Dr Helmut Marko is defiantly confident after the first two test days in the life of Red Bull’s 2011 car.
Wearing the number 1 on the nose for world champion Sebastian Vettel, the RB7 has been impressive so far at the Ricardo Tormo track near Valencia, Spain.

Wednesday’s action was watched on by the team’s owner Dietrich Mateschitz, but it was his right-hand man Marko who gushed the loudest.

“If a race were held now, we would lap everybody,” the Austrian told Bild newspaper. “How our car goes through the corners is amazing.”

Even the usually-reserved Mateschitz sounded very confident.

“This will be our third strong year in a row,” the billionaire energy drinks magnate predicted.

Said 23-year-old driver Vettel: “I cannot complain as I’m satisfied so far, but all the cars will still change considerably. Whether we’re ahead or not is hard to say.”

Mercedes’ Norbert Haug said: “I don’t think they’re looking too bad.”

And seven time world champion Michael Schumacher jokingly agreed. “The new Red Bull?” said the German. “Looks good. The colour, I mean …”

There were no bold statements at Valencia after Tuesday’s opening day of pre-season testing.
The usually furtive 2010 runner-up Fernando Alonso tested at the wheel of Ferrari’s new F150 and claimed to have not even looked at reigning champion Red Bull’s 2011 challenger.

“I followed Vettel for a while and noticed he had the same colours as before,” joked the 29-year-old to the Spanish press.

Mercedes’ new W02 did not seem fast and broke down on its tenth lap with an hydraulic problem.

“I’ve had cars that started off great and became troublesome, and troublesome cars that became great,” said team boss Ross Brawn.

Vettel was Tuesday’s quickest, but Alonso ridiculed anyone who took that accomplishment seriously.

“I remember last year at the last test we were sixth fastest with Sauber and Force India ahead of us. At Sakhir we lapped them,” said the 2010 Bahrain winner.

“Testing is like watching Real Madrid or Barcelona play against (reserve teams) Castilla or Barcelona B. One or the other could win but it doesn’t mean anything,” insisted Alonso.

More interesting at Valencia’s Ricardo Tormo circuit this week are some of the innovations, including Renault’s exhaust, and the heavily undercut roll hoop and waist of the new Williams FW33.

“It’s gorgeous, the rear of the car is fantastic,” gushed Rubens Barrichello.

“At the moment you look at the times and it’s bad for us, but there is a three second difference between an empty fuel tank and what we are using,” he told Globe Esporte.

Another notable innovation is aboard the newly launched Toro Rosso, with Auto Motor und Sport saying it is a reminder of Ferrari’s ‘double floor’ of 1992.

And arguably the least radical of the new cars is Vettel’s currently chart-topping RB7.

“It is the third generation of the RB5 family,” admitted designer Adrian Newey. “It’s an evolution.”

Red Bull on Tuesday revealed its new car for the 2011 season featuring the number 1 for reigning world champion Sebastian Vettel.

Photographs of the RB7, which is an evolution of the dominant title-winning car of 2010, were published on the team’s official website shortly before a blue sheet was pulled off in the Valencia pitlane by Vettel – who will drive the car on Tuesday – and Mark Webber.

Mercedes will also reveal its 2011 car at the Ricardo Tormo circuit on Tuesday, as will Toro Rosso, while the new Williams will make its test debut with an interim livery.

No rain and mild temperatures are forecast for the first day of pre-season testing in Cheste, which is 25 kilometres from the Spanish port city Valencia.

According to widespread speculation at Valencia, Renault’s claim that its 2011 car is “aggressive” and innovative is not just standard pre-season rhetoric.
Many insiders were left impressed and scratching their heads after the new black and gold R31 was unveiled in the Ricardo Tormo circuit pitlane on Monday.

Even the closer inspection of close-up photographs did not solve a mystery about the whereabouts of the car’s engine exhaust exits — amid rumours the outlets could even be near the front of the car for aerodynamic purposes.

Team owner Gerard Lopez told reporters the 2011 car is “quite revolutionary in a number of areas”, and technical boss James Allison is quoted by Auto Motor und Sport as saying the R31 is a “very bold design”.

