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Rob Smedley believes that the Barcelona tests are 'paramount' to teams success

Rob Smedley believes that the Barcelona tests are 'paramount' to teams success

26-02-2019 17:37
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Formula 1 technical expert Rob Smedley has confirmed that the winter testing in Barcelona is vitally important as it allows teams to develop and improve. Smedley believes that the main goal of testing is to collect as much high-quality data as possible.  

"Of course, at some point, drivers will have to start pushing the car to the limit to get a feel for their car," Smedley said to the official Formula 1 website. 

"However, in the second week of the test, the main aim is to collect as much information as possible about the current racers."

"Of course, the drivers are also allowed to accelerate - for example, when a new front suspension is tried out," says the engineer. "The personal feedback of the drivers also plays a major role - and of course, what's on the stopwatch at the end of the day."

"High-quality data is obtained, for example, when the drivers drive the lanes at a constant pace - this can be 120, 150 or 180 km / h, depending on the amount of fuel used," says Smedley. "Because the cars do not accelerate or decelerate, it usually collects very important information about the car."

With the second week of testing underway and the first Grand Prix weekend only 16 days away, teams do not have long to add the finishing touches to their cars.