When you glance at Formula 1's new breed of super-fast, big tyred cars, the visual impression is overwhelmingly positive. The tyres look like a throwback to the 1970s or '80s - big and fat, and more befitting of cars that are now stylistically more aggressive. In short, they look fast.
We are told these cars are meant to achieve lap times five seconds quicker than those managed in 2015 around Barcelona's Catalunya circuit. They are not just meant to look much faster, the enhanced aerodynamics and new-spec low-degradation Pirellis are meant to make them lap much faster too.
Heading trackside to watch the cars on the first morning of pre-season testing, I was expecting them to look much faster than they used to. I was hoping to be utterly blown away by the corner speed the drivers could carry. But the overriding impression was slightly underwhelming.
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