Last Updated on February 19 2020, 2:04 pm
Almost three months after the last race of the 2019 season, Formula One is back this week, starting today, with the usual winter tests taking place once again in Barcelona, Spain.
Cost reductions and a longer schedule have finally prompted F1 to make a radical decision this year, reducing winter testing by two days and cancelling the mid-season tests, which usually take place after the Spanish and Hungarian GPs, altogether.
So this year only six days of winter testing [eight in 2019] will give us a first idea of the strengths that the 2020 grid has to offer, although it’s obviously very difficult to draw conclusions after the winter tests because of the game of hide-and-seek that the teams have been playing for several years now.
The real verdict won’t come until the end of the qualifying session for the Australian Grand Prix at Melbourne on the weekend of March 15th. Only then will we know the true hierarchy of this early season in F1.
Note that some teams have decided to run two drivers per day, this is the case of Renault or Alfa Romeo. One driver takes the track in the morning and the second takes over after the lunch break.
Also, today Ferrari won’t be running with Sebastian Vettel who has taken ill with a bug, and Leclerc has taken his place.
In the player below, you can get a first look at all 2020 cars running on the track from just a few hours ago.
| TEAM | DRIVER |
|---|---|
| Haas | Kevin Magnussen |
| Ferrari | Sebastian Vettel |
| Mercedes | Bottas / Hamilton |
| Red Bull Racing | Max Verstappen |
| McLaren | Carlos Sainz |
| Renault | Ocon / Ricciardo |
| AlphaTauri | Daniil Kvyat |
| Alfa Romeo | Kubica / Giovinazzi |
| Williams | Russell / Latifi |
| Racing point | Perez / Stroll |
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With over 30 years of experience in Formula 1 as an insider journalist, I have built trusted connections across the paddock, from race engineers and mechanics to senior team figures. At The Judge 13, I and a handful of trusted colleagues share exclusive Formula 1 news, expert analysis and behind-the-scenes stories you will not find in mainstream motorsport media.
