Bahrain second 2014 test Test day one
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High-level Red Bull and Renault personnel have been spotted in conference in the paddock.
It may still feel like the winter running has only just started, but at the end of tomorrow's session half of pre-season testing will already be over and the champion team is running out of time to catch up.
It may still feel like the winter running has only just started, but at the end of tomorrow's session half of pre-season testing will already be over and the champion team is running out of time to catch up.
Just reached the 50-picture mark in our high-res test gallery from this morning, which now includes all the angles of the Lotus E22's tusks that you could wish for.
Bahrain F1 test in pictures
Bahrain F1 test in pictures
Continuing the 'how do the 2014 F1 cars sound?' debate, the AUTOSPORT team's latest conclusion is that it's a little bit like the noise of LMP1 cars on the Le Mans start/finish straight.
McLaren
It's not entirely plain-sailing for current pacesetter McLaren, though.
Our snappers spotted this bit of scorched bodywork at the rear of Magnussen's car when it returned to the pits.
Twitter
Red Bull's stereo does not have teething troubles:
"Michael Jackson: "You Got Me Workin' Day & Night And I'll Be Workin' From Sun Up To Midnight", currently playing in the garage. Stay tuned."
"Michael Jackson: "You Got Me Workin' Day & Night And I'll Be Workin' From Sun Up To Midnight", currently playing in the garage. Stay tuned."
As was the case at Jerez, there isn't an official lunch break at Sakhir, so there tends to be an unofficial lull-for-food in the middle of the day when the track goes quiet.
Breaking news
Caterham is certainly showing it's serious about Frijns.
A day of running at each of the tests so far will mean he has similar mileage to race drivers Kamui Kobayashi and Marcus Ericsson come Melbourne, and there was abundant praise for him at Caterham's pre-season media event, with team boss Tony Fernandes admitting the Dutchman was nearly put straight in a race seat.
A day of running at each of the tests so far will mean he has similar mileage to race drivers Kamui Kobayashi and Marcus Ericsson come Melbourne, and there was abundant praise for him at Caterham's pre-season media event, with team boss Tony Fernandes admitting the Dutchman was nearly put straight in a race seat.
Three cars on track now as Alonso rejoins the action, but it's short-lived because Caterham has brought Frijns back in.
Green flag
The track is clear, and the green flags are out. Hulkenberg and Frijns leave the pits immediately.
Eric Boullier
Back in Bahrain, ex-Lotus chief turned McLaren racing director Eric Boullier has been spotted in the pits in his new grey (silver?) colours.
While we wait for the Sauber to be recovered, some significant news from the F1 foothills...
There's a battle brewing on the F1 ladder with the FIA warning against the use of the 'Formula 3' name by series not running to its latest engine regulations, including the British championship.
The latest twist revealed by AUTOSPORT's F3 expert MARCUS SIMMONS is that the annual Masters of F3 at Zandvoort has had to drop the F3 name and will be run for cars from the British and German series this year.
Zandvoort Masters to be run for 'non-F3' cars
Previous Masters winners include current F1 racers Lewis Hamilton, Nico Hulkenberg, Jules Bianchi and Valtteri Bottas.
Even with the profileration of categories these days, F3 still matters. Only four of the current F1 field skipped it, and the 2014 grand prix grid includes seven F3 champions (two from the British series, four from Europe and one Japanese title-winner).
There's a battle brewing on the F1 ladder with the FIA warning against the use of the 'Formula 3' name by series not running to its latest engine regulations, including the British championship.
The latest twist revealed by AUTOSPORT's F3 expert MARCUS SIMMONS is that the annual Masters of F3 at Zandvoort has had to drop the F3 name and will be run for cars from the British and German series this year.
Zandvoort Masters to be run for 'non-F3' cars
Previous Masters winners include current F1 racers Lewis Hamilton, Nico Hulkenberg, Jules Bianchi and Valtteri Bottas.
Even with the profileration of categories these days, F3 still matters. Only four of the current F1 field skipped it, and the 2014 grand prix grid includes seven F3 champions (two from the British series, four from Europe and one Japanese title-winner).
It appears to be Sutil in the Sauber (which has completed the most laps today so far) that has not made it back to the pits this time.
Red flag
We've got our second stoppage of the day.
Frijns rejoins the fray in his Caterham, so we currently have three cars out on-track in Bahrain.
Breaking news
The latest from EDD STRAW in the pits is that Toro Rosso's delays today have been caused by an oil leak.
Sutil joins the action, kicking off his run with a practice start at the end of the pits.
Seems there are still some transponder issues with Alonso's Ferrari, which is not appearing in all the sector times. The Spaniard is currently lapping in the 1m43s which is 2s shy of his best.
Alonso joins Hamilton on track, and he's managed a personal best middle sector on his out lap.
Leiws Hamilton
There has been plenty of talk in the paddock this year about how Hamilton - a man not over-keen on being conservative to preserve fuel/tyres/the car - would cope with the new regulations and their emphasis on fuel economy.
But Mercedes co-chief Paddy Lowe recently dismissed any suggestion that 2014 would be a year of radio angst for Hamilton and told reporters they were "overplaying" that angle.
Hamilton's Mercedes has broken the silence at the track.
As Frijns brings his latest run in the Caterham to an end, the green machine is emphatically leading the way for laps completed by a Renault-powered car.
While Lotus's lack of running (seven laps) is understandable as today is the public debut of the car, the fact that a Renault team is now up to second on today's lap count with 25 certainly suggests that the problems at Red Bull and Toro Rosso are more team-specific than they were at Jerez.
While Lotus's lack of running (seven laps) is understandable as today is the public debut of the car, the fact that a Renault team is now up to second on today's lap count with 25 certainly suggests that the problems at Red Bull and Toro Rosso are more team-specific than they were at Jerez.
