Bahrain third 2014 test Test day three
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Hulkenberg is clearly focused on something closer to race specification, lapping in the low 1m41s. That's the kind of pace we were seeing Rosberg average during a Mercedes race simulation last week.
Stopwatch
Massa gets straight on with it, starting this run with a best lap that is 1.4s better than his previous benchmark. He's now into the 1m37s bracket.
A brief spell of light cloud cover earlier dropped the track temperature from above 40C to the low 30s. But the sun is beating down again, and that figure is up to 42C now.
Air temperature is 25C.
Air temperature is 25C.
Hulkenberg opens this run with a 1m40.4s, as today's pacesetter Massa takes to the track as well.
The silence is broken by the sound of an engine, but it's not a Renault. Hulkenberg heads back out in the Mercedes-powered Force India.
Quote
With just one more day of testing to come after this, a lot of focus is on those who are running out of time to get ready for the Australian GP.
Renault certainly falls into that bracket, and here's what its head of track operations Remi Taffin makes of the French firm's progress:
"I would say [the engine is running] cleaner...not 100 per cent. If I was driving the car, I would be complaining but we know what we have to work on.
"There is still quite a lot of room to play with because the target is to try to get to the level of the V8, which we know was very, very good in terms of driveability."
Renault certainly falls into that bracket, and here's what its head of track operations Remi Taffin makes of the French firm's progress:
"I would say [the engine is running] cleaner...not 100 per cent. If I was driving the car, I would be complaining but we know what we have to work on.
"There is still quite a lot of room to play with because the target is to try to get to the level of the V8, which we know was very, very good in terms of driveability."
Naturally, as soon as we build the team up for logging laps, it calls Bianchi in and the track falls silent.
As Bianchi continues to build mileage in the Marussia, here's the lap tally for today so far:
Bianchi (Marussia) 34
Hulkenberg (Force India) 20
Ericsson (Caterham) 17
Massa (Williams) 14
Kvyat (Toro Rosso) 14
Magnussen (McLaren) 7
Raikkonen (Ferrari) 4
Sutil (Sauber) 1
Vettel (Red Bull) 0
Grosjean (Lotus) 0
Rosberg (Mercedes) 0
Bianchi (Marussia) 34
Hulkenberg (Force India) 20
Ericsson (Caterham) 17
Massa (Williams) 14
Kvyat (Toro Rosso) 14
Magnussen (McLaren) 7
Raikkonen (Ferrari) 4
Sutil (Sauber) 1
Vettel (Red Bull) 0
Grosjean (Lotus) 0
Rosberg (Mercedes) 0
Adrian Sutil
We've been talking this morning about Sutil's Sauber arriving back in the pits in smokey fashion. Now here's some photographic evidence of it.
Breaking news
It's all looking much better for Massa and Williams at the moment than it is for reigning champion Red Bull, but the Brazilian reckons anyone writing off Sebastian Vettel's team is foolish.
"It is always nice to say that a Red Bull is struggling and that maybe it can be fighting with the Caterhams, but forget it. It's not like that."
Here's more from Massa on that topic and his testing programme for today:
Don't write off Red Bull, says Massa
"It is always nice to say that a Red Bull is struggling and that maybe it can be fighting with the Caterhams, but forget it. It's not like that."
Here's more from Massa on that topic and his testing programme for today:
Don't write off Red Bull, says Massa
Massa, Kvyat, Ericsson and Bianchi are on track at the moment. The Toro Rosso has just found another tenth of a second to move to 1m41.6s.
Breaking news
For those of you just joining us (we forgive you, as it's Saturday), here's a round-up of the morning so far:
*Massa sets the pace as Williams works on performance
*Mercedes delayed by engine change
*Sutil comes to a smokey stop at end of installation lap
*No sign of Red Bull or Lotus yet
*Massa sets the pace as Williams works on performance
*Mercedes delayed by engine change
*Sutil comes to a smokey stop at end of installation lap
*No sign of Red Bull or Lotus yet
Kvyat gets a time on the board in the Toro Rosso, putting him fourth.
Sauber says that it is "investigating the issue" that caused Sutil to come to a smokey halt in the pit entry at the end of his installation lap earlier.
After a stay of just over 20 minutes in the pits since his three sighting laps, Raikkonen takes the Ferrari back out.
The Finn has suffered more difficulties with the F14 T than Fernando Alonso so far this pre-season, and earlier this week he made it clear that he wants to get a race simulation under his belt today - his final day of running before the Australian GP.
