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As it happened: Test day four
The live commentary has ended. No further updates will be posted.
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FASTEST TIMES |
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P |
Driver |
Team |
Time |
1 |
Raikkonen | Lotus | 1m18.148s |
2 |
Bianchi | Force India | 1m18.175s +0.027 |
3 |
Vettel | Red Bull | 1m18.565s +0.417 |
4 |
Gutierrez | Sauber | 1m18.669s +0.521 |
5 |
Vergne | Toro Rosso | 1m18.760s +0.612 |
6 |
Hamilton | Mercedes | 1m18.905s +0.757 |
7 |
Perez | McLaren | 1m18.944s +0.796 |
8 |
Bottas | Williams | 1m19.851s +1.703 |
9 |
de la Rosa | Ferrari | 1m20.316s +2.168 |
10 |
Pic | Caterham | 1m21.105s +2.957 |
11 |
Razia | Marussia | 1m21.226s +3.078 |
12 |
Di Resta | Force India | 1m23.435s +5.287 |
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All timing unofficial. Updated: 16:02 GMT |
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OVERVIEW |
DAY FOUR |
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CURRENT WEATHER |
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Clear skies |
High Temp: |
15°C / 59°F |
Track: |
Dry |
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There's been a bit of everything so far - a multitude of new drivers; McLaren, Lotus and then Ferrari on top; Mercedes hitting trouble on the first two days and then racking up 148 laps yesterday.
There's several more changes for today. Pedro de la Rosa arrives for Ferrari, while Jules Bianchi takes over the Force India. Oh, and this morning we have Max Chilton on Live. Get sending your questions to live@autosport.com.
In fairness, it is cold. One of the AUTOSPORT Live team even has a scarf on, which has prompted much debate about whether such items are permitted indoors.
We can sympathise, even if we should be more used to it than Pastor is.
He'll be on later in the morning, so get sending your questions to live@autosport.com.
"Big celebration is going on. Now I'm a official worst F1 driver of last 20 years. I beat very strong contenders with big sweat!," he said on Twitter. "@LewisHamilton is enjoying his own first jet. I'm sweating to find the cheapest flight date in Easyjet."
Our photo, of course, is of Gutierrez in full flow yesterday.
Perez is on 10; Hamilton (17); Raikkonen (10); Gutierrez (26); Vettel (14); Vergne (13); Bottas (9); Pic (17); Bianchi (7); Razia (7); de la Rosa (2).
"Work in progress to check conditions of the F138, it will take a while to hit the track again.."
Max Chilton: "Your first year is vital in proving that you are worth being in F1. So you've got to spend the first year getting the best out of the car, show the team that you are really interested in the data and getting everything that you can out of one year. Being a part of F1, a lot is about if people like you and think that you are good at giving feedback. That's very important and that's what I'm going to work on really hard because I don't want to be in F1 for just one year, I want to be here for the rest of my career."
Barry McManus, Ireland
Chilton: "My brother was always too big, he's built like a rugby player and he has always gone down the [non single-seater] car route. I've always been the tall skinny one, so single-seaters was the perfect route for me and I've always preferred F1 to touring cars. Most people in karting have set their eyes on F1. I was lucky that I got in a single-seater, I loved it and I was fast so worked my way up quite rapidly."
Taner Selvi, Istanbul, Turkey
Chilton: Action-packed [AUTOSPORT rules that this is one word as it is hyphenated. Plus it sounds better than just 'action'].
Concentration.
Acceleration.
Philipp Ostaschewski, Munich, Germany
Chilton: "Yes, really confident. They have had a few tough years of being just short of where they wanted to be and this year, with all of the hard work they have put in over the winter, there are definitely some good signs in the car. We haven't done much running, but yesterday I could really see the benefits of the new car. They've got so much drive to beat certain teams that we can make that happen."
Anssi Tuovinen, Finland
Chilton: "Formula 1 has always been that way. You need financial backing to get into Formula 1. It's probably the world's most expensive sport and it helps for drivers to come with backers. That has never changed. At the moment, there has been a bit of a thing about it but I don't really know why because for years people have come with big sponsors. Now, the word sponsor has been changed to pay driver. I don't think it's a big issue. F1 without people bringing in sponsors would not be where it is now. It's the way it is and it's the way it has been for a long time."
Kate Hewitt
Chilton: "Ayrton Senna because he was absolutely all out every lap, he gave it 100 per cent. I've also got the ultimate respect for Stirling Moss and Jackie Stewart. They took their life in their hands every lap. Back then, it was a lot higher risk and they deserve serious credit."
Rodrigo Scharnberg
Chilton: "I wouldn't say that there is a big difference. At the end of the day, there are usually tenths or small numbers of seconds between the teams. Last year, without the KERS, that was probably the biggest difference. Now we've got that, you'd be surprised at how little the differences are that make up the time."
James Clarke
Chilton: "I have my own goals and the team has its own goals. We are racing in our own championship where we are on the grid with the teams there. I try and ignore anything like that because everyone has their own goals that will change year on year depending on your car and where you are in your career. I have my set expectations and I want to exceed them!"
How are you coping without me?
Chilton: "I miss the jokes and the banter that we used to have. He used to look slightly worse for wear in the morning so that used to keep me quite entertained!"
Will we ever see you on Take Me Out like your brother?
Chilton: "100 per cent not! That's not my kind of thing! I'm settled with my girlfriend. He did that to get a bit of PR and he got a sponsor out of it so good on him for doing it. But that's not my thing. I'd find that highly awkward!"