More from EDD STRAW on the work going on in the Red Bull garage, part of what the team described on Twitter just now as a "slight delay".
It comes as little surprise to hear that Straw has spotted "work going on around the back" of the RB10. He adds that it "sounds like there might be some cutting or grinding equipment involved".
Sorry, we don't have a cutting or grinding icon...
It comes as little surprise to hear that Straw has spotted "work going on around the back" of the RB10. He adds that it "sounds like there might be some cutting or grinding equipment involved".
Sorry, we don't have a cutting or grinding icon...
Naturally, most of the attention on the non-runners is focused on Red Bull, but we are still yet to see its little brother Toro Rosso as well.
The team tells us that it is working to get the car out, but it's not in a position to set an expected time for the STR9 to emerge from the garage.
The team tells us that it is working to get the car out, but it's not in a position to set an expected time for the STR9 to emerge from the garage.
We're two and a half hours into today's Bahrain test. Here's the lap-count so far:
Sutil (Sauber) 30 laps
Hamilton (Mercedes) 23 laps
Frijns (Caterham) 18 laps
Magnussen (McLaren) 14 laps
Hulkenberg (Force India) 14 laps
Alonso (Ferrari) 13 laps
Grosjean (Lotus) 7 laps
Massa (Williams) 3 laps
Bianchi (Marussia) 2 laps
Sutil (Sauber) 30 laps
Hamilton (Mercedes) 23 laps
Frijns (Caterham) 18 laps
Magnussen (McLaren) 14 laps
Hulkenberg (Force India) 14 laps
Alonso (Ferrari) 13 laps
Grosjean (Lotus) 7 laps
Massa (Williams) 3 laps
Bianchi (Marussia) 2 laps
Quote
After spotting a cat making its way across the pitlane to the pitwall, EDD STRAW has got the latest from Red Bull:
"We're still fitting some new parts but hope to be out soon," the team tells him.
"We're still fitting some new parts but hope to be out soon," the team tells him.
Breaking news
If you're just joining us, here are the headlines from Bahrain so far:
*Lack of marshals delayed the start by 30 minutes
*Alonso's smoking Ferrari caused a red flag early on
*The new Lotus E22 made its public debut
*Red Bull and Toro Rosso have completed no laps so far
*McLaren and Mercedes lead the way
*Lack of marshals delayed the start by 30 minutes
*Alonso's smoking Ferrari caused a red flag early on
*The new Lotus E22 made its public debut
*Red Bull and Toro Rosso have completed no laps so far
*McLaren and Mercedes lead the way
Magnussen back into the pits now, having clocked 14 laps in the McLaren MP4-29 and lapped consistently in the 1m39s.
Quote
AUTOSPORT's technical expert (and ex-F1 designer) GARY ANDERSON gives an insight into one of the more below-the-radar issues that teams need to get on top of at a test like this:
"Never mind out-and-out performance, this is a very important test to show to yourself that you can run to a time schedule.
"When it comes to a race weekend you need to have the car ready when the pitlane opens, be in a position to optimise the set-up as the day progresses, and if all goes well you park it in the garage at the end of each of the sessions to give the mechanics some time to service the car and get it ready for the next one.
"If a team can achieve this and simulate a race weekend including a race distance then they will go away from Bahrain very happy."
"Never mind out-and-out performance, this is a very important test to show to yourself that you can run to a time schedule.
"When it comes to a race weekend you need to have the car ready when the pitlane opens, be in a position to optimise the set-up as the day progresses, and if all goes well you park it in the garage at the end of each of the sessions to give the mechanics some time to service the car and get it ready for the next one.
"If a team can achieve this and simulate a race weekend including a race distance then they will go away from Bahrain very happy."
Hulkenberg becomes the third driver to break the 1m40s barrier in his Force India. Still third fastest on 1m39.923s.
Red Bull has just fired its Renault engine up, but it still has the car up on stands so it doesn't appear that we'll be getting a first lap of the day from the RB10 just yet.
Stopwatch
Magnussen shaves another few hundredths of a second off his benchmark time. He's now 0.230s up on Hamilton, whose Mercedes is back in the pits now.
Red Bull pit
We've sent EDD STRAW back to the pits, and naturally he made the Red Bull garage his first stop-off point.
He reports that there are signs of life from the world champion outfit, which has opened its garage doors again.
Force India returnee Nico Hulkenberg has put himself on the timesheet now. A 1m40.410s effort places him third fastest, behind fellow Mercedes-engined runners Magnussen and Hamilton.
Stopwatch
Magnussen goes quicker again. Now down to a 1m39.266s best and nearly two tenths up on Hamilton.
Stopwatch
Magnussen goes fastest of all on his next tour. He's now a tenth quicker than ex-McLaren man Hamilton.
McLaren's Kevin Magnussen completes his first flying lap. A 1m41.048s effort puts him second fastest behind Hamilton.
Frijns moves up to fourth fastest in the Caterham. His 1m44.337s lap makes him the fastest Renault-powered driver in Bahrain so far.
Twitter
Nico Rosberg is on his way to Bahrain today as he takes over from Hamilton at Mercedes tomorrow. It's turned out to be a spiritually enlightening journey for Rosberg, as he bumped into the Dalai Lama on the way:
"@dalailama great to meet you in frankfurt! Thx for your time. I finally know what to answer when journos ask me which influential person i would like to have dinner with!"
"@dalailama great to meet you in frankfurt! Thx for your time. I finally know what to answer when journos ask me which influential person i would like to have dinner with!"
Stopwatch
Hamilton shaves another tenth off his best time. The fastest lap of the day so far is now a 1m39.464s.
By: Glenn Freeman, Matt Beer, Ben Anderson, Scott Mitchell
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