Bahrain third 2014 test Test day four
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By: Matt Beer, Glenn Freeman, Ben Anderson, Dan Cross
Summary
Status: Stopped
Here's the full story of the final day of pre-season testing in Bahrain:
Thank you for your company (and there have been record numbers of you) through winter on AUTOSPORT Live's testing coverage, we hope you all enjoy the coming season with us too.
Melbourne
Then our new expanded AUTOSPORT Live grand prix weekend service commences from 1.00am UK time on Friday, March 14, offering commentary and insight throughout the Melbourne weekend as the most eagerly-anticipated F1 season in years begins.
AUTOSPORT's comprehensive 2014 F1 season preview magazine is published this coming Thursday (March 6) and is available both in shops and in digital formats online.
Between now and the Australian Grand Prix there will be a host of 2014 pre-season features on AUTOSPORT.com, including our predictions of the championship outcome and more technical insight from CRAIG SCARBOROUGH, GARY ANDERSON and the SECRET MECHANIC.
And that's it. Pre-season F1 testing is over for 2014.
As ever we'll have all the reaction to today's events in testing through the evening on AUTOSPORT, and there's more Live coverage later too with commentary on round two of the NASCAR Sprint Cup at Phoenix beginning from 7.45pm UK time.
And that's just the start...
As ever we'll have all the reaction to today's events in testing through the evening on AUTOSPORT, and there's more Live coverage later too with commentary on round two of the NASCAR Sprint Cup at Phoenix beginning from 7.45pm UK time.
And that's just the start...
Into the final 60 seconds here and we have Hamilton, Alonso, Chilton and Vettel on track. The first three of those don't appear to be going for improvements, while Vettel has just completed a cool-off lap following his new PB.
We're seeing a few out- and in-laps from Alonso and Vettel at the moment. One sits third in the times, the other is at the bottom...
Chilton vaults from bottom of the times to seventh, finding four seconds to get the Marussia into the 1m36s.
Sauber reveals that there was no problem with the car - the team ran a "fuel system test". Translation: it ran it out of fuel on purpose.
That's usually a regular feature of pre-season testing, but we've hardly seen it at all this year because the teams have had so much else to focus on.
That's usually a regular feature of pre-season testing, but we've hardly seen it at all this year because the teams have had so much else to focus on.
The darkness is setting in quick here now, giving everyone a sneak peak at what the Bahrain GP will look like under lights for the first time in April.
The Sauber is on the recovery truck and heading back to the pits, and with 10 minutes remaining we are 'green' again.
That's our eighth red flag of the day. Gutierrez's Sauber to blame this time. The C33 has stopped at Turn 8.
...although the World Endurance Championship field would point out that racing after dark at Sakhir is nothing new... This was the venue for Allan McNish, Tom Kristensen and Loic Duval's coronation last November.
Esteban Gutierrez
First shots are coming in of F1 under lights at Sakhir.
There will be plenty more of this on race weekend next month as the Bahrain GP becomes a night race for the first time, with practice two, qualifying and the race all set to be twilight/after dark.
Hamilton manages a 1m33.8s lap last time around, but hasn't been able to get close to his previous best.
Hamilton goes fastest of all in the first sector but loses three tenths in the middle of the lap. Backs off into the 1m41s across the line.
Alonso's done Ferrari's best lap of the test so far, but is still third overall, behind Bottas and Hamilton.
An engine problem has curtailed Force India's day early. The last 40 minutes of this test will run under floodlight as the circuit has just switched on its beams.
Boxes
It's been a long stint in Bahrain, but F1 is preparing to get on the move again.
Freight is being packed up in the paddock - next stop Australia (via the factories).
Chilton improves in the Marussia just after the session resumes, while Hamilton sets the fastest lap of the day so far, just two hundredths of a second slower than Massa's benchmark from yesterday.
That's the first time the Williams has stopped on-track this season, but the team is proud of the fact it still hasn't needed the recovery crews.
@WilliamsF1Team: "Car is wheeled back through from the pit straight - we've still not needed it to be brought back for us!"
@WilliamsF1Team: "Car is wheeled back through from the pit straight - we've still not needed it to be brought back for us!"
A clutch problem has curtailed Caterham's pre-season early with an hour left to run.
@CaterhamF1: "A clutch problem unfortunately ends our day a little earlier than planned, stopping us before our final planned performance runs..."
@CaterhamF1: "A clutch problem unfortunately ends our day a little earlier than planned, stopping us before our final planned performance runs..."
The Finn has tucked the Williams up against the pitwall. At least it shouldn't take too long to recover it.
That's our sixth red flag of the day, just after Alonso returned the Ferrari to second spot on the leaderboard. Looks like Bottas' Williams has stopped on the startline!
Hamilton gets himself back up to second on the timesheet with that last effort, almost into the 1m34s now and quickest of all in the final sector.
Teams have got the message that the session is going to be extended too, so it looks like we have 65 more minutes of pre-season running (red flags permitting).
Alonso shaves another couple of hundredths from his best time, but still can't break through the 1m35s barrier. Meanwhile, Bottas has just gone fastest of all in the first sector...
Jules Bianchi and Kimi Raikkonen
Mike from Cheshire asks: Have any of the teams run at race speed in the turbulent air of another car, and what is the likelihood of this causing additional cooling problems?
EDD STRAW: "Cars have run together on track at times, but not for lengthy periods of time. So teams will have had some idea of what the effect is.
"The influence aerodynamically is pretty well-known, but what is interesting is what you can gain fuel-wise from sitting in the tow of another car."
The timing screens are saying the session will be extended by 25 minutes, presumably because of the litany of red flag delays.
And the Japanese pumps in his fastest lap of the test so far: 1m38.391s, but stays ninth on the timesheet.
Kobayashi has done more laps than anyone else today, but his work is not done yet...
@CaterhamF1: "We're into the final hour and have just sent out @kamui_kobayashi for run 13 - 101 laps and counting (all usual reliability caveats apply..)"
@CaterhamF1: "We're into the final hour and have just sent out @kamui_kobayashi for run 13 - 101 laps and counting (all usual reliability caveats apply..)"
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