The waiting is very nearly over. With the first 2014 test underway this week, Sky F1 analyst Anthony Davidson explains why the paddock decamps to Jerez every winter and what challenges the twisty Spanish circuit presents an all-new car.
What will the atmosphere be like back in the paddock?AD: "It's such an exciting time! It's brilliant to see all the new cars and friendly faces who you haven't seen since the last race. It's a bit like the first day at school, but there will also be a lot of trepidation and anxiety as well. This is crunch time. Everyone will want to know what sort of car they have and what the opposition have got."
Who will know first if a car is quick or not - a driver or the men with the stopwatch on the pitwall?AD: "You can hide lap times with fuel loads and so on, but a driver will always still know if his car is quick or not.
"I think some people seriously under-estimate how much 'feel' a racing driver has for his car at this level. These cars really talk to you when you're inside them and a driver is so well connected with the car that he will be able to feel the smallest detail - a 5psi difference in tyre pressure, for instance, will be felt by a driver at this level - and so he will definitely know very quickly whether in general they have a better car than last year."
How long does it take?AD: "I know it sounds crazy to say, but a driver will know even on his out-lap whether or not he has a good car or not. I remember in winter testing for the 2004 season, when I was driving the BAR, coming back to the garage after my out-lap and saying to the guys, 'This is a really good car'. And it was: it finished second in the Championship that year."
First impressions really count then...
AD: "It depends on the skill of the driver, of course, but a driver should know almost immediately whether he has a potentially title-winning car underneath him."
And finally, what about those people who aren't in the car? If someone is going to Jerez, where would you advise them to situate themselves? Be our tour guide...AD: "Stand at the exit of the last corner! Even at a circuit like Jerez which highlights a good car, this is where a good car really comes into its own. I've been there on many an occasion, watching in envy at the sight of cars exiting the last corner with minimum wheelspin...
"Standing at Turn Five is also brilliant. It can take your breath away. Stand there at the end of the week when they are putting on new tyres and starting their qualy simulations and the sight of the cars attacking that corner will take your breath away - and give you an indication of which cars have good downforce."
The Sky Sports F1 Online team will be providing live commentary of all three winter tests, starting in Jerez on Tuesday January 28, with live updates from trackside also on Sky Sports News.
