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Formula 1

Barcelona F1 test day one

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Sainz pits from an uneventful run on the C2 tyre. Verstappen joins him after hitting 101 laps. The current lap leader, Vettel (138), has just returned to the track.
Bottom of the order in terms of laps complete is Racing dot and driver Sergio Perez. What's going on there? Only 30 laps complete, a total Daniel Ricciardo has already beaten having only been in the car for a few hours.
Everyone has pitted now, it's just Raikkonen out on track in the Alfa Romeo. Still not quite used to typing either of those things without a) Ferrari and b) Sauber. We'll learn.
Vettel slipped back out on track after a quick tour through the pits. He's on the C3 tyre.
McLaren has had some tough pre-season tests in recent history, and while it's difficult to evaluate performance in its entirety at the first test on the first day, the lap count is encouraging as it sits second after Ferrari and Red Bull.
The shadows are starting to become longer as the evening draws in at Barcelona

The shadows are starting to become longer as the evening draws in at Barcelona

Ricciardo, Raikkonen and Vettel on track now.

Ricciardo has been on the C2 tyre all afternoon, while Raikkonen and Ricciardo run on the softer C3.

Remember, the higher the number (one-five) the softer the tyre.
Ricciardo improves, that's a 1m20.983s for the debuting Aussie. Unfortunately, the improvement still means bottom of the timing screens.
Raikkonen and Vettel are both going for longer runs here it seems, as neither are anywhere near their personal best times, set on the same tyres respectively.
Sainz is back out for McLaren to add to his decent lap count of 95, so far.
Grosjean is back out in the Haas, attempting to make up for a lengthy spell in the garage this morning after the car stopped on track with a fuel pressure issue. Still, 44 laps so far considering is not bad, and it's still more than Racing Point.
There's no sign of any green (for improvement) on our timing screen at the Circuit de Catalunya. Vettel, Grosjean, Sainz and Ricciardo letting the side down.

No, wait...Grosjean pulls one back with a personal best first sector.
Grosjean adds a personal best middle sector and a best last sector to steal second in the order, with a 1m19.320s. That's a scorcher.
Vettel has pitted from a lengthy spell on the C3 tyre.
Hamilton is back out on track. He and fellow afternoon-only runner Ricciardo have only used the C2 tyre and that continues.

There's a quick practice start for Hamilton, and then he's good to go.
Hamilton joins Grosjean and Ricciardo on track. Grosjean has done a couple of laps in the 1m19s thanks to a cool down lap for his C3 tyres earlier on.
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Here's how the leaderboard stands with less than an hour remaining:

1 Vettel (Ferrari) 1m18.161s
2 Grosjean (Haas) 1m19.320s
3 Raikkonen (Alfa Romeo) 1m19.462s
4 Verstappen (Red Bull) 1m19.600s
5 Kvyat (Toro Rosso) 1m19.635s
6 Perez (Force India) 1m19.944s
7 Bottas (Mercedes) 1m20.127s
8 Hamilton (Mercedes) 1m20.135s
9 Sainz (McLaren) 1m20.430s
10 Hulkenberg (Renault) 1m20.980s
11 Ricciardo (Renault) 1m20.983s
Ricciardo enters the pits and then rejoins quickly after, as does Hamilton.

Kvyat is now back on track, looking to improve on his fifth place in the order.
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Three drivers have now completed 100 laps or more:

Vettel - 149
Sainz - 102
Verstappen - 101
Raikkonen - 95
Bottas - 69
Hulkenberg - 65
Hamilton - 60
Kvyat - 59
Grosjean - 52
Ricciardo - 44
Perez - 30
Kvyat is back on the rarely-used C4 tyre, one step down from Pirelli's softest offering – the C5.

Grosjean is a decent way into his stint on the C3, while Hamilton laps on the C2. Confused yet?
Grosjean has pitted after that impressive run which netted him second fastest time. Verstappen has replaced him on track in a bid to add to his 102 laps.
Hamilton is skirting very close to a personal best time on this set of C2s, but he's not quite close enough yet. Kvyat is also struggling to match his personal best on the C4s.
Vettel is out, but just before, Verstappen jumps up to third in the order after a brief spell in the pits.
What’s going wrong at Williams? The Autosport team discusses the British outfit’s plight after it emerged it is almost certain to have to wait until at least Wednesday to start its testing programme.
Sebastian Vettel is up over 150 laps now, currently on his 153rd lap. Impressive stuff.
While the laps on track are unappealing, Raikkonen has joined the fray to (hopefully) right that wrong.
Sainz joins Raikkonen as the newcomers on track. Already partying are Verstappen, Hamilton and Kvyat.
Kvyat hasn't been under a 1m25s in the last five laps on these softish C4 tyres. Those are the softest that have been used today.
After spending all afternoon on the C2, Sainz has taken the C4 that Kvyat is running and jumps to second on the timing screens.

The Spaniard managed a 1m19.318s to jump up the order.
Sainz's lap on the C4 Pirellis is still 1.157s slower than Vettel's benchmark on the harder C3 tyres.
Verstappen pits from a consistent run of laps, again on his apparently favoured C3s.
An excellent bit of accidental race sim from Mercedes as Hamilton catches and passes Kvyat's Toro Rosso on the main straight. Good work boys, overtakes for the win. Or FTW as the kids say...
Hamilton and Kvyat are the only cars left on track now. Kvyat hasn't managed to move back in and pass Hamilton.

Just under 33 minutes remain in the session.
Our table-topper Vettel is back out on track with half an hour's action remaining in Barcelona, with the sun disappearing over the main grandstand.

Hamilton is the only other driver on track, regularly above the 1m24s on his C2 tyres.
Vettel performs a drivethrough in the pitlane - hopefully not practicing future penalties - and is back out on track.
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Here's one final look at the times before the end of the session:

1 Vettel (Ferrari) 1m18.161s
2 Sainz (McLaren) 1m19.318s
2 Grosjean (Haas) 1m19.320s
4 Verstappen (Red Bull) 1m19.426s
5 Raikkonen (Alfa Romeo) 1m19.462s
6 Kvyat (Toro Rosso) 1m19.635s
7 Perez (Force India) 1m19.944s
8 Bottas (Mercedes) 1m20.127s
9 Hamilton (Mercedes) 1m20.135s
10 Hulkenberg (Renault) 1m20.980s
11 Ricciardo (Renault) 1m20.983s
Grosjean and Verstappen have headed out to give Vettel some company in the final half an hour of running. The media centre doesn't have many photographers in it right now, as they've all headed out to get "the light" now the sun is dropping.
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And here’s a final in-session lap count for today:

Vettel - 156
Verstappen - 112
Sainz - 107
Raikkonen - 100
Hamilton - 76
Kvyat - 73
Bottas - 69
Hulkenberg - 65
Grosjean - 54
Ricciardo - 44
Perez - 30
Raikkonen heads out as well.

By: Geoff Creighton

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