Testing Day 2: Ominous signs that Mercedes are quick, Renault could be a dark horse?

· by · in F1 Testing. ·

Testing day 2 has started and despite a shaky start first thing, it certainly appears that Red Bull and Honda are going well thus far with Verstappen near the top of the timing screen.

Looking back at day 1, some might suggest that Mercedes have been disappointing with Hamilton and Bottas only reaching 9th and 8th respectively, but looking at the tyre compounds used, Mercedes had a very solid start. Both Mercedes and Renault are the last four, but they used the hardest tyre compound of all, with Renault not able to run with their DRS system working. It is thought that this alone would gift an additional 0.8 secs.

Testing during the last few years has seen Mercedes almost exclusively run on only the very hardest Pirelli, their regime appears geared toward this as a standard method. And Mercedes are always one of the fastest cars when the season begins.

James Allison of Mercedes: “The first day with a new car is always exciting. Today was not a bad start for both drivers, who got a first taste of the W10 and were able to complete 150 trouble-free laps by the end of the day.

We were able to squeeze a lot into the program the first day and find out how the new 2019 tires work and learn more about how the car responds to setup changes. Today it was not about pure speed, and we are quite satisfied with the vehicle behavior.”

 

UPDATE 09:20am – Track condions are very slippery, and Hamilton’s engine seems to lose power.

1. Charles Leclerc (Ferrari): 1: 19.427 min.
2. Antonio Giovinazzi (Alfa Romeo): 1: 20.512 min.
3. Pierre Gasly (Red Bull): 1: 21.295 min.
4. Lance Stroll ( Racing Point): 1: 21.524 min. 
5. Daniel Ricciardo (Renault): 1: 21.877 min.
6. Alexander Albon (Toro Rosso): 1: 22.883 min.
7. Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes): 1: 24.193 min.

 

 

UPDATE 10:50am – Reports are that Sebastian Vettel is in the paddock and is watching what his new teammate is doing on the track.

Speed trap so far today:

Leclerc (Ferrari) 321km/h
Albon (Toro Rosso) 319km/h
Giovinazzi (Alfa Romeo) 319km/h
Norris (McLaren) 317km/h
Hamilton (Mercedes) 315km/h
Ricciardo (Renault) 309km/h

1. Charles Leclerc (Ferrari): 1: 18.247 mins (44 laps)
2. Daniel Ricciardo (Renault): 1: 19.886 mins (27)
3. Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes): 1: 19.928 min. (40)
4. Lando Norris (McLaren): 1: 20.020 mins (28)
5. Antonio Giovinazzi (Alfa Romeo): 1: 20.099 mins (43)
6. Alexander Albon (Toro Rosso): 1: 20.232 mins. (224)
7. Lance Stroll (Racing Point): 1: 20.571 mins (24)
8. Pierre Gasly (Red Bull): 1: 20.581 mins (42)
9. Kevin Magnussen (Haas): 1: 21.604 mins. (9)

 

 

UPDATE 12:50pm – Robert Kubica supports are waiting in the grandstands in vain, gotta feel bad for them really when such revelations have come out about Williams last night.

 

1. Charles Leclerc (Ferrari): 1: 18.247 mins (73 laps)
2. Kevin Magnussen (Haas): 1: 19.234 mins (33)
3. Antonio Giovinazzi (Alfa Romeo): 1: 19.312 mins (62)
4. Lando Norris (McLaren): 1: 19.489 (53)
5. Pierre Gasly (Red Bull): 1: 19.814 (69)
6. Daniel Ricciardo (Renault): 1: 19.886 Min. (28)
7. Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes): 1: 19.928 mins (74)
8. Alexander Albon (Toro Rosso): 1: 20.046 mins (61)
9. Lance Stroll (Racing Point): 1: 20.433 mins. (45)

 

UPDATE 14:15 – Spectacular: Daniel Ricciardo’s wing explosion appears on youtube from the grandstands. Norris has been steering his McLaren around the track for a few laps at a time. The lap times are not very fast. He drives middle 1:26 times on the white-edged hard Pirelli.

 

1. Charles Leclerc (Ferrari): 1: 18.247 mins (102 laps)
2. Kevin Magnussen (Haas): 1: 19.234 mins (39)
3. Antonio Giovinazzi (Alfa Romeo): 1: 19.312 mins (62)
4. Lando Norris (McLaren): 1: 19.489 minutes (78)
5. Pierre Gasly (Red Bull): 1: 19.814 minutes (82)
6. Daniel Ricciardo (Renault): 1: 19.886 Min. (28)
7. Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes): 1: 19.928 minutes (74)
8. Valtteri Bottas (Mercedes): 1: 19.047 minutes (25)
9. Alexander Albon (Toro Rosso): 1: 20.046 minutes (76 )
10. Lance Stroll (Racing Point): 1: 20.433 mins (49)
11. Nico Hulkenberg (Renault): 1: 22.601 mins (19)

 

UPDATE 16:30 – Aero parts are missing at Red Bull, which makes it a bit difficult for the squad to balance the car. Red Bull mechanics are buzzing out of the garage. The car drives on the truck. Four partitions are designed to protect the RB15 from the lenses of the photographers.

1. Charles Leclerc (Ferrari): 1: 18.247 mins (144 laps) 
2. Kevin Magnussen (Haas): 1: 19.234 mins (59) 
3. Antonio Giovinazzi (Alfa Romeo): 1: 19.312 mins (86) 
4. Lando Norris (McLaren): 1: 19.489 mins (94) 
5. Valtteri Bottas (Mercedes): 1: 19.616 mins (66) 
6. Alexander Albon (Toro Rosso): 1: 19.783 Min. (120) 
7. Pierre Gasly (Red Bull): 1: 19.814 Min. (92) 
8. Daniel Ricciardo (Renault): 1: 19.886 Min. (28) 
9. Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes): 1: 19.928 Min. 74) 
10. Stroll (Racing Point): 1: 20.433 min.