France’s Auto Hebdo quoted Allison as saying: “It is right to say this car is ambitious and differs in its entire concept not only from last year but from all the cars previously made by this team.”

Auto Motor und Sport also said the purpose of two channels alongside the airbox and engine cover is “not yet apparent”, adding that an element of the rear wing is “also unusual”.

Also exciting the technically-minded observers is the Red Bull-like pull-rod rear suspension, but Polish driver Robert Kubica told La Gazzetta dello Sport that he is not setting his heart on race wins.

“I don’t want to say too much because the last time we spoke about winning races, I was with BMW and half the season was a disaster,” he said.

Kamui Kobayashi will be at the wheel when Sauber’s 2011 car makes its track debut on the day before group testing begins at Valencia.

Like Renault, the Swiss team has booked the Ricardo Tormo circuit to unveil its new single seater next Monday.

Team owner and boss Peter Sauber told the Swiss newspaper Blick that it will be Kobayashi at the wheel when the Ferrari-powered C30 does its maiden laps for promotional filming purposes in the afternoon.

“I am looking forward to the moment when it goes out of the box,” admitted the 67-year-old. “Even after 18 years in formula one, the anticipation is still just as great as it was in 1993 with the C12.”

Notwithstanding Fairuz Fauzy’s appointment as reserve driver, Romain Grosjean is still expected to take up a similar role with Renault in 2011.
A French commentator said last week that Swiss-born Grosjean will be with the Enstone based team this year, with boss Eric Boullier admitting he is “working very hard” to find a place for the 24-year-old.

After Malaysian Fauzy was revealed as a reserve driver for the Lotus-sponsored team in 2011, France’s F1 broadcaster TF1 this week said Grosjean will be the subject of the next announcement.

The report said the announcement about Frenchman Grosjean becoming Renault’s “third driver” will take place at Valencia on January 31, when the R31 car is unveiled ahead of the group test at the Ricardo Tormo track.

Red Bull has confirmed that its 2011 car, the RB7, will be revealed on 1 February.
The low-key unveiling will take place on the morning of the first day of pre-season group testing at Valencia’s Ricardo Tormo circuit in Spain.

“Please note 1 February will be a normal test day,” the championship winning team announced in an advisory to the press.

The RB7 will be among seven other 2011-specification cars to be running for the first time on 1 February, including the new Ferrari, Mercedes, Sauber, Renault, Toro Rosso, Williams and Lotus.

McLaren, Force India, Virgin and HRT will be testing at Valencia with their 2010 cars.

Five teams are likely to have not yet launched their 2011 cars by the time of the opening pre-season group test beginning 1 February.
That is the claim of Germany’s Auto Motor und Sport, contradicting other reports that said Williams and Lotus will be ready with their new single seaters at Cheste’s Ricardo Tormo circuit near Valencia early next month.

The report said Williams will likely have an “interim car” at the test rather than the new FW33, with a 2011 launch not expected until mid-February.

Force India has already announced that its new car will not be seen until the second test at Jerez, but it had been expected that Team Lotus’ 2011 machine would be in Valencia.

However, Auto Motor und Sport said the Malaysian team, as well as fellow new-in-2010 outfits Virgin and HRT, are likely to be ready with their respective new cars even later than Williams and Force India.

The earliest launch will be the reveal and rollout of the 2011 Ferrari at Maranello/Fiorano on 28 January, a few days before it is taken to Valencia.

On the last day of this month, Sauber and Renault will present their cars at Valencia, and on the following morning the Mercedes and Toro Rosso cars will be photographed for the first time in the pitlane.

Red Bull is also scheduling a Valencia debut for the RB6, but an official announcement of the precise launch date is only expected within the next few days.

McLaren’s MP4-26 will be launched after the Valencia test, on 4 February in Berlin at sponsor Vodafone’s behest.

Vitaly Petrov, not his highly rated teammate Robert Kubica, will be giving Renault’s 2011 car its maiden outing at Valencia next month.
The day after the launch of the Lotus Renault GP R31 on January 31, group testing at the Ricardo Tormo circuit at Cheste begins.

The French autohebdo.fr website reports that Russian Petrov has been asked to do the driving on 1 February, before Pole Kubica takes over for Wednesday and Thursday.