The Finn has suffered more difficulties with the F14 T than Fernando Alonso so far this pre-season, and earlier this week he made it clear that he wants to get a race simulation under his belt today - his final day of running before the Australian GP.
Massa's run was another short one, and he is back in. Hulkenberg drops 0.2s on the next lap of his run, as Bianchi heads out to join him and 'defend' his place at the top of the lap count.
We get a proper lap from Hulkenberg that time. He winds things up with a new best through the first sector, then crosses the line one second down on his current PB.
Hulkenberg is clearly on a different programme with Force India at the moment - while Massa continues to lap around 1m39s, the VJM07 is more than 10s slower.
Unlike his first run, Massa stays out for another attempt this time. The lap is 0.7s slower than his best, although he sets a new quickest time through the final sector of the lap.
Stopwatch
Massa's latest "performance work" leads to a new benchmark for today, as he edges Hulkenberg out by 0.2s.
Ericsson pits, leaving today's current top two - Hulkenberg and Massa - on track.
The three cars we haven't seen so far today are the Mercedes, the Lotus and the Red Bull.
We already know that Mercedes is busy working on an engine change (see 05:51), and Lotus had quite a serious repair job on its hands last night after what the team described as "some char-grilling" to some of the E22's internals on track yesterday.
We already know that Mercedes is busy working on an engine change (see 05:51), and Lotus had quite a serious repair job on its hands last night after what the team described as "some char-grilling" to some of the E22's internals on track yesterday.
The Caterham has the track to itself at the moment.
AUTOSPORT
Ericsson gets his first time of the day chalked up, putting him fourth.
The Swede is the subject of an exclusive interview in this week's AUTOSPORT magazine - available in shops and in digital form now - where he talks about turning last season's GP2 disappointments into the chance to be his nation's first F1 driver in 23 years.
Twitter
Talking of Williams - look out for some decent laptimes from the FW36 today...
@WilliamsF1Team: "For Felipe's final preseason test day we are focusing on performance - although we still have plenty to test each run! #Bahrain"
@WilliamsF1Team: "For Felipe's final preseason test day we are focusing on performance - although we still have plenty to test each run! #Bahrain"
Kvyat and Ericsson now have installation laps in the books, and Massa logs his first time in the Williams.
Surely for the first time this pre-season (if not ever), a Marussia leads the lap count. Bianchi is the first driver to reach double figures for the day.
Nearly 30 minutes in the books here and we've seen six drivers on track - Hulkenberg, Magnussen, Bianchi, Raikkonen, Sutil, Massa.
Bianchi is the next man to join the timesheets for today.
Kevin Magnussen
And again the next time around, to 1m40.252s.
The McLaren rookie improves next time round to a 1m40.486s.
Magnussen joins the leaderboard with a 1m41.006s, two seconds adrift of Hulkenberg's 1m38.845s.
Stopwatch
Force India has topped the first two days of this test with Sergio Perez, and his team-mate Nico Hulkenberg is the first driver to set a time today.
The Silverstone-based squad had a productive couple of days with Perez, starting each day with setup work before switching to race simulation in the afternoon.
The Silverstone-based squad had a productive couple of days with Perez, starting each day with setup work before switching to race simulation in the afternoon.
Twitter
@Marussia_F1Team: "We'll be working on a mix of short and long runs, brake evaluations, all in tandem with an aero development programme."
The engine coming out of Nico Rosberg's Mercedes as a precaution has been in the car since the first day of the previous Bahrain test. That means its racked up 2667km of running before being replaced.
The Sauber mechanics have arrived and are pushing the C33 back to the garage.
Sutil has a smokey end to his installation lap as he approaches the pitlane. The car loses drive just as he gets to the pit entry, but he manages to roll out of harm's way. Marshals are now attending to the Sauber, having got to work with fire extinguishers as soon as the car came to a rest.
Twitter
Late start for Caterham, after a fiery end to yesterday's test for Marcus Ericsson.
@CaterhamF1: "We're nearly ready to start day three with @Ericsson_Marcus in the car. The boys have done a great job overnight to repair the car, working flat out to make sure we can continue the program today"
@CaterhamF1: "We're nearly ready to start day three with @Ericsson_Marcus in the car. The boys have done a great job overnight to repair the car, working flat out to make sure we can continue the program today"
The weather is slightly clearer here today. Air temperature is 23C, track 38C.
Green flag
The penultimate day of pre-season testing is up and running.
Magnussen, Hulkenberg and Bianchi are first out on track.
Magnussen, Hulkenberg and Bianchi are first out on track.
By: Matt Beer, Glenn Freeman, Ben Anderson, Dan Cross
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