell
Front suspension - Inboard torsion bar/damper system operated by pullrod and bell crank with a double wishbone arrangement
Rear suspension - Inboard torsion bar/damper system operated by pullrod and bell crank with a double wishbone arrangement
Electronics - McLaren Electronic Systems. Including chassis control, engine control, data acquisition, dashboard, alternator, sensors, data analysis and telemetry.
Bodywork - Carbon-fibre composite. Including engine cover, sidepods, floor, nose, front wing and rear wing. Driver-operated drag reduction system
Lubricants & Fluids - Mobilith SHC™ 1500 Grease – lubricates the four tripod joints on the drive-shafts resisting the high temperatures generated by the exhaust and braking systems / Mobilith SHC™ 220 Grease – minimises rolling resistance in the car’s ceramic wheel bearings to help maximise speed. / Mobil SHC™ Hydraulic Oil – running at over 200 bar and 100° C this fluid is an essential part of the hydraulic system which controls gear shift, the throttles and operation of DRS and steering systems
Tyres - Pirelli P Zero
Radio - Kenwood
Race wheels - Enkei
Brake calipers - Akebono
Master cylinders - Akebono
Batteries - GS Yuasa Corporation
Steering - McLaren power-assisted
Instruments - McLaren Electronic Systems
Paint solutions - AkzoNobel Car Refinishes using Sikkens products

Engine

Type - Mercedes-Benz FO 108F
Capacity - 2.4 litres
Cylinders - 8
Maximum rpm - 18,000
Bank angle - 90°
Piston bore maximum - 98mm
Number of valves - 32
Fuel - ExxonMobil High Performance Unleaded (5.75% bio fuel)
Spark plugs - NGK Formula 1 specification racing spark plugs
Lubricants - Mobil 1™ Engine Oil – for long engine life, protection and cooling combined with improved fuel economy
Weight - 95kg (minimum FIA regulation weight)

KERS Hybrid

Type - Mercedes-Benz
e-Motor - Engine-mounted electrical motor/generator
ESS - Integrated energy storage cells and power electronics
Power - 60 kW

Transmission

Gearbox - McLaren-moulded carbon-fibre composite / Integral rear impact structure
Gears - Seven forward and one reverse
Gear selection - McLaren seamless shift, hand-operated
Clutch - Carbon/carbon, hand-operated
Lubricants - Mobil 1 SHC™ Gear Oil – provides reduced fluid traction losses improving gearbox efficiency and delivering more power to the rear wheels

~ Official photos and details courtesy of Vodafone McLaren Mercedes ~

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