2014 F1 season preview: The midfielders - Force India, Sauber, Toro Rosso, Williams, Marussia, Caterham

On Day 1 at Bahrain, a small issue appeared with the fuel pump of the FW36 which limited Felipe’s running on that day. With the previous day’s issues resolved, Williams managed a solid running of 116 laps. Day 3 saw both drivers behind the wheel with some pit stop practice taking place. 115 laps were added to the mileage. Day 4 was given to Williams’ reserve driver Felipe Nasr, who completed 87 laps.

The team’s objectives were focused at race simulation and the Pirelli tyres on Day 1 of Test 3. Valtteri Bottas completed an impressive 128 laps during the day. Felipe Massa had a similar programme on Day 2, completing 103 laps. Day 3 and 4 ran smoothly with more and more mileage put on to the car until the engine failed on Day 4.

Williams’ Chief Test and Support Engineer Rob Nelson explained: “With the number of laps we have put on it, it wasn’t a big surprise but it was still a shame that Valtteri couldn’t get that final chance to push.”

Overall Williams seem to have really made progress since last year and could be fighting for wins this year. Their pace is very good, setting the second fastest lap time overall in Jerez, and the fastest overall in Bahrain. Reliability is also very good, with only a few minor issues throughout testing.

Marussia

Marussia missed out on the first two days of testing, with the car not being ready and the official launch also being delayed. Max Chilton completed five laps on Day 3 and handed the car over to Jules Bianchi for Day 4, when the Frenchman completed 25 laps.

Marussia didn’t have a great start in Bahrain as Day 1 was limited to just three installation laps due to an IT configuration problem. A fuel system issue also limited Day 2 running, but the following day was more positive with 17 laps completed. After completing four laps on Day 3, Max Chilton had to stop on track after an engine failure, and Day 4 was delayed by new parts being installed. These were to eliminate the reliability issues.

The second test in Bahrain had a better start. 44 laps were completed on the first day without any problems. A further 75 laps were added to the mileage by Bianchi on Day 2. This record was then improved to 78 laps the following day. The team concluded pre-season testing with a further 61 laps completed.

Marussia could be a points competitor with some luck. There were a few issues with reliability at the start, but they were quickly resolved by revised parts being fitted to the MR03.

Caterham

Caterham decided to keep using Renault engines, which could ultimately be the cause of their fall. Rookie Marcus Ericsson was given the chance to drive the CT05 on Day 1 at Jerez. He completed just one lap, as running was delayed by problems with the final assembly of the car. Marcus was back in the car on Day 2, completing 11 laps. Robin Frijns was in the car for Day 3, completing just 10 laps. Caterham’s new driver Kamui Kobayashi was behind the wheel for the final day in Spain. He completed 54 laps, but his running was halted by a problem with the Renault power unit.

In Bahrain, Frijns was in the car for Day 1, completing 68 laps without major problems. The rest of the test went fairly smoothly for the team, with more mileage on the car. There was just an electrical issue appearing on Day 4 which was quickly fixed.

The second test didn’t quite as planned. Caterham faced an electrical issue on Day 1 and a fire broke out on the car during Day 2. Days 3 and 4 showed an improvement with many laps completed although the team faced a clutch problem on Day 4.

Caterham has seen a roller coaster pattern in their reliability in testing and they will need to work hard to be able to compete and finish races regularly.

The Final Cut

Just a few hours remain until those cars line up on the grid. We will all instantly teleport closer to the TV and get goose bumps, indicating the first red light is on. Our heart beats will slow down as we wait impatiently for the lights to go out, and F1 2014 will be off!

With the amount of reliability issues the teams face, we could see an interesting race in Melbourne with many cars dropping out and possibly some safety car periods. Rain forecast for the race can only spice up the action!

At the end of the day, reliability is the key. Surviving to the chequered flag could fetch the teams plenty of rewards.

Written By: Jakub Kot