Bahrain third 2014 test Test day three
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Those dramas pale in comparison to those experienced by Grosjean, who has a "huge wobble at the rear in the same place" and has to have "two massive stabs at correcting it, then downshift on corner exit," according to FREEMAN.
Pacesetter Felipe Massa has been getting the laps in for Williams today, as the team works to improve the set-up and performance of the FW36.
GLENN FREEMAN reports from trackside that the Brazilian "carries loads of speed" into the double left-hander at 9/10 but has to delay getting on the throttle when "the front-end gives up on him mid-corner".
GLENN FREEMAN reports from trackside that the Brazilian "carries loads of speed" into the double left-hander at 9/10 but has to delay getting on the throttle when "the front-end gives up on him mid-corner".
The screens are up at the Ferrari garage while Raikkonen is in the pits. Ericsson now has more laps on the board than anyone as he works through a race simulation for Caterham.
But the German heads back to the pits after a short run. Grosjean is circulating in the 1m44s at the moment as he tries to get some desperately needed laps on the Lotus.
Hulkenberg has been out of action for nearly three quarters of an hour, but he's back out now and improves to within eight tenths of Massa's benchmark. Bianchi and Grosjean are also lighting up the timing screens right now.
Grosjean is back on-track now in the Lotus, 20 minutes after his installation run in the E22. Time to make up for yesterday's fiery end for team-mate Maldonado's test.
Kvyat heads back out in the Toro Rosso after 16 minutes in the pits. The Russian is currently third fastest behind Massa and Hulkenberg.
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1992 South African GP
GARY ANDERSON: "The levels that the world championship-winning Red Bull team is having to go to to get the cooling of the RB10 under control are confusing me.
"The last time I remember having to carve up bodywork and make some emergency ducting was with Jordan and the Yamaha engine back in 1992 in South Africa.
"Basically, it was just a heat generating device and we struggled to get the oil temperature under control. The strange thing - and it amazed me - was that we went on to finish the race. Surely times have moved on since then?"
@SMSGrafica asks: There was talk about more extreme noses at the second Bahrain test. Will they come later or it was just rumours?
EDD STRAW: "There was talk about the possibility of making changes. But it would be dangerous to make big changes to the nose concept without good reason, because this has an effect on the aerodynamics of the whole car.
"Over a long enough timeline, the nose solutions will probably converge to one ideal. Unless, of course, a change in regulations for next year intervenes first."
EDD STRAW: "There was talk about the possibility of making changes. But it would be dangerous to make big changes to the nose concept without good reason, because this has an effect on the aerodynamics of the whole car.
"Over a long enough timeline, the nose solutions will probably converge to one ideal. Unless, of course, a change in regulations for next year intervenes first."
As we pass midday here in Bahrain, here's the lap count so far:
Bianchi (Marussia) 47
Ericsson (Caterham) 42
Hulkenberg (Force India) 33
Massa (Williams) 30
Kvyat (Toro Rosso) 28
Magnussen (McLaren) 13
Raikkonen (Ferrari) 9
Rosberg (Mercedes) 3
Sutil (Sauber) 1
Vettel (Red Bull) 1
Grosjean (Lotus) 1
That '1' for Vettel is generous, considering the RB10 completed the second half of that lap on the back of a truck.
Bianchi (Marussia) 47
Ericsson (Caterham) 42
Hulkenberg (Force India) 33
Massa (Williams) 30
Kvyat (Toro Rosso) 28
Magnussen (McLaren) 13
Raikkonen (Ferrari) 9
Rosberg (Mercedes) 3
Sutil (Sauber) 1
Vettel (Red Bull) 1
Grosjean (Lotus) 1
That '1' for Vettel is generous, considering the RB10 completed the second half of that lap on the back of a truck.
Time for our first reader question of the day. Remember you can ask F1 Editor EDD STRAW to answer any burning questions you have regarding testing by emailing live@autosport.com or tweet using #autosport
@ALO_RENR28 asks: Which driver/team do you think, based on recent testing, has a good chance of the title this year?
EDD STRAW: "The best chance has to be for Mercedes right now. So it comes down to Lewis Hamilton versus Nico Rosberg.
"Rosberg has been very impressive in the way he has evolved as a driver in recent years and has a strong all-round approach.
"Certainly he’s very influential in the Mercedes garage, so perhaps he should be considered world championship favourite right now.
"That said, there is a long way to go and things will change."
@ALO_RENR28 asks: Which driver/team do you think, based on recent testing, has a good chance of the title this year?
EDD STRAW: "The best chance has to be for Mercedes right now. So it comes down to Lewis Hamilton versus Nico Rosberg.
"Rosberg has been very impressive in the way he has evolved as a driver in recent years and has a strong all-round approach.
"Certainly he’s very influential in the Mercedes garage, so perhaps he should be considered world championship favourite right now.
"That said, there is a long way to go and things will change."
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We've had one lap from the Lotus today, after an engine failure cut short Pastor Maldonado's running yesterday. EDD STRAW heard from Renault head of track operations Remi Taffin last night about the problem.
"It was an unexpected engine failure that we saw arriving on the data, but nothing we could do," said Taffin. "We know how to prevent this in the future. It is an expected problem for a turbocharged engine, but unexpected for us. It was not at all hardware related."
"It was an unexpected engine failure that we saw arriving on the data, but nothing we could do," said Taffin. "We know how to prevent this in the future. It is an expected problem for a turbocharged engine, but unexpected for us. It was not at all hardware related."
With one flying lap on the board, Rosberg pits the Mercedes.