“At the moment our car looks good and this year will be easier for me because I know the team better and I know all the tracks. I can’t wait for things to begin,” Petrov said on the team’s blog.

French TF1 commentator Christophe Malbranque reports that Romain Grosjean will be the team’s third driver in 2011.

Renault on Thursday confirmed reports that its 2011 car will be launched on the eve of the forthcoming pre-season group test at Valencia.

Most teams are planning to reveal their new cars shortly before the major session beginning on 1 February at Cheste, on the outskirts of the Spanish port city.

“The Lotus Renault GP R31 will be officially unveiled on 31 January in Valencia. More info to follow,” Renault confirmed on Thursday.

On the same day – a Monday – Sauber has booked the same Ricardo Tormo circuit to present its 2011 car the C30, including some maiden demonstration laps.

Sauber’s 2011 car will be unveiled at Valencia on January 31; the day before winter testing begins.

The Swiss team announced on Friday that the Ferrari-powered C30 will be launched at Valencia’s permanent Ricardo Tormo circuit, the scene of the first group test of the 2011 pre-season.

It is likely many teams will also be testing their new cars at the Spanish venue.

“The new car is on schedule,” a spokesman for the Faenza based Toro Rosso team told f1today.nl. “We are planning to have it for the first test in Valencia.”

And after Lotus said it will begin 2011 without KERS, it seems likely that Toro Rosso’s STR6 will be fitted with the energy recovery technology.

The Faenza based team’s Swiss driver Sebastien Buemi was in the simulator this week to prepare for 2011.

“There will be quite a few new tasks in the cockpit next year, with the re-introduction of KERS and the use of an adjustable rear wing,” he said.

“I am not going to tell you anything (more) about the STR6, let’s just say it definitely looks impressive!” added Buemi.

The first three official test days for the 2010 Formula One World Championship have concluded, and if we had to choose a short sentence to define them it would be, “Ferrari is a step above the rest.”

Even though, they’re just doing tests, the teams need to check-out and take the most advantage possible of the cars so to confirm the actual performance of the single-seaters and carry out the improvements and adjustments that are needed.  That’s what it’s all about.  It’s worth noting that since the first day, the Brazilian, Felipe Massa at the wheel of the Ferrari F10 evidenced the supremacy of the red racing car in the Valencia racetrack (right in these moment), during the second official tests.  We’ll see what happens.

Talking about single-seaters, several options have been seen.  Some quite innovative, as is the case of the Mercedes GP with its “double airbox”; the Toro Rosso’s union of the sharp fin with the rear wing, etc.  Different solutions to the problems that were brought forward to the engineers regarding the cars’ design.

Having said that, Ferrari returns to the leading positions forecasted by the experts.  The F10 looked solid with great rhythm in the long portions, with an exceptional performance of the red racing car driven by the Spaniard, Fernando Alonso, who made his debut today with Ferrari.  Alonso only needed one training session in the Comunidad Valenciana Ricardo Tormo Circuit to show that he was the fastest of all the pilots who have participated in these three days of collective tests.

The pilot from Asturias started out with the intention of making clear that he’s not just a Ferrari passer by, stopping the chronometer in 1:11.470, better time than his team-mate Felipe Massa, who marked the rhythm during the first two testing sessions.

Alonso won seven times Massa’s best time, and he made most of the more than one hundred racetrack’s laps in 1:12, a devastating rhythm.

However, the surprise of these tests has been in charge of the BMW-Sauber, in the hands of his pilots Pedro Martinez de la Rosa and the Japanese, Kamui Kaobayashi.  They have shown options to be on top.  The clear evolution of the BMW 2009 together with Ferrari engine’s performance has resulted in a machine with ambitions.

Both pilots have concluded in second position during the three testing days.  They have followed Ferrari’s wake in sessions that have helped Pedro to recover the feeling of a team’s official pilot.

As De la Rosa, the German, Michael Schumacher has recovered the control of an F1, the Mercedes GP, showing to be a step behind the Ferrari and the BMW-Sauber, during the first contact of the season.

