Bottas tops first day of Abu Dhabi test
Valtteri Bottas topped the first day of the young drivers test at Abu Dhabi, approximately half a second faster than Ferrari's Kimi Räikkönen and Mercedes rival Nico Rosberg.
Most teams were focusing on trying out Pirelli's new tyres for 2015 which include a new structure for the rear tyres, as well as a new compound for the super softs. Along with that, most are attempting to verify some systems for next year's cars as well.
Nico Rosberg proved particularly busy today, completing 114 laps. Will Stevens in the Caterham also had a trouble free day with just over 100 laps.
Marcus Ericsson debuted for Sauber F1 and had a productive day to complete the team's programme, despite having encountered a number of small issues.
The issues for McLaren were far bigger as the team's test driver Stoffel Vandoorne didn't get further than 3 laps on the Honda powered interim McLaren. It was a false start for the team, originating from a number of electrical issues.
Results
| Pos. | .Driver | Team | Time | Laps |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | V. Bottas | Williams | 01:43.396 | 80 |
| 2. | K. Raikkonen | Ferrari | 01:43.888 | 80 |
| 3. | N. Rosberg | Mercedes Grand Prix | 01:44.512 | 114 |
| 4. | J. Palmer | Force India F1 | 01:44.516 | 36 |
| 5. | C. Sainz Jr. | Red Bull | 01:45.339 | 99 |
| 6. | W. Stevens | Caterham | 01:45.436 | 101 |
| 7. | C. Pic | Lotus Renault | 01:46.167 | 88 |
| 8. | M. Ericsson | Sauber F1 Team | 01:46.253 | 95 |
| 9. | M. Verstappen | Scuderia Toro Rosso | 01:47.194 | 55 |
| 10. | S. Vandoorne | McLaren | no time | 3 |
