Teh Formula 1 Encyclopedia: 2018 Edition.

[FaultyMario]

Team Number of laps
Mercedes 839
Ferrari 772
Renault 770
Sauber 711
Red Bull 691
Williams 687
Toro Rosso 666
Force India 548
Haas 513
McLaren 506

[Freude am Fahren]

So, what's up with the red flag restarts? They'll do a standing start instead of rolling? But people are complaining about the tires being cold and old? Can they not under the new rules change and/or heat the tires during the red flag?

[balki]

On top of Ferrari and Red Bull the following finished with faster lap times then Mercedes after eight days of testing:
McLaren, Renault, Haas and Toro Rosso

This is a whole new level of sandbagging (or the Mercedes just doesn't work well with the softer tires)

[FaultyMario]

Pos	Car#    Driver	Team	Set on	Best Time	Laps
1	7	Rai	Ferrari	Hypers	01:17.221	157
2	14	Alonso	McLaren	Hypers	01:17.784	93
3	55	Sainz	Renault	Hypers	01:18.092	45
4	3	Ric	RedBull	Softs	01:18.327	92
5	8	Gros	Haas	Ultras	01:18.412	181
6	77	Bottas	Merc	Mediums	01:18.825	104
7	28	Hartley	T Rosso	Hypers	01:18.949	156
8	31	Ocon	FI	Hypers	01:18.967	163
9	16	LeClerc	Sauber	Hypers	01:19.118	75
10	35	Sirot	Will	Softs	01:19.189	105
11	44	Ham	Merc	Supers	01:19.464	97
12	18	Stroll	Will	Softs	01:19.954	27

Does Hamilton's time mean Mercedes have 6 tenths on RB?

[FaultyMario]

Team 	        Number of laps
Mercedes 	1,040
Ferrari 	929
Toro Rosso 	822
Williams 	819
Renault 	815
Sauber 	        786
Red Bull 	783
Force India 	711
Haas 	        694
McLaren 	619

Best Laps per compound
Hypersofts 01:17.2 Sebastian Vettel Ferrari Day Seven
Ultrasofts 01:18.1 Sebastian Vettel Ferrari Day Seven
Supersofts 01:18.3 Kimi Raikkonen Ferrari Day Eight
Softs 01:19.2 Sergey Sirotkin Williams Day Eight
Mediums 01:18.9 Valtteri Bottas Mercedes Day Eight

Technological tendencies include hot blowing of the underside of the rear wing to "seal" it (Renault) and having the engine breather (It's some lower volume of steam or hot gas) work with the rear aerodynamic elements (All Ferrari engine teams) AFAIU this technique takes over the function of the monkey seat, which has been banned for 2018, and in the case of Ferrari (who obviously have a more advanced model) they use the heat or the difference of pressure provoked by the hot gas to channel it to a part of the diffuser and make it keep its efficiency at lower speeds.

There's also floor advancements from McLaren and some rear suspension techniques, as most cars have longer wheelbases compared to 2017, that is particularly evident in the Sauber and in the rake the McLaren is sporting.

[XHawkeye]

Will Buxton
‏

Sure. But keep in mind this is only my opinion based on what I’ve seen trackside, times on the clock, speaking to the drivers and watching their body language. Lots will change before Oz. Even more before we return to Spain.

Mercedes: Fast and bulletproof. Costa told me she isn’t a diva this year but might be a princess. Lewis said he doesn’t know her well enough to say. Bolted on track, reliable and we’ve not even seen it on hypers yet. Could be brutally quick and hard to beat.

Red Bull: Probably the best launch car for them in at least the last three years. Looks amazing through fast change of direction and is really good on its nose. PU only potential hold back but that will affect most in quali. Racing from 2nd row it may have the legs to match Merc

Ferrari: Headline times are all well and good but neither Seb nor Kimi seemed overly effusive in their hope for the year. Longer wheelbase mixed with high take may cause aero headaches. Still question marks over race pace. Few think it on the same level as the Merc or Red Bull.

Renault: Looked really stable trackside and for the most part ran reliably throughout testing. Some big upgrades already in the mix (front wing trialled on final days). Big push from team this year. Have to make leaps forward in aero as PU still comparatively weak.

Haas: The surprise of testing. Rival drivers say it looks very, very good out on track and tyre corrected lap times put it less than half a second off the Ferrari mothership. If that plays out to be true, Haas could be in the hunt for P4 in championship and podiums.

Toro Rosso: Highest mileage in the disrupted first week. Just 4 PU used in testing and 3 of those in week 1. Honda is coming good as many predicted with STR a de facto factory team. Mix that to a James Key car, and they could be right in the mix at the top of the midfield fight.

Force India (or whatever they’re going to be called): Car looked solid on track but unimpressive. Drivers didn’t seem overjoyed either. It’s basically a 2017 upgrade with both drivers saying they hoped a proper new car is online for Australia. Pips McLaren on reliability alone.

McLaren: Wretched testing. Whether small issues creating big delays of big issues hidden as small you can’t get back lost time. And when car was running, pitstops a shambles. Headline quick laps on hypers fooling nobody. Boullier was short and clipped in interviews. He’s worried.

Williams: The car is reportedly an absolute dog to drive. It looks horrible on track, heavy, lazy and unresponsive. Can’t turn the tyres on. Drivers look brow beaten. It’s going to be a very hard season. Kubica, however, a breath of fresh air. Insight and experience could be key.

Sauber: New engine made Marcus very happy. Wider power band and more play on the throttle. Brand new aero and suspension concepts taking time to understand however. As such, important to stay on track and Leclerc too many offs. Potential is there but big work to understand car.

Anyway, that’s my take on it. Ultimately we won’t know for sure until we get to Australia and even then the frequency of upgrades means that the competitive order is likely to fluctuate from weekend to weekend. Overall I’m really excited about the season. You should be too.

[FaultyMario]

I agree 80% with above statements.

I have some deep seated faith on the Renault will be this season's 2012 Lotus, however I did not see it as planted on track as the top 3. But with the caliber of their drivers I'm sure they'll soon figure the car out. Which is a similar position to Sauber, lots of potential in the car but he difference is that there's not that much talent to tap onto it.

[FaultyMario]

[MR2 Fan]

[Freude am Fahren]

Not only is that fantastic enough, it's apparently a sponsorship for charity.

McLaren has announced a new partnership with Gandys, a British lifestyle brand founded by brothers Rob and Paul Forkan after their parents died in the December 2004 tsunami that struck southeast Asia.

Gandys’ success enabled the Forkan brothers to open a charitable foundation called Orphans For Orphans in Sri Lanka, where their parents were killed, and the company and its charity work has continued to grow since.

[...]

Gandys will also produce a special McLaren-inspired flip-flop, dubbed a “halo edition” by the team, with 100% of profits going to the Orphans For Orphans foundation.

Brilliant.