The new and remodeled Toro Rosso has improved from last year, as well as the Spaniard, Jaime Alguersuari who complied with in his debut.  He has only driven one day in Cheste, but it has been helpful enough to show him he can finish among the best.  He got the best fourth time of the session, better than the time of his team-mate, Sebastien Buemi, and try to learn all that he can to continue progressing in the Formula 1.

The most noticeable note in a negative sense was given by the current world champion, Jenson Button who with his McLaren had to be pleased with the fifth best time, far from the Ferrari.  Together with Button, the Renault R30 still does not convince us.  In spite of the innovations and changes, the single-seater has not been able to find the solution.  Let’s hope Kubica can contribute with his experience to improve the car.

The afternoon session has been calmer than the morning.  At the beginning of the session, Alonso and Schumacher lapped 1:15 high, with a lot of fuel in the tank.

The fuel weights and single-seaters’ performance marked the start of this session.  In his initial laps, Jaime Alguersuari had a slip that caused him to leave the track, but after returning to the boxes he reintegrated without great consequences.

With the single-seaters in the racetrack, De la Rosa, Petrov, Button and Alguersuari, the Spanish pilot of the BMW Sauber began to get good times, without decreasing his record.

With a 1:12 rhythm, De la Rosa began the afternoon as the fastest at the Ricardo Tormo, while Petrov improved the R30 performance notably with 1:13:666.  Nonetheless, the one who didn’t seem to be comfortable in the racetrack was the current champion, Jeson Button who was running over 1:13, far away from the “Kaiser’s” times.

Alonso with 180 liters of fuel, has to modify his style and form of driving the F10.  The pilot from Asturias, today could not stop lapping, therefore taking the most advantage of these official tests.

As time went by and the bi-champion’s single-seater used its fuel, he started to reduce his times, again.  After his stop at the boxes at 16:01, he began to run in 1:13, possibly with medium fuel charge.

When the session ended, , the  Ferrari finished rolling in 1:12 lows, after 127 laps to the Valencian circuit.  In this moment, Vitaly Petrov marked his best time, 1:13.097.

1º. Fernando Alonso 1:11.470 in 127 laps
2º. Pedro de la Rosa 1:12.094 in 79 laps
3º. Michael Schumacher 1:12.438 in 82 laps
4º. Jaime Alguersuari 1:12.576 in 96 laps
5º. Jinson Button 1:12.951 in 82 laps
6º. Nico Hulkinberg 1:13.669 in 126 laps
7º. Vitaly Petrov 1:13.097 in 76 laps

The third day began with the “variable” of watching Fernando Alonso drive the F10 for the first time.  This morning, the Valencian Community Ricardo Tormo Circuit was at a complete standstill.  A crowd of fans who gathered to see Alonso made long lines of cars in the A-3 freeway, a long distance the exit that leads to the Circuit.

While regularly it takes around 3-4 minutes to access the Circuit, today it almost took 20 minutes.  The expectation aroused by the pilot from Asturias was unbelievable.  If yesterday we spoke of 7000 people who attended the Circuit, today the amount was estimated in more than 20.000 people present.

Today has been a complete day.  It was possible to watch the three Formula One Spanish pilots in the racetrack: Fernando Alonso , Pedro Martinez de la Rosa and Jaime Alguersuari.  In addition, to the current champion, Jeson Button and Michael Schumacher who also rolled out.

The debuting racing cars start at 10 AM on the dot.  The single-seaters start to roll out and we see Fernando Alonso passing by with his new blue helmet (Asturias flag); he is ahead.  Nonetheless, the “first fright“ came with De la Rosa when unexplainably he stopped on his tracks, just when he was marking the best time.  The marshals showed a red flag.  Up to that moment, Fernando had just made one reconnaissance lap.

The march starts again and the pilots start to roll their cars.  Fernando Alonso makes the best time, stopping the chronometer at 1:12.160.  After that, he reduced his time on five consecutive laps.  Just as well it’s the first time he rolls with this car.  How many hours would he have made in the simulator?

Behind the pilot from Asturias, Schumacher marks his best score; he’s fourth in the time table and goes to boxes.  The difference between Alonso and Schumacher is of 1.007.  There was a morbid fascination in the racetrack.

Subsequent to his stop, Schumacher starts to lower his times.  De la Rosa still has the second best time; the BMW C29 is performing well.  It looks solid in the track.

