First day of testing: the new Formula 1 battle has never been so reliable!

(Motorsport-Whole.com) – Formula 1 seems 2020 to become more reliable than ever. Usually, the first day of testing a new Formula 1 season is considered a major endurance test for all new cars. Defects, teething problems and red flags are actually the order of the day – actually. Because the new generation of vehicles is so reliable that there was no interruption at the first place in Barcelona .

The numbers alone illustrate the impressive – but for many also somewhat boring – perfection of modern Formula 1. On Wednesday all teams wound up 1. 358 Rounds off – that makes 6. 321, 5 kilometers. There have never been so many on a first day of testing.

For comparison: In the previous year, the teams “only” managed 961 rounds (4th 473, 5 kilometers) – the battle at that time also increased significantly compared to the seasons before. At that time the Williams team was missing, but they would have the gap of just under 400 Rounds to today's place can't close.

Wolff: Stable rules = high reliability

What is particularly striking is that this year no group falls behind. All ten teams managed a three-digit number of laps on the first day of testing. Only two years ago the only Red Bull battle succeeded – and quite close with 105 Circulations.

The reasons for this are obvious for Mercedes Motorsport Director Toto Wolff: “The rules are stable, so you see fewer cars that break, “he says. “Everyone has their test benches that went over the iciness. If you drive the shakedown, you can see that all the screws are properly tightened. And then you bring the car here and drive.”

That means that the teams now know the cars by heart and can optimally prepare for the first day of testing. That looked very different at the beginning of the hybrid era. The teams should be horrified at the first joint take a look at 2014 recall.

79 total laps on the first hybrid take a look at

Back then six teams met in Jerez and spooled together (!) Just once 79 laps – and that on a route that is even a little shorter than Barcelona. Ferrari came at that time as a prime 31 rounds, no other group came up with more than 18. Converted that were 349 , 8 kilometers.

At the first take a look at by all teams (apart from Williams and Marussia) in Bahrain, at least 400 Laps turned – or 2nd. 164 Kilometre. But that's still only about a third of today's value.

In the following years the mileage was quite stable: From 2016 to 2018 the teams drove on average each 338, 341 and 337 kilometers before it 2019 on 447 kilometers per group (including Williams) increased. Today this record was pulverized with 632 kilometers per group.

Formula 1 cut the test days before this season from eight to six. If the teams continue like this, it is quite possible that they will be able to do the test workload of the previous season without the two additional days.

The development of the first test days of the hybrid time:

2020: 6321, 49 Kilometre (10 teams), 632 kilometers per group (Barcelona)

2019: 4473, 46 kilometers (9 teams), 497 Kilometers per Group (Barcelona)

2018: 3374, 88 Kilometre (10 teams), 337 kilometers per group (Barcelona)

2017: 3407, 46 Kilometre (10 teams), 341 kilometers per group ( Barcelona)

2016: 3719, 34 Kilometre (11 teams), 338 kilometers per group (Barcelona)

2015: 1992, 60 kilometers (6 teams), 332 kilometers per group (Jerez)

2014: 349, 81 kilometers (6 teams), 58 kilometers per group (Jerez)