 

 

 

 

 

Testing Day 1: Horner – “We have never had such a good packaging of the engine as now with Honda.”

Today begins the first test for the Formula 1 grid in their 2019 cars at the Barcelona circuit in Spain.

Highlights for today have already included Kimi Raikkonen going off and needing a tow out of the gravel, the Alfa Romeo livery reveal along with Red Bull’s livery for Australia onwards.

More importantly, however, TJ13 can reveal that Red Bull Honda could have problems. Reports indicate that the garage doors opened this morning, only to close again due to a Honda Power unit issue. Max Verstappen has shown only once on the track thus far.

More on this later, so be sure to check back on TJ13, we will update this page and others when we know more.

UPDATE 10:28am – Red Bull’s Honda V6 stutters and somehow sounds strained… but Max Verstappen has now completed 15 laps, best time of 1: 21.808, 2.671 secs slower than the fastest time set by Vettel.

UPDATE 10:48am – Verstappen’s car ran about 50 Meters before the engine cut earlier, but it seems that things have settled down somewhat.
Verstappen now 2nd fastest behind Vettel with a 1:20.174 after 23 laps.

UPDATE 12:40pm – Williams confirm that due to parts not arriving in time, they will unlikely be able to run their car until Wednesday at the earliest. Renault are running without DRS so their rear wing remains closed today. We hear from the Renault stock that it costs between 0.7 and 0.8 seconds in the lap time.

1. S. Vettel (Ferrari): 1: 18.161 mins (72 laps)
2. S. Perez (Racing Point): 1: 19.944 mins (20)
3. V. Bottas (Mercedes): 1 : 20.127 Min. (69)
4. K. Räikkönen (Alfa Romeo): 1: 20.160 Min. (46)
5. M. Verstappen (Red Bull): 1: 20.174 Min. (52)
6. C. Sainz (McLaren ): 1: 20.430 min. (56)
7. N. Hülkenberg (Renault): 1: 20.980 min. (65)
8. R. Grosjean (Haas): 1: 21.500 min. (18)
9. D. Kvyat ( Toro Rosso): 1: 21,732 min. (35)

 

UPDATE 12:45 – First look at the new, larger, DRS flap in use today in Barcelona

 

UPDATE 14:15 – One engine audibly sets itself apart from all others. The Honda V6 growls… Renault delays due to technical hitch trying to send Ricciardo out.

1. S. Vettel (Ferrari): 1: 18.161 mins (104 laps)
2. K. Räikkönen (Alfa Romeo): 1: 19.483 mins (59)
3. M. Verstappen (Red Bull): 1: 19.600 min. (59)
4. S. Perez (Racing Point): 1: 19.944 mins (25)
5. V. Bottas (Mercedes): 1: 20.127 mins. (69)
6. C. Sainz (McLaren ): 1: 20.430 min. (58)
7. Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes): 1: 20.521 mins (16)
8. N. Hülkenberg (Renault): 1: 20.980 mins (65)
9th R. Grosjean (Haas ): 1: 21.500 min. (18)
10. D. Kvyat (Toro Rosso): 1: 21.732 min. (35)
11. Daniel Ricciardo (Renault): 1: 21.769 min. (5)

 

UPDATE 15:00 – Honda V6 seems to be running well. With 324 km / h Kvyat holds the top spot in the speed trap.

1. S. Vettel (Ferrari): 1: 18.161 Min. (122 laps)
2. K. Räikkönen (Alfa Romeo): 1: 19.483 Min. (74)
3. M. Verstappen (Red Bull): 1: 19.600 mins. (79)
4. Daniil Kvyat (Toro Rosso): 1: 19.901 mins. (50)
5. S. Perez (Racing Point): 1: 19.944 mins. (30)
6. R. Grosjean (Haas ): 1: 20.094 Min. (28)
7. V. Bottas (Mercedes): 1: 20.127 Min. (69)
8. Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes): 1: 20.135 Min. (31)
9. C. Sainz (McLaren ): 1: 20.430 min. (61)
10. N. Hülkenberg (Renault): 1: 20.980 mins (65)
11. Daniel Ricciardo (Renault): 1: 21.253 mins (17)

 

 

UPDATE 16:16 – Red Bull team boss Christian Horner praises new engine partner Honda and simultaneously taunts former partner Renault: “We have never had such a good packaging of the engine as now with Honda.”

Vettel fastest over all, dominating 2nd & 3rd sectors, Honda’s V6 fastest 1st sector with Kyvatt.

1. S. Vettel (Ferrari): 1: 18.161 mins (149 laps)
2. Romain Grosjean: 1: 19.320 mins (50)
3. K. Räikkönen (Alfa Romeo): 1: 19.462 min. (95)
4. M. Verstappen (Red Bull): 1: 19.600 min. (101)
5. Daniil Kvyat (Toro Rosso): 1: 19.635 min. (58)
6. S. Perez (Racing Point): 1: 19,944 mins (30)
7. V. Bottas (Mercedes): 1: 20.127 mins (69)
8. Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes): 1: 20.135 mins (58)
9. C. Sainz (McLaren): 1: 20.430 min. (102)
10. N. Hülkenberg (Renault): 1: 20.980 min. (65)
11. Daniel Ricciardo (Renault): 1: 20.983 min. (44)

 

 

 

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