Final Barcelona F1 Test 2013: DAY 4 - Nico brings the Silver Arrows to top once more

Nico Rosberg completed the final day of pre-season testing for MERCEDES AMG PETRONAS at the Circuit de Catalunya today. With twelve days of track action completed over three tests, the team will return to base to make the final preparations for the season-opening Australian Grand Prix in Melbourne in two weeks time.

- Nico’s programme today focused on set-up evaluations over short runs in the morning and longer runs this afternoon

- His fastest time of the day was set during the morning session on the soft compound Pirelli tyres

- Nico completed 131 laps, just under two race distances, which was the highest mileage recorded today

The F1 W04 has completed 5224 km over the three tests, with Nico and Lewis totalling 2640 km & 2584 km respectively.

Nico Rosberg
"I’m pleased with our pre-season testing programme. We have achieved a lot of mileage and I can feel that the balance of the car is good. I have the general feeling that we are in a better position than in the second half of last year but this is testing not racing, of course. The conditions in the first race will be completely different to here as it will be much hotter in Melbourne and Sepang so we need to wait and see. Thanks to the team here at the track and back home at the factory for all their hard work over the last month. I hope it pays off and we can look forward to a positive season ahead together."

Ross Brawn
"With the conclusion of our testing programme, I am pleased with the progress that the team has made over the last month and the steps forward that have been made with the car. We have achieved our objectives for the test programme and the mileage that we have been able to complete has been very satisfying. Lewis has settled into the team extremely well and everyone has enjoyed working with both him and Nico throughout the three tests. We now have one final week back at the factory to complete our preparations; both drivers will be at the factory this week and, as always, there is a lot of work to do in a short space of time. We’re realistic about our performance here and our position once we get to Melbourne, and we look forward to the challenge of a new season ahead."

DAY 4 Times

~ Official photos and report courtesy of MERCEDES AMG PETRONAS ~

Copyright © 2013, Mercedes-Benz-Blog. All rights reserved.

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Official: Paddy Lowe defects to MERCEDES AMG PETRONAS

Back in January, we were reporting MERCEDES AMG PETRONAS was eyeing McLaren's technical chief Paddy Lowe (see HERE). Now, English publication BBC Sport reports the deal has already been signed off by both parties.

Tim Goss replaces Lowe at Woking as revealed by team manager Martin Whitmarsh, with the Britman said to join the Brixworth-based F1 team in the second part of the season, as regulations regarding transfers command.

Paddy Lowe will take the role as sporting-technical director at MERCEDES AMG PETRONAS, while Ross Brawn, curent team principal, is expected to step down at the end of 2013.

As Martin Whitmarsh has already wished Paddy Lowe success in his new project during an interview, an official announcement from the Silver Arrows works team will be issued in the next period.

Copyright © 2013, Mercedes-Benz-Blog. All rights reserved.

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Final Barcelona F1 Test 2013: DAY 3 - Lewis is once again the fastest man on track

Lewis Hamilton completed his final day of pre-season testing for MERCEDES AMG PETRONAS in Barcelona today.

- In the morning session, Lewis worked through a series of short runs, using the soft compound Pirelli tyre

- The programme included aerodynamic evaluations alongside different set-up options

- After the break, the focus switched to longer runs for the afternoon session, looking at aerodynamics and tyre wear

- Lewis completed 117 laps today, equivalent to 545 kms, to take his total pre-season mileage in the F1 W04 to 2585 kms

Nico Rosberg will drive for the final day of the test tomorrow to complete the team’s pre-season testing programme.

Lewis Hamilton
"It was great to have a dry track today for my final day of testing, and we were able to get through all the test items that we wanted to achieve by the end of my programme. There’s still a lot of work ahead of us to get to where we want to be but the team is doing a great job. The guys are working so hard at the factory and here at the track; it’s been really nice to get to know everyone in the garage and how they work together over the past few weeks. The reliability, the mileage and the step-by-step improvements that we have achieved during the three tests are all very encouraging. Whilst we’ve been focusing on our own performance, we definitely haven’t seen the full potential of our competitors yet, so it’s difficult to predict where we might be. I’ll be back at the factory next week doing some final preparation work on the simulator and with my engineers, and then it’s off to Melbourne for the first race of the new season with my new team."

DAY 3 Times

~ Official photos and report courtesy of MERCEDES AMG PETRONAS ~

Copyright © 2013, Mercedes-Benz-Blog. All rights reserved.

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Barcelona F1 Test 2013: Complete Report from MERCEDES AMG PETRONAS

DAY 1 Report

MERCEDES AMG PETRONAS began the second pre-season test today with the track action having moved from Jerez to the Circuit de Catalunya in Barcelona, Spain. Nico Rosberg was at the wheel of the F1 W04.

