Renault Running Hot

After such a dismal Jerez test for the Renault powered cars, suggestions are surfacing as to what the causes of the issues are. It seems as though the Renault engine has required more cooling than the likes of the Mercedes or Ferrari equivalents which has caused significant issues for both Red Bull and Toro Rosso. The plot thickened on the final day, when the Renault powered Caterham managed to record 30 laps without engine issues. So, how have Caterham minimized the problems?

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Image Credit: p_c_w (via flickr)

Jerez Test: Day 4

The fourth and final day in Jerez was filled with first's. Fernando Alonso became the first driver to exceed a century of laps in just one day as he clocked 115, closely followed by Kevin Magnussen on 110, despite him having his first accident in a Formula One car. Nico Rosberg became the first man to complete a full race simulation run and Felipe Massa topped the timesheet for the first time behind the wheel of a Williams. Caterham became the first Renault powered team to rack up more than 50 laps in a day, while Red Bull's woes showed no signs of relenting as they could only manage another seven laps before the team put an end to the misery and began the pack-up before lunch.

Check out Sky Sports F1's image gallery for day four at Jerez

Jerez Test: Day 3

It was a bright and sunny day in southern Spain as day three of the first pre-season test took place. However, the day was another dismal affair from Red Bull, with Daniel Ricciardo managing just three laps and seven corners in the RB10 after yet more electrical issues. Meanwhile, Toro Rosso completed 30 laps suggesting that the ERS issues are seemingly exaggerated by the Red Bull package. At the opposite end of the spectrum, Kevin Magnussen has enjoyed a magnificent start to his F1 career, finishing top of the timesheet with just the afternoon to acclimatise to the MP4-29. After only completing 680 miles of F1 testing prior to today, that is no mean feat for the young Dane.

Check out Sky Sports F1's gallery for day three at Jerez

Jerez Test: Day 2

After less than 100 laps were completed yesterday, Wednesday at Jerez were far more productive for the majority of the teams. After a light shower just prior to the start of running, Pirelli decided that this morning would be the ideal opportunity to schedule wet weather running and so the circuit was soaked and the wet tyres emerged from their blankets. On a dry surface, the afternoon saw most teams jump into their programme, with Nico Rosberg recording 97 laps for the day, despite missing the entire morning as the team looked to investigate the technical issues which halted their running yesterday. Meanwhile, it was a dismal day for Caterham, Toro Rosso and Red Bull as the Renault powertrain is coming under scrutiny...

Check out Sky Sports F1's gallery featuring the best images of the day...

Jerez Test: Day 1

The 2014 season finally got the green light today as the first pre-season test in Jerez commenced this morning. With Force India, Mercedes and reigning champions Red Bull unveiling their 2014 challengers in the minutes leading up to the start of the session, the pit-lane was a hive of activity from early on in the morning. Unfortunately from a spectator perspective, running was limited today as teams are still adding the finishing touches to their machinery. Meanwhile, Lewis Hamilton was the first man out onto the track in the morning, yet suffered a front wing failure midway through the day which sent him heavily into the barriers. That was the end of Mercedes' running. Kimi Raikkonen finished at the top of the frankly redundant timesheet.

Check out the Sky Sports F1 photo gallery

Two Middle East Tests Confirmed

Following speculation at the weekend, the teams have today confirmed that two of the three pre-season tests will take place in the Middle East before the 2014 commences. The proposal was made as teams feared that the cool European temperatures would not provide sufficient stress levels for the new V6 turbo engines, as the teams look to evaluate the capabilities of the new powertrain.
"Middle East tests will get the weather we need to give the engines a good work-out," Mercedes team boss Ross Brawn told Reuters. The temperatures in the Middle East will be a far-cry compared to those experienced during the two Barcelona tests this season, where ambient temperatures struggled to exceed ten degrees.

Young Drivers Test: Day 3

The third and final day of the Young Drivers Test was certainly an interesting one. Championship leader Sebastian Vettel was on show this afternoon and made the most of his time on track, claiming the top spot on the timesheet. Meanwhile, Williams development driver Susie Wolff stole the headlines as she took part in her first timed Formula One test; the first women to achieve this since 1992.

Young Drivers Test: Day 2

Day 2 of the YDT at Silverstone centered around Daniel Ricciardo, who completed a full days running driving for Toro Rosso in the morning and making his Red Bull debut in the afternoon. His personal best time set in the morning was good enough for the fastest time of the day, while the afternoon failed to progress quite as smoothly as he would have hoped. The Aussie suffered an auspicious start to his stint on lap 7, when he made an unexpected excursion to the gravel trap at Luffield. Over-exuberance perhaps, yet Ricciardo recovered to complete 59 laps in total throughout the afternoon.

Tyre Testing Finally Approved

Following 'Test-Gate' many respected members of the paddock have been calling for official Pirelli tyre tests to create more coherent and transparent testing arrangements. Following yesterday's drama at Silverstone, Bernie Ecclestone has announced that Pirelli will be permitted to conduct two more tyre tests, which will involve all of the teams. In addition to this, the forthcoming Young Drivers Test has been converted into a tyre test, as the FIA look to distinguish the German GP boycott threats which arose this morning.

Red Bull Test Threat

A disgruntled Red Bull Racing have supposedly threatened to rebel against the FIA, following Mercedes' lenient sanction from the 'Test Gate' saga. Reports released yesterday suggested that the team were threatening to run their own private test, while withdrawing from the Young Driver's Test, in a direct challenge to the authority of the FIA.
According to newspapers released yesterday morning, both Ferrari and Red Bull were considering a boycott of the upcoming Young Drivers Test at Silverstone, after they were both displeased at the minor penalty which Mercedes were given for their part in Pirelli's tyre test. Apparently, the two teams spoke with Bernie Ecclestone, highlighting their grievances and suggesting that 'they would take the risk of a reprimand - the punishment meted out to Mercedes - for the benefit of three days of testing.'

Tyre Test Gate: The Verdict

Following a tense day in front of the International Tribunal, both Mercedes and Pirelli anxiously prepared to discover their fate. Day 1 went as well as could be expected for Mercedes, while Pirelli had suffered a reputation damaging affair. The verdict brought results which had been somewhat anticipated - Mercedes have been excluded from the forthcoming Young Drivers Test at Silverstone and Pirelli have been reprimanded for instigating a test which contravened the regulations. However, many will feel that the penalty does not reflect the severity of the crime.