Breaking news
We're three hours into the action here today, and here's a catch-up of what's happened so far:
*Vettel breaks down on outlap after late start for Red Bull
*Massa sets the pace as Williams focuses on performance
*Sutil comes to a smokey halt at the end of installation lap
*Mercedes starts late after engine change for Rosberg
*Vettel breaks down on outlap after late start for Red Bull
*Massa sets the pace as Williams focuses on performance
*Sutil comes to a smokey halt at the end of installation lap
*Mercedes starts late after engine change for Rosberg
Rosberg stays out to complete a lap at the first time of asking - who needs installation laps? He's straight under the 1m40s bracket and up to fourth in the standings.
No messing about from Mercedes - Rosberg stays out at the end of his first lap.
Just before midday local time, Rosberg takes to the track for the first time today following that Mercedes engine change.
Success (of sorts) - Grosjean makes it back to the pits at the end of that lap.
The Lotus appears on track for the first time, with Romain Grosjean at the wheel. Let's see if his installation lap lasts longer than Vettel's did.
Kvyat finds a couple of seconds and comfortably breaks the 1m40s barrier for the first time today.
Massa and Ericsson, who have both been busy today, get back to work on track as well.
While Red Bull's senior team starts fixing the RB10 again, junior squad Toro Rosso sends Kvyat out for his 24th lap of the day.
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Red Bull
AUTOSPORT tech expert CRAIG SCARBOROUGH says there has been plenty of evidence of Red Bull having overheating issues during this test.
"Yesterday, the RB10 featured makeshift ducting added to the sidepods. The team used both an inlet and outlet on each side of the car - seen in silver on the bottom of the sidepods in this shot from Friday.
"Where these lead is unclear, but being so low down, it's likely to be either to the ERS control units or the energy store (battery) under the fuel tank."
Green flag
After that top-secret recovery mission from Red Bull, the track is open again.
The car is back in the garage, and the sight screens are moved back into position out front.
Vettel - like most people in the paddock last night - must have been expecting to get down to business today after the progress the team made with Ricciardo at the wheel yesterday.
It took nearly two and a half hours for the RB10 to appear on track, and then it managed half a lap.
It took nearly two and a half hours for the RB10 to appear on track, and then it managed half a lap.
The under-covers Red Bull is in the pits. The team has managed to let the flatbed truck into its pit bay so that it can surround it with screens even before the mobile crane lifts it off of the truck. F1 secrecy at its best...
A small crowd is gathering outside the garage, so the team has pushed its 'exclusion zone' all the way to the active lane of the pits.
The Red Bull garage is being primed for the arrival of the RB10. The mechanics are in position, the sight screens are ready, and the mobile crane is in position waiting for the car to return on the back of a truck.
Red flag
But the RB10 encounters a problem straight away, bringing out our first red flag of the day. The course car has picked up the Red Bull mechanics to take them to the car, which has stopped in the second sector.
World champion Sebastian Vettel makes his first appearance of the final pre-season test, heading out in the Red Bull.
Hulkenberg heads back out as the Caterham and Marussia pit.
Twitter
Only the Marussia and Caterham blatting around at the moment. Hulkenberg is currently in the pits, but Force India confirms he is working on setting up the VJM07.
@clubforce: "Programme continues for Nico - the morning schedule features set-up work, tyre evaluation and balancing. It'll keep us busy!"
@clubforce: "Programme continues for Nico - the morning schedule features set-up work, tyre evaluation and balancing. It'll keep us busy!"
Still no sign of Mercedes, Lotus or Red Bull today. Mercedes is currently changing its engine - which has been in the car since the start of the previous Bahrain test, while Lotus had a big job on its hands overnight after the E22's internals suffered fire damage towards the end of yesterday.
Red Bull had its best day so far yesterday with Daniel Ricciardo getting a 20-lap stint under his belt and starting to show some pace in the RB10 (click here for story), but so far we are yet to see world champion Sebastian Vettel take to the track today.
Red Bull had its best day so far yesterday with Daniel Ricciardo getting a 20-lap stint under his belt and starting to show some pace in the RB10 (click here for story), but so far we are yet to see world champion Sebastian Vettel take to the track today.
Breaking news
Yesterday there was a swirl of stories about Renault allegedly asking for F1's engine homologation deadline to be extended so it could tackle its current plight.
A deadline adjustment was discussed by F1's Strategy Group but rejected, but Renault was adamant that while it wouldn't have said no to more time, it didn't ask for it and doesn't need it.
Renault insists it doesn't need engine deadline extension
A deadline adjustment was discussed by F1's Strategy Group but rejected, but Renault was adamant that while it wouldn't have said no to more time, it didn't ask for it and doesn't need it.
Renault insists it doesn't need engine deadline extension
Jules Bianchi
Bianchi, who still tops the lap count for today with 35, heads back out for more laps in the Marussia.
Raikkonen didn't stay out for long after posting his first time of the day. Kvyat and Ericsson are the only cars on track, and the Russian has just improved by another 0.4s.
Twitter
@McLarenF1: "Working on the car after @KevinMagnussen's early laps. Car is running, but we want to check out a small problem before going out again."
Raikkonen - yet to post a time this morning - is back on track after nearly 45 minutes in the pits.
The Finn's first lap of the day is a 1m41.5s.
The Finn's first lap of the day is a 1m41.5s.
Massa backs off, then returns to something near a representative time with a 1m43s, and then pushes again on the lap after that with another 1m37s.
This time he's half a second down on his best, on a lap where he set a new fastest time through the first sector.
This time he's half a second down on his best, on a lap where he set a new fastest time through the first sector.
By: Matt Beer, Glenn Freeman, Ben Anderson, Dan Cross
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