In this moment, the current champion, Jeson Button appears.  He makes his official debut with McLaren.  During his first laps his times were far away from the best (1:18.420), six seconds behind the Spaniard.  The British is still in adaptation period with his new single-seater.

A great surprise comes when the pilot from Asturias improves the time achieved by Felipe Massa, yesterday.  The Brazilian made 1:11.722 and Alonso pulled off 1:11.709, in that same lap.  Schumacher also lowers his time, remaining at 7 tenths of the Spaniard, and Pedro marks a best lap, too  Aren’t this petty quarrels?

At any rate, the show was in the racetrack.  The F10 seems to please the pilot from Asturias, who in his first contact had the satisfaction of making a debut record, but subsequent to his return to the boxes he lowered again his best time.  When a little more of two hours of testing had elapsed, he stopped the chronometer at 1:11.599.

The third Spaniard in the racetrack, Jaime Alguersuari, rolled with consistent times all morning long.  He was ahead of Button, specifically, fourth place in the time table.  However, the most significant aspect is that his times are better than those of his team-mate, Sebastian Buemi.

The last stage of the morning session starts to stabilize.  Alonso starts to advance in 1:12 lows, a great rhythm.  While “Schumi” and De la Rosa follow him at half a second.  Everything seemed to indicate that the session would end in that monotony, but the pilot from Asturias returns with all his might; he wants to see the F10 potential and stopped the chronometer at 1:11.600.  We were all surprised, but a bit later, 3 minutes later, he makes 1:11.470; he lowers his time again.  Wasn’t it supposed to be his contact with the F10?

At 2 o’clock the time came to stop and have lunch.

Morning times:
1º. Fernando Alonso 1:11.470
2º. Pedro de la Rosa 1:12.094
3º. Michael Schumacher 1:12.438
4º. Jaime Alguersuari 1:12.576
5º. Jenson Button 1:13.783
6º. Nico Hulkenberg 1:14.410
7º. Vitaly Petrov 1:14.707

The afternoon session began with comments in the paddock regarding the possibility of seeing Fernando Alonso testing the Ferrari F10.  With a warmer weather and more grip on the tracks the single-seaters started to leave the boxes heading to the Valencian Ricardo Tormo Circuit’s racetrack in Cheste.

With a lost Austrian –we say ‘lost” because we didn’t see him through all the morning (strange thing)-, Lewis Hamilton started by lowering his morning times, 1:12.256, but still far from Felipe Massa’s chronometer and his F10.  That’s how the afternoon started.

At 3:30 the pilot from Austria was seen around the box, and rumors spread with regards to his possible participation in today’s tests.

Massa carried out many tyre tests –we assumed he was testing their performance-, explaining why the Brazilian entered the box continuously.  The same as Ferrari, the rest of the ‘scuderias’ tested their performance, thus the morning times were not improved.

The Renault improved only a bit.  The Polish, Robert Kubica, wearing a completely black helmet, continued to average very high times ( 1:14 ).  The R30 seems to have very little performance evolution compared to its predecessor, last year’s R29.

Today was a hard working day for Nico Rosberg who commanding his Mercedes GP made all kinds of tests.  Yesterday, his single-seater was very fast, but today it was slower marking 1:14. high times and running 25 lap periods to try the tyres out.

The Ferrari engine Sabuer of Kobayashi, after completing a period of 30 laps started to lower its times, becoming one of the fastest of the afternoon ( 1:12.667 ).  The Sauber is giving a good impression in these first tests.

The first impressions of Barichello on his Williams FW32’s Cosworth engine, indicate less speed (point) than the rest.  Specifically, around 8-12km/h (Mercedes and Ferrari).

In a bit more than an hour the session will end.   We’re walking towards the paddock to pick up some feelings.

Today, the Valencian circuit has had around 7.000 spectators, according to the organization.  A good number of people has gotten together to see the tests, so if climate conditions permit it, a higher number is expected for tomorrow with the attendance of Fernando Alonso in the racetrack.

Best times of the day.

1º Massa (1:11.722)

2º Kobayashi (1:12.056)

3º Hamilton (1:12.056)

4º Rosberg (1:12. 899)

5º Barrichello (1:13.377)