Motorsport Week’s team hit the ground running last weekend as they headed south for the sunnier climes of Spain and F1’s ubiquitous testing venue, Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya. And when it was all over, over-priced greasy burgers and all, senior F1 reporter Phillip Horton sat down and regurgitated his views and verdicts on how each of the 10 teams fared as F1 2017 roared into life.
Sahara Force India F1 Team // Car: VJM10
Sergio Perez (#11), – 1:22.534 with Supersofts on Thursday – 16th
Esteban Ocon (#31) – 1:22.509 with Supersofts on Tuesday – 15th
Alfonso Celis Jr. (#34) – 1:23.568 with Ultrasofts on Wednesday – 21st
Force India entered 2017 with the aim of breaking into the top three of the championship but there was little from the first test to suggest that its lofty aims can be achieved.
The VJM10 didn’t garner much attention, which in itself can be seen as a positive from the opening test, as Sergio Pérez, Esteban Ocon and Alfonso Celis Jr. got used to the team’s new VJM10 and its conservative design.
An exhaust problem truncated running for Pérez on Monday, with the after-effects limiting Ocon’s track time the next morning, before he stopped on track. But this was the biggest drama for a team which so far has looked solid but unspectacular.
Pérez says his and Force India’s preparation is “going to plan”, and at this stage of the season, it’s difficult to ask for much more. Mercifully for Ocon, he will receive two days of running next week rather than just one.
Williams Martini Racing // Car: FW40
Felipe Massa (#19) – 1:22.076 with Softs on Monday – 10th
Lance Stroll (#18) – 1:22.351 with Softs on Wednesday – 13th
Williams, following three separate car unveils, racked up the mileage with Felipe Massa on the opening day of running but thereafter it was a struggle for the Grove-based outfit.
Matters soon turned sour when Lance Stroll took over duties from his more experienced team-mate. Stroll spun through the gravel at Turn 9 and the damage to his front wing meant his FW40 was parked after just 12 laps. Stroll was afforded Wednesday’s running and spun prior to lunch, before clouting the barriers exiting Turn 5 midway through the afternoon session.
Williams, consequently, did not appear for Thursday’s running, meaning it lost one of its eight days of testing – a negative for both Stroll and the team. Stroll was absolved of blame by performance chief Rob Smedley, who pointed to complaints about the tyre suddenly breaking away, a situation noticed by Massa during his stint in the car. This suggested it was a team-related problem, rather than anything fundamentally wrong with Pirelli’s, new for 2017, wider tyres.
Barring the incidents, there’s nothing to suggest Williams will be anything but midfield – though it desperately needs more running next week, with Stroll facing a steep learning curve before Melbourne.
McLaren Honda Formula 1 Team // Car: MCL32
Fernando Alonso (#14) – 1:22.598 with Ultrasofts on Wednesday – 18th
Stoffel Vandoorne (#2) – 1:22.576 with Ultrasofts on Thursday – 17th
McLaren-Honda started with bright hopes but the opening days bordered on a nightmare, as Honda’s upgraded power unit was hit by reliability dramas.
An oil systems issue, related to the size of the fuel tank, restricted Fernando Alonso’s running on Monday, while an unexplained power loss left Stoffel Vandoorne kicking his heels on Tuesday. That expired power unit is now back in Japan, with Honda still investigating what went wrong – itself a slight worry.
The partnership rallied for the final two days, with running much smoother, though McLaren ended with more laps only than Toro Rosso, meaning it is once again behind the development curve. This means that, while McLaren is still addressing Honda’s power unit, the potential of the chassis remains untapped, compared to rivals who are able to hit the ground running.
Honda’s problems are well-documented, but just how good is the McLaren chassis? It isn’t simply a case of adding more power, refining it, and bolting it to a chassis produced in Woking. The MCL32 looked nervy through high-speed corners compared to rivals, suggesting there is substantial work to be done.
McLaren-Honda harbours title ambitions, but right now it is still a long way from the podium.
Related: Team-by-team pre-season testing review: Part 1
Related: Team-by-team pre-season testing review: Part 3
