10 new F1 machines took to the Jerez circuit in Spain recently for the first pre-season test of the 2014 season.
With one down, we now look ahead to the final two four-day events in Bahrain, where the new Lotus E22 will make its first public appearance and the cars will - hopefully - complete some performance running.
But what can we take away from the opening four tests? Well, not very much, to be honest, but that comes as no surprise.
The new cars are complicated beasts, packed full of new technology and systems. The main goals for the teams were to find and solve any mechanical issues, understand the new systems and make the cars reliable.
All teams in attendance experienced technical problems over the test, with some getting in more running than others. But that was what the test was for. Finding the issues and getting them resolved, it was never about performance.
The times from the test, with Kevin Magnussen setting the fastest lap for McLaren on day three, mean absolutely nothing, because the drivers were not pushing, the cars were not working at their full potential and there were different schedules being completed.
So we can't read into them at all, but what we can do is look at the total lap tallies for each team. I did a piece recently with statistics from the four-day Jerez test, which you can see here, and it gave us a slight indication of who, at the moment, has the most reliable machine.
It looks like Mercedes has the early edge after completing 309 laps overall. In fact, the Brackley-based outfit admitted that they are currently ahead of schedule due to the amount of running that they managed.
After Nico Rosberg completed a full race distance, and then some, on Friday morning, the team put Lewis Hamilton in the car for the afternoon after he lost time on Tuesday due to a front wing failure.
This helped to boost his lap tally to 121, 67 behind his team-mate - who topped the lap count. The new Mercedes V6 Turbo power-unit was the least problematic of the three that will power the F1 grid this year, lapping the Jerez track 875 times. This compares to 444 for the three Ferrari-powered runners and 151 for those with Renault power-unit's.
The Mercedes F1 Team, McLaren and Williams all gained crucial mileage with the new engine. Force India had a strong test but the team did suffer a few more mechanical issues in comparison to its rivals. However, the three Renault-supplied teams really struggled, with most of the problems being power-unit related.
Caterham managed 76 laps, with the majority being completed on the final day, while the Toro Rosso team got 54 laps under its belt. Red Bull Racing struggled to even get the new RB10 out on track, with packaging issues to blame, and gained just 21 laps worth of data.
The team even added make-shift cooling slots to the rear of the sidepods on day four, but it didn't help. But don't discount the four-time constructors' champions just yet. There is still a long way to go and the development curve this season will be very steep.
Now we look ahead to Bahrain and the final two tests, which take place from the 19th-22nd February and the 27th February to the 2nd March. Testing is very important in the sport, but even more so this year.
Reliability will still be the main aim at both four-day events, but we may also get to see some performance runs - most likely from the Mercedes-powered runners - as well, giving us a slightly better indication of who is where.
We will also get to see the first public appearance of the Lotus E22. The Enstone-based team opted to miss Jerez in order to complete more development and preparation work at its factory.
However, the team travelled to the Spanish circuit on Friday and completed a filming day with its new car. Mercedes, Toro Rosso and Force India all completed similar runs prior to the opening test.
The higher temperatures in Bahrain will make data and running more realistic, as track temperatures varied between six and 23 degrees at the first test, as well as aiding the development of the 2014 Pirelli tyre compounds.
So what can we expect? Well, a bit more running, better track conditions, fewer mechanical problems and more representative lap times - I hope - ahead of the first round of the 2014 season. It should be another intriguing test.
 |
| © Octane Photographic |
But what can we take away from the opening four tests? Well, not very much, to be honest, but that comes as no surprise.
The new cars are complicated beasts, packed full of new technology and systems. The main goals for the teams were to find and solve any mechanical issues, understand the new systems and make the cars reliable.
All teams in attendance experienced technical problems over the test, with some getting in more running than others. But that was what the test was for. Finding the issues and getting them resolved, it was never about performance.
The times from the test, with Kevin Magnussen setting the fastest lap for McLaren on day three, mean absolutely nothing, because the drivers were not pushing, the cars were not working at their full potential and there were different schedules being completed.
So we can't read into them at all, but what we can do is look at the total lap tallies for each team. I did a piece recently with statistics from the four-day Jerez test, which you can see here, and it gave us a slight indication of who, at the moment, has the most reliable machine.
 |
| © Octane Photographic |
It looks like Mercedes has the early edge after completing 309 laps overall. In fact, the Brackley-based outfit admitted that they are currently ahead of schedule due to the amount of running that they managed.
After Nico Rosberg completed a full race distance, and then some, on Friday morning, the team put Lewis Hamilton in the car for the afternoon after he lost time on Tuesday due to a front wing failure.
This helped to boost his lap tally to 121, 67 behind his team-mate - who topped the lap count. The new Mercedes V6 Turbo power-unit was the least problematic of the three that will power the F1 grid this year, lapping the Jerez track 875 times. This compares to 444 for the three Ferrari-powered runners and 151 for those with Renault power-unit's.
The Mercedes F1 Team, McLaren and Williams all gained crucial mileage with the new engine. Force India had a strong test but the team did suffer a few more mechanical issues in comparison to its rivals. However, the three Renault-supplied teams really struggled, with most of the problems being power-unit related.
Caterham managed 76 laps, with the majority being completed on the final day, while the Toro Rosso team got 54 laps under its belt. Red Bull Racing struggled to even get the new RB10 out on track, with packaging issues to blame, and gained just 21 laps worth of data.
The team even added make-shift cooling slots to the rear of the sidepods on day four, but it didn't help. But don't discount the four-time constructors' champions just yet. There is still a long way to go and the development curve this season will be very steep.
Now we look ahead to Bahrain and the final two tests, which take place from the 19th-22nd February and the 27th February to the 2nd March. Testing is very important in the sport, but even more so this year.
 |
| © Octane Photographic |
We will also get to see the first public appearance of the Lotus E22. The Enstone-based team opted to miss Jerez in order to complete more development and preparation work at its factory.
However, the team travelled to the Spanish circuit on Friday and completed a filming day with its new car. Mercedes, Toro Rosso and Force India all completed similar runs prior to the opening test.
The higher temperatures in Bahrain will make data and running more realistic, as track temperatures varied between six and 23 degrees at the first test, as well as aiding the development of the 2014 Pirelli tyre compounds.
So what can we expect? Well, a bit more running, better track conditions, fewer mechanical problems and more representative lap times - I hope - ahead of the first round of the 2014 season. It should be another intriguing test.
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