Vettel (51)
Gutierrez (52)
Raikkonen (25)
Perez (42)
Hamilton (52)
Vergne (37)
Bottas (35)
Bianchi (34)
Pic (38)
Razia (28)
De la Rosa (2)
"Lunch in Jerez & @charles_pic1 has 38 laps on the board. We're well into the planned test program & now working on aero configurations."
Hi, what's the news on the legality of the Caterham exhaust? Rumours abound that it breaches regs.
Edd Straw: "The first thing to note is that testing isn’t governed by the technical regulations (save for the necessity to pass the mandatory crash tests) so there is no problem in itself with Caterham running it at Jerez even if it has caught the eye of some rival teams.
"The vane in question sits in the exhaust channel and is there to turn the exhaust gases downwards. Many think it’s illegal, although if you accept the argument that it is outside of the imaginary cone at the exit of the exhaust where bodywork is prohibited, there is also an unpublished technical directive issued last year that could cause problems.
"Technical guru Craig Scarborough explains it in more detail here."
Will the tyres be better at Barcelona, or will they wear like this track since Pirelli have said the track is worse since last year?
We're going to have to apply the 'time will tell' platitude a little bit. Essentially, the teams are expecting Barcelona to be better, and it's reasonable to expect that. Jerez is the roughest surface F1 uses all year. You can read Pirelli's view here.
How do the teams make sure that the various monitoring racks and sensors don't actually interfere with the things they are trying to test?
Teams ultimately can't compensate for it 100 per cent, because the sensors will have an aero effect - and sometimes parts on the rear of the car can have an impact on the front. But they will have an idea of what compromise the sensors will have, enabling to make allowances. Plus they will be looking for very specific data. They're able to work within the limitations.
Bianchi 56
Vettel 56
Gutierrez 75
Hamilton 69
Raikkonen 41
Perez 58
Vergne 51
Bottas 39
De la Rosa 19
Pic 60
Razia 51
@afelixdacosta: "#autosportlive back to Portugal, Portimao :)"
"Tempted as I am to go with one of the great road courses, I'm going to choose a venue that falls somewhere on the boundary of the possible and the impossible. Some of you have suggested it but it hasn't been mentioned here yet. My plan is to hold the Macau Grand Prix for F1 cars!
"Many practical reasons preventing it, not least the fact that F1 cars don't have enough lock to get around the hairpin - as Ralph Firman discovered when he did a demo run there in a Jordan - but the fantasy of a grand prix around one of the most challenging circuits in use is a great one."
Bianchi 56
Raikkonen 51
Vettel 74
Gutierrez 119
Hamilton 101
Perez 69
Vergne 68
De la Rosa 34
Bottas 53
Pic 77
Di Resta 14
Razia 75
"Another good day cycling as @SChecoPerez is in the MP4-28 today. Now back in the paddock catching up on the action."
@Andygf1: "Kimi is def my dark horse actually think lotus have been sandbagging and there's more pace to come."
@katmen: "I am sniffing very tight fights between Ferrari, Mercedes, McLaren, Lotus and Sauber."
@borboga: "I'm curious whether Caterham or Marussia could score a point in 2013 and I hope Red Bull will be strong again."
@dolphingroove: "Red Bull quickest. McLaren pretty close. Can't tell about my team, Lotus. Pretty slow times with Soft tyres. Heavy Fuel load?"
@gaittman: "All Lotus. Car looks great, air of calm from the team, Kimi and Romain on it. Title tilt from The Iceman."
Raikkonen 73
Bianchi 56
Vettel 86
Gutierrez 123
Hamilton 128
Perez 82
Vergne 72
Bottas 67
De la Rosa 39
Pic 98
Di Resta 29
Razia 75
@Ndrose_84: "Doesn't the new Sauber paint job look like the HRT job from a few years back?"
@burnedsap: "Kimi and Lotus look good for championship."
@Mauin: "Roses are red, violets are blue, what I make of testing in Jerez? #F1 is back, baby!"
@DomSmithF1: "It's made my Uni week go a lot quicker! Great to have the cars back on track and overall it's been a good week for Jerez :)"
@RapidScorpion: "Bianchi has majorly impressed me with 2nd fastest. Come on Force India, give this lad the drive!"
@GazUK: "Red Bull seam quick but with Massa's comments on JB's lap on day 1 they must have somthing in the bag."
@atisf1: "Field seems equal, no teams ahead of others, but Mercedes is my dark horse - are they reliable or massively vulnerable?"
@K7al_L3aft: "McLaren is the benchmark. From its long run times it looks so kind to the new rubber."
@DomSmithF1: "In my opinion, there's no doubt Lotus will be quick in Melbourne. But can they keep up in the development race this year?"
@RapidScorpion: "McLaren look to be the overall benchmark, but Lotus are close behind. Red Bull and Ferrari possibly sandbagging as usual."
@deadlycowpat95: I'm worried that it seems Lewis might be sinking to the front-midfield with Mercedes."
After trawling the paddock and talking to a litany of drivers, team bosses and engineers across the four days, Jonathan Noble will be compiling his own views on what we have learned from Jerez. Look out for it on AUTOSPORT.com tomorrow.
@kamacat86: "Toro Rosso looks like they may have made the biggest jump, though it's hard to tell from the first test."
@HamiltonManiacs: "Mercedes has immpressed me reliability-wise. Performance/speed will come."
@kamacat86: "Can't pick between McLaren, Ferrari, Red Bull and Lotus at this stage. Sauber, Force India, and Toro Rosso are in the mix too!"
Williams are gearing up for one last blast: "#BOTTAS back in and the team are preparing for what will be our final run of the week."
We'll be back in less than two weeks for the first of the two Barcelona tests. Until then.