Official 2024 Pre-season Testing Thread

[Piginapoke]

So here we all are for 2024 F1, let’s hope it’s better than 2023!

I thought we could use a pre-season testing thread as all the cars are now unveiled (apart from the Williams) and there’s real interest in how they will go- Ferrari, McLaren and Mercedes in particular. Red Bull’s RB20 looks next level.

I’ve copied last year’s fastest laps for every driver as there are no changes this year, and you can see how your team/driver compares to last year. Expect some big overall gains for all; last year Perez was fastest with a 1.30.30.

Date(s): Wednesday 21 to Friday 23 February 2024.

UK Broadcast Timings

All 3 days are live on Sky F1.





2023 fastest laps :

[tight fart]

Thanks PP
Looking at the times it didn’t tell us much about the year ahead.

[BrettMRC]

Looking forwards to this!

Being in Bahrain I guess the track temperatures will be semi-useful vs being in Spain in February!

[Piginapoke]

BrettMRC said:

Looking forwards to this!

Being in Bahrain I guess the track temperatures will be semi-useful vs being in Spain in February!

I must admit I can’t wait to see the Red Bull in action. The Race described its unveiling as a “Holy st” moment for all the other teams!

[suffolk009]

It's been a looong winter.

[Sandpit Steve]

BrettMRC said:

Looking forwards to this!

Being in Bahrain I guess the track temperatures will be semi-useful vs being in Spain in February!

I’m in Dubai where it’s been absolutely pissing down with rain for the past week!

But yes, a better chance of decent weather in Bahrain than in Barcelona, where one of the winter tests got abandoned for snow a few years ago!

Edit: that said, the forecast does look good, 24ºC and sunny for the three days. https://www.accuweather.com/en/bh/bahrain-internat...

Edited by Sandpit Steve on Saturday 17th February 09:10

[Forester1965]

I follow a few weather accounts on Twitter and the flooding in parts of the ME in recent times has looked epic.

[Still Mulling]

Hurrah! Thanks PiaP! BBC live-text web pages will be my sources for this.

Despite all of the miss-leading skulduggery going on with the cars' details during "launches", anybody fancy taking a punt on those who will be surprising bad and/or good?

I know we can't truly tell from testing, but it's fun to think we can

I reckon Visa CARB won't be as far forward as people fear, and Red Bull will have been closed down by the chasing pack, with Ferrari, at least initially, leading that chase into true competitiveness.

Williams to have made the biggest lap time gains compared to last year.

I've forgotten: are we zero rookies this year?

[matrignano]

Thanks PIAP!

[Piginapoke]

Still Mulling said:

Hurrah! Thanks PiaP! BBC live-text web pages will be my sources for this.

Despite all of the miss-leading skulduggery going on with the cars' details during "launches", anybody fancy taking a punt on those who will be surprising bad and/or good?

I know we can't truly tell from testing, but it's fun to think we can

I reckon Visa CARB won't be as far forward as people fear, and Red Bull will have been closed down by the chasing pack, with Ferrari, at least initially, leading that chase into true competitiveness.

Williams to have made the biggest lap time gains compared to last year.

I've forgotten: are we zero rookies this year?

Yep, no rookies at all- grid is the same as 2023 ended (for the first time ever).

Ferrari and Aston to struggle, McLaren and Mercedes to step up, Red Bull will be another step on I reckon.

[Still Mulling]

Piginapoke said:

Yep, no rookies at all- grid is the same as 2023 ended (for the first time ever).

I thought it might have been a first!

Piginapoke said:

Ferrari and Aston to struggle, McLaren and Mercedes to step up, Red Bull will be another step on I reckon.

I hope not, I hope so, I hope not!

[TheDeuce]

The day after tomorrow it begins

Looking forward to having testing on in the background while decorating the kitchen!

[TikTak]

Be good to see them hit the track and guess the amount of sandbagging going on.

Will take this opportunity to thank PiaP once more for all the threads, past and upcoming. Effort is massively appreciated.

[sandman77]

I guess we won’t really know the pace of the teams until the first qualifying session. My only wish is that at least one team can compete with Red Bull. If it’s a one horse (or bull) race like 2023 I can see a lot of the new viewers turning off.

[Altrezia]

sandman77 said:

I guess we won’t really know the pace of the teams until the first qualifying session. My only wish is that at least one team can compete with Red Bull. If it’s a one horse (or bull) race like 2023 I can see a lot of the new viewers turning off.

won't know THAT until the end of the first race. Quali was pretty close last year - but in the race the RB just left everyone standing.

[Blib]

Will this image and others taken from Perez's Monaco 'off' last season have been of any use to the opposition for this year?

I seem to remember that when a Mercedes was hoisted from another track in 2023 its undertray was far more rudimentary.

[MuttWagon]

Looking at the 2023 times there was clearly lots of sand bagging (should that term be updated for the material they now use?).

Really hoping the pack have closed in on RB. I guess we won’t know until the 1st race.

[Terry Winks]

Blib said:

Will this image and others taken from Perez's Monaco 'off' last season have been of any use to the opposition for this year?

I seem to remember that when a Mercedes was hoisted from another track in 2023 its undertray was far more rudimentary.

I loved the wild theory at the time that they put a completely different floor on Perez car and told him to stuff it into the wall to throw everyone else off the scent

Wild.... but not unimaginable somehow

[DanielSan]

Terry Winks said:

Blib said:

Will this image and others taken from Perez's Monaco 'off' last season have been of any use to the opposition for this year?

I seem to remember that when a Mercedes was hoisted from another track in 2023 its undertray was far more rudimentary.

I loved the wild theory at the time that they put a completely different floor on Perez car and told him to stuff it into the wall to throw everyone else off the scent

Wild.... but not unimaginable somehow

In the pre cost cap I could well believe that might happen. It wouldn't be the first time random parts have been put on a car to throw people off what's really working.

[TikTak]

Blib said:

I seem to remember that when a Mercedes was hoisted from another track in 2023 its undertray was far more rudimentary.

Yeah it was the Williams tea tray.