- Nico had completed 14 laps this morning when a gearbox issue required some work in the garage

- Nico was back out for the afternoon session, with the team focusing on car balance and tyre management

- By the end of today’s running, Nico had completed a total of 54 laps and set the fastest lap of the day

Lewis Hamilton will take over the programme for the second day of the test tomorrow.

Nico Rosberg
"We had a mixed day today with some laps lost this morning. However we were able to work through a good programme this afternoon and, of course, it’s always nice to be quickest at the end of the day. In general, I feel happy and comfortable in the car and it feels better than the last time we were here at this track. There is still some work to be done on tyre degradation and our programme this afternoon was helpful in understanding that."

DAY 1 Times

DAY 2 Report

Lewis Hamilton completed 121 laps today, the equivalent of 563 kms, on the second day of the Barcelona test.

- The morning focused on comparisons between exhaust configurations, running primarily on the hard tyres

- During the afternoon, Lewis concentrated on set-up work with longer runs on the medium compound

- Lewis’ fastest lap of 1:22.726 was set at the start of a ten-lap run on the hard tyre just before lunchtime

Nico Rosberg will be back in the car for the third day of the test tomorrow.

Lewis Hamilton
"We had a good day today and it was nice to get so many laps in. We’re making continual steps forward in terms of our understanding of the set-up and the tyres. The hard compound work in particular was pretty good today, although all of tyres are showing degradation so looking after them isn’t easy. The guys are working really hard both here and at the factory, and it’s encouraging to see the amount of work that’s being put in. We’re focusing on our own programme and just getting on with it."

DAY 2 Times

DAY 3 Report

Nico Rosberg completed his fourth day of pre-season testing this afternoon at Barcelona´s Circuit de Catalunya, running a total of 108 laps in cold but dry conditions. His pre-season mileage now stands at 1471 km.

- The morning programme focused on data gathering and set-up adjustments

- This afternoon, Nico concentrated on longer runs with the hard and medium tyres

- Nico ran soft, medium and hard compound tyres during the day´s programme

- His fastest lap of 1:22.611 was completed on the medium tyre on lap one of a seven-lap run

Lewis Hamilton will complete the fourth and final day of this week´s test programme tomorrow.

Nico Rosberg
"We didn´t have a perfect morning and it was tough out there with the low temperatures. They were causing a lot of tyre graining, which made it difficult to do much useful testing. It was a few degrees warmer after the break and that gave a completely different picture. In general, I´m pleased with what we´ve achieved this week - I did a lot of mileage and the team has done a good job over the winter. I feel more comfortable in the car and the balance is quite good, but we still need to work in a number of areas. That´s why I´m looking forward to testing next week and to see what progress we can make."

DAY 3 Times

DAY 4 Report

Lewis Hamilton completed his fourth day of pre-season testing today at the Circuit de Catalunya in cold and wet conditions. His mileage today of 242 km takes his total to 1513 km with the new F1 W04.

- The morning programme focused on making the most of opportunities for dry running before the rain began in earnest

- Lewis was able to complete an 18-lap run (16 timed laps) on the medium tyre just before midday

- In the wet conditions in the afternoon, the team focused on systems checks and tyre evaluations

Testing will resume at the Circuit de Catalunya on Thursday 28 February for the final pre-season test of 2013.

Lewis Hamilton
"The conditions today meant that we didn’t complete as many laps we would have done in the dry but we have gone through the test items that we wanted to achieve this week. We have been working on our consistency over long runs and we managed one run this morning on dry tyres; the car felt okay but the conditions were also very cool, so we cannot draw too many conclusions. Like I said in Jerez, I can feel that we have a good foundation with this car but there is still a lot to learn and we know that the name of the game is to improve our downforce. From a personal point of view, my relationship with the team is growing all the time and it’s going really well. I’m happy working with the guys, we are working in the right direction together and I’m pushing to extract the most from the team, just like they are with me."

Ross Brawn
"Overall, we’ve had a good week in Barcelona and achieved the programme that we set ourselves for this second test. The rain today was a little unfortunate; however we made the best of the conditions and were still able to take some useful data out of the day. Nico and Lewis are becoming more familiar with the car and its behaviour as each day progresses, and Lewis is settling into the team very well. Both drivers are providing excellent feedback which is pushing the development of the car both here and at the factory, and it is very rewarding to see their enthusiasm and commitment. We now have just four days of testing left until the first race in Australia, and a lot of work will be done before we return to Barcelona next week."

DAY 4 Times

~ Official photos and reports courtesy of MERCEDES AMG PETRONAS ~

Copyright © 2013, Mercedes-Benz-Blog. All rights reserved.

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