USF1 Test Schedule - Conjecture By Flood1

Official F1 Test Schedule:

Valencia - February 1, 2, 3

Jerez - February 10, 11, 12, 13

Jerez - February 17, 18, 19, 20

Barcelona - February 25, 26, 27, 28

Leeds, Alabama - February ?

This is simply conjecture on my part, but based on my understanding of the manufacturing progress of the USF1 car, I have come to some conclusions about their testing schedule. I believe that their first official test will be at Barber Motorsports Park no sooner than February 17, 18, 19, 20. They may not test all of those days, but I believe their first test will be that week.

If so, they will be hard pressed to make the last test at Barcelona the week of February 25, 26, 27, 28. There is only one week between the tests, and USF1 will need to ship their entire effort to Aragon. This is logistically difficult and not resonable considering that the first few races are flyaways far from Europe.

If they could test at Barber the week of Feb. 10, 11, 12, 13, then the transfer to Spain would be much easier. I think they may not make any test dates in Europe and that the Barber test may be their only effort.

If so, I would expect that test to be the week of Feb. 25, 26, 27, 28. If, like Brawn 2009, they have the car sorted, things will be fine. Then, the Euro transport will be just to get the team to the transport airport for the flyaways. 

I have no hard data to base my oinions, but I have an understanding of the process involved in building a team from nothing.

Summary: I would not be surprised if the team only tested once, and that test was at Barber on the last week in February.

Comments

[Koray]

If you're right about the Barber test being no sooner than Feb 17th, then I agree with you.

It's pretty risky for any new team. They also will be testing on a track that no one else tests on, so they won't know how they compare.

[flood1]

I think that a new teams' tests are strictly technical. They are meant to discover the flaws and weaknesses in the car, oil leaks, hydraulic problems, electrical connection weakneses, etc.

I think their tests will have nothing to do with competitiveness. But, instead, will be meant to rattle around all of the parts, to find the weak points in the engineering, and not to develop the package in any competitive way.

Running the car at speed on a curcuit identifies many minor technical problems that eliminate many "on circuit" failures.

That's how I am thinking: testing will be a test of the construction and engineering of the car. Not a test of speed or potiential race pace.

Does the car blowup? Hum...........

[Justin]

Interesting piece thanks. I have noticed some things that might give us a couple of clues:
If you look at pt3 of the Varsha interviews, while he's talking to Phil Morse, you can see an aerial photo of Barcelona and some sort of trace stuck to the wall. As that's the only circuit I've seen in the videos, I'm inclined to believe that they are planing to visit there early in the campaign.

I have also noticed that the test schedule seems to be slipping in Peter Windsor's interviews. When Barber was announced the test would be "At the beginning of February." Now, in an interview given to Corsa in Argentina. "In the second half of February."

[Koray]

Yes, eagle-eyes, that's Circuit de Catalunya straight out of Google maps. To the right there's a blue F1 car picture. Under the car there are three rows of 2d plots; they sorta look like telemetry (time/distance) graphs.

There's absolutely nothing else on the walls (except for a small whiteboard).

[sportsman]

It is interesting and I agree with the conclusion
The Barber teast will be effectively a general shakedown, and to answer a few questions.
Is thear peforming as we expected from the CFD analysis.Does it have some fundemental design characteristics,either good or bad that were completelty unexpected.Or more importantly,was the data we we used for design corrupted.
Even if all is well, they will still have a major task, to get to Bracelona.Cosworth will need to carry out some engine tests.
They will need to carry out chassis crack test inspections,both of the these tasks cannot carried out in just a few days, and ship everthing to Barcelona.

[Cesar]

Lopez is the first driver of the team!!!

[flood1]

Yes indeed, Cesar. I have posted a blog to that effect, but you are the one to have pointed that fact out.

Good going guy!