Barcelona test, day 2 - Vettel tops icy day
Testing day number two at Barcelona started off at freezing temperatures, with -0.1°C, and a track temperature of 6°C. Extremely rare conditions that saw teams take a hesitant start to the session.
Early in the day, it was also announced that the usual lunch break between 13:00 and 14:00 was cancelled today, allowing teams to use more track time. The weather was the main decision factor here, as the unusually cold temperatures at Spain forced teams to complete the day with aerodynamic tests, as anything else was useless given it proved extremely difficult to get any sort of Pirelli compound properly up to temperature.
🔥🔥 BREAKING! There will be no stop lunch today. Session will run from 9AM to 6PM. So, pitlane walkabout has been cancelled. #F1Testing
— Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya (@Circuitcat_eng) February 27, 2018
Max Verstappen, today enjoying his first day in the Red Bull RB14, soon experienced what testing is all about, as he was forced to sit out a large part of the morning due to a fuel leak. He completed just three laps before returning to the pits where the team found the problem.
Early in the "afternoon" session, despite there being no break, Charles Leclerc stopped out on track, spinning off and ending up in the gravel. It wasn't much of an issue however, as he soon found himself back in action.
52 laps for @Charles_Leclerc before he took a tiny detour at turn 4, but that's what testing is all about. The car is being cleaned as we speak, and we'll be back on track soon! #AlfaRomeoSauberF1Team #F1Testing #F1 pic.twitter.com/JXxHNDymCN
— Stake F1 Team KICK Sauber (@stakef1team_ks) February 27, 2018
At 15:00, Robert Kubica joined the party as he took over from Sergey Sirotkin in the Williams. This marks the Pole's official debut as test- and reserve driver for the Williams F1 team.
Robert Kubica ✅
— Williams Racing (@WilliamsRacing) February 27, 2018
Williams Mercedes FW41 ✅
Test Day 2 ✅
Install lap 🔜 #FW41 #F1Testing #F1 pic.twitter.com/dfx7SF6Fgp
Meanwhile, most drivers kept on struggling with the conditions. Vettel and Verstappen for instance were spotted spinning due to a unexpected lack of grip while cornering.
Sebastian Vettel though remained atop the timesheet during most of the day, ending fastest as well.
Results
Pos. | Driver | Team | Time | Gap | Laps |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1. | Sebastian Vettel | Ferrari | 1:19.673 | - | 98 |
2. | Valtteri Bottas | Mercedes | 1:19.976 | +0.303 | 94 |
3. | Stoffel Vandoorne | McLaren | 1:20.325 | +0.652 | 37 |
4. | Max Verstappen | Red Bull Racing | 1:20.326 | +0.653 | 67 |
5. | Carlos Sainz jr | Renault | 1:21.212 | +1.539 | 65 |
6. | Pierre Gasly | Toro Rosso | 1:21.318 | +1.645 | 82 |
7. | Robert Kubica | Williams | 1:21.495 | +1.822 | 48 |
8. | Sergey Sirotkin | Williams | 1:21.822 | +2.149 | 52 |
9. | Esteban Ocon | Force India | 1:21.841 | +2.168 | 79 |
10. | Charles Leclerc | Sauber | 1:22.721 | +3.048 | 81 |
11. | Kevin Magnussen | Haas F1 | 1:22.727 | +3.054 | 36 |