Bahrain second 2014 test Test day two
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Gutierrez pits in as Alonso continues to circulate at well over two minutes a lap.
Alonso has lodged a couple of very slow laps. A 2m11.413s and a 2m03.277s. Presumably nothing wrong as he's stayed out, but part of the programme.
Gutierrez has joined Alonso on the track in the Sauber. The Mexican is now on his 44th lap of the day.
Kobayashi comes into the pits after setting his best time of the day on the last flier of that run, which leaves only Alonso on the circuit.
Kobayashi improves, but he's still clear at the bottom of the table in the Caterham.
You can read our midday report here:
Vettel drops his pace by nearly 10s on that lap, but this is starting to look like one of the Red Bull's longer single runs during the 2014 pre-season.
Alonso and Vettel are both lapping in the high 1m42s at the moment.
Bottas loses six tenths on his next lap after that times-topping effort.
Stopwatch
As Alonso works on what appears to be a long run, Bottas deposes him at the top of the times.
The Finn set overall best times through the first two sectors, and judging by how wide he ran coming out of the final corner he was really pushing on that lap.
The Finn set overall best times through the first two sectors, and judging by how wide he ran coming out of the final corner he was really pushing on that lap.
Vettel and Gutierrez back in action too now, as Alonso completes his first flier in 1m43s.
Alonso's Ferrari joins the Caterham on-track. NOW will we see that race run we've been expecting?
Kamui Kobayashi is the first man to break the silence. His Caterham has completed only eight laps so far today, so the comeback kid definitely needs the mileage.
Green flag
We're green again in Bahrain... But there's no rush to get back out on track.
The cherry-picker is currently in the pitlane helping deliver the stricken STR9 back to the Toro Rosso team.
The Toro Rosso is back in the pits now, so we should be back underway again shortly.
Vettel had just set a personal best time in the first sector before the stoppage, so beginning to turn the wick up perhaps.
That in-lap makes it 26 laps completed for Red Bull now. That's more in half a day than the team has managed in five previously...
Vettel returns safely to the pits, so it's Vergne's Toro Rosso that has caused the latest delay.
Alonso back in, so it's either the Red Bull or the Toro Rosso to blame.
Red flag
Another red flag brings a halt to proceedings. Alonso, Vettel and Vergne on-track...
Bottas back into the pits now as pacesetter Alonso begins a run for Ferrari. Will it be that race run Straw predicted earlier?
The Williams driver loses seven tenths on his next lap, while Grosjean has joined the action on track.
Bottas - with fastest sectors overall in the first and third parts of the lap - goes second fastest.
No lunch right now for Bottas, Vergne and Gutierrez, as all three head out. While Sauber logged plenty of laps yesterday, Williams and Toro Rosso are probably happy to pass up a lunchbreak today as they play catch-up.
Green flag
The track is open, but there's no rush to get out. Perhaps because that red flag fell kindly around lunchtime?
The covered-up Mercedes is now being lowered from the flatbed truck in front of the team's garage.
Quote
Our technical expert GARY ANDERSON explains that when a car stops on track, it's often not as dramatic as it sounds:
"With these new-spec cars every time you take the engine cover off you will find a potential new problem.
"The teams will all have all of their electronic protection systems fully activated, so basically if anything in the very complicated powertrain system goes outside of its working window it will shut the engine down as a precaution.
"As the teams learn a bit more these working windows will be refined and there will be fewer stoppages."
"With these new-spec cars every time you take the engine cover off you will find a potential new problem.
"The teams will all have all of their electronic protection systems fully activated, so basically if anything in the very complicated powertrain system goes outside of its working window it will shut the engine down as a precaution.
"As the teams learn a bit more these working windows will be refined and there will be fewer stoppages."
AUTOSPORT
While the marshals complete their work, we have a good chance to mention that this week's AUTOSPORT magazine is available in shops and online this morning.
It's a Lotus 2014 special, analysing the team's turbulent winter and its implications, talking to Pastor Maldonado about his change of team, and assessing Romain Grosjean's growth from wild child to potential winner.
Other highlights include in-depth interviews with Mark Webber and Jacques Villeneuve on their big moves to sportscars and rallycross respectively.
The Mercedes is back in the pits.
Vettel has made it back to the pits. So it appears that Mercedes has caused the stoppage again, just as was the case when its first out-lap of the day lasted eight corners this morning.
Red flag
We've got our second stoppage of the day. Looks like Vettel and Rosberg are still on track...
Alonso returns to the action after more than half an hour in the pits. He's started off with more burnouts and another practice start at the end of the pitlane.
Twitter
The McLaren won't been seen back out on track for a bit. Its driver Kevin Magnussen is on his lunch break...
@KevinMagnussen: "Quick update. Lunch break. 8 laps so far. More later."
@KevinMagnussen: "Quick update. Lunch break. 8 laps so far. More later."
Teams always come up with weird and wonderful things to try during testing. EDD STRAW reports that Hulkenberg just returned to the pits after a short run, and his Force India crew performed a quick wheel-change only on the right rear before wheeling the car into the garage.
That could be a simple test of the team's latest wheelgun performance, but it could also be related to how heat build-up affects wheelnuts.
Remember, Force India had problems with such an issue at the Malaysian GP last year.
That could be a simple test of the team's latest wheelgun performance, but it could also be related to how heat build-up affects wheelnuts.
Remember, Force India had problems with such an issue at the Malaysian GP last year.
Vettel cracks the top five with his first lap under 1m41s today.
Rosberg locks up Bahrain test 2014
The noise of F1's new 2014 engines has been a major topic for debate over this winter. With a few teams working on practice starts today, it's given EDD STRAW a chance to get a clear comparison with the old V8 engines, and he's not having it that these new units are a poor relation to their screaming predecessors:
"Just stood a few metres from a Hulkenberg practice start at exit of pitlane. 22 of them on the grid will sound fantastic.
"It's not as piercing a noise as when you stood next to a V8 car making a start, but still very loud. If anything, a fuller noise. You can still feel the rumble in your ribcage.
"I defy those who denounce the engine sound to stand near an F1 car starting properly and not be impressed."
He adds that the Mercedes [pictured] "sounds like a jet!" when charging down the start/finish straight.
As Gutierrez continues to lap in the 1m41s, he has been joined on track by Hulkenberg and Rosberg.
Two personal best sectors for Gutierrez there, but he misses out on his previous best by 0.010s.
In the Marussia garage, the car is up on stands with work going on underneath it. The team has logged 14 laps today with Chilton.
By: Glenn Freeman, Matt Beer, Edd Straw, Ben Anderson, Pablo Elizalde
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