Heidfelds analysis of the Barecelona test. He looked at the cars in fast corners, slow corners, over the kerbs, etc.
Ferrari:
- Ferrari impressed more during the Jerez test.
- In Jerez the balance of the car was neutral, while in Barcelona the car had a slight tendency to understeer (this could be explained by the nature of the Barcelona track, which provokes understeer, while Jerez provokes oversteer.)
- The car has a lot of downforce.
- The car is stable in fast corners, which gives the drivers confidence.
- Sudden over- or understeer can be correctly easily by the drivers, even on high fuel.
Red Bull:
- Without looking at the lap times, the Red Bull looked to be the best car after its updates.
- It is almost frightening how good the Red Bull is.
- Red Bull has "sandbagged" in Barcelona; they haven't shown their full potential.
- He has seldom seen a car that is so well balanced, both is fast and slow corners.
- No other car has as much downforce in fast corners than the Red Bull.
- No other car brake as late and as long into the corners as the Red Bull.
- No other car is as good over the kerbs as the Red Bull.
- The Red Bull swinged the less on/after a bumpy track.
- They have worked a lot on the suspension and damping.
- The car has very little over- and understeer.
- Vettel and Webber can very easily drive the car on the limit.
McLaren:
- Before the updates the car was very nervous when driving over bumps.
- The car was very "pitch senstive"; it had extreme reactions under breaking and acceleration (tail stepping out and such).
- After the updates, the car was transformed in terms of handling.
- It over- and understeers a bit too much still.
- The car is tuned very stiff also in slow corners.
Sauber:
- The most stiffly tuned car.
- It jumps very much on uneven ground.
- Looks like a car that is difficult to drive.
- For Kobayashi, he always worries that he just flies of.
- But the car seems to be fast.
- Much will depend on whether Sauber can maintain that level.
Toro Rosso:
- Suprisingly good.
- The car oversteers a bit too much, but still driveable, due to which the tyres won't be destroyed.
Williams:
- Almsot in all aspects average; nowhere it is particularly good or particularly bad.
- Tuned very soft, which makes it good to drive in slow corners and over the kerbs, but slows it down in fast corners.
- The Williams is the car that rolls the most in turn 9, the fast righthander.
Renault:
- Improved a lot with it updates.
- The car is very nervous, or has to be driven nervous and aggressive.
- Suffers quite a lot from over- and understeer, but still controllable.
Force India:
- The car goes very well in fast corners.
- A bit nervous, but might be partly due to the aggressive driving style of Sutil
Newcomers:
- The balance of the Virgin is a disaster.
- Lotus looks much more balanced.
- Lotus has more downforce, but less grip and poor traction.