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Formula 1

Barcelona F1 test day one

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Grosjean stays out to start his first proper run of the day (we hope) on white C2s. Sainz rejoins the action too.
You have to put some work in to get a shot of a Ferrari in the pits during testing, as the team has perfected the art of screen use when the thing comes to a stop. We managed to grab a quick snap of Vettel returning to the pits just now

You have to put some work in to get a shot of a Ferrari in the pits during testing, as the team has perfected the art of screen use when the thing comes to a stop. We managed to grab a quick snap of Vettel returning to the pits just now

Visually slightly interesting new things to look out for in F1 2019 #3: Sainz in a McLaren hat

Visually slightly interesting new things to look out for in F1 2019 #3: Sainz in a McLaren hat

Visually slightly interesting new things to look out for in F1 2019 #2: The logo/punctuation hybrid on Racing Point's halo

Visually slightly interesting new things to look out for in F1 2019 #2: The logo/punctuation hybrid on Racing Point's halo

Visually slightly interesting new things to look out for in F1 2019 #1: Kvyat's rather elegant new helmet design. Very classic.

Visually slightly interesting new things to look out for in F1 2019 #1: Kvyat's rather elegant new helmet design. Very classic.

Silent track again. We blame Hulkenberg, as he was the last car to come in.
Hulkenberg improves to a 1m23.665s on C3s with his 15th lap of the day.
Information
Drivers we've not seen times from yet this morning: Grosjean (3 laps), Kvyat (7 laps), Verstappen (1 lap).
A bit of news worth keeping in mind for F1 in the 2020s...? Red Bull signs a new teenage protege:

Red Bull adds Toyota Racing Series champ to junior team

Highly-rated New Zealander Liam Lawson has won a place on the Red Bull Junior programme and will race in Formula European Masters this season.

Red Bull adds Toyota Racing Series champ to junior team
Vettel returns to the pits. Hulkenberg is out there on - you guessed it - the yellow C3s. Presumably Renault's livery means the team is obliged to run tyres that match it at all times.
Scott Mitchell
The unmarked tyre isn't from Pirelli's other facility this time. It's a slight variation on the C3 compound, being run for development purposes here.
Vettel starts his 20th lap of the day, while Hulkenberg reappears in the Renault.
Perez returns to the pits, having taken in the old penultimate corner of the track, presumably because he couldn't be bothered with the chicane one last time on this run.
Now Perez moves up to third with a 1m21.850s on the unmarked tyres. Based on last year we reckon those will be C3s, as normally the unmarked tyres are the compound that's in the middle of the range. But we'll check and confirm for you shortly.
Perez improves to a 1m22.498s. He's still fourth, and is currently sharing the track with Vettel.
Perez sets his first time of the day, going fourth with a 1m24.049s. It looks like he's on unmarked tyres - last year those were one of the normal compounds, but just produced from a different Pirelli factory as the supplier made sure its back-up facility was producing compounds to the exact same specification as its main base.
Green flag
No major drama for the Ferrari driver, who just looped it around exiting the final chicane. He headed into the run-off to turn around, and stayed out to get this run going. Cold tyres (C2s, if you're asking), we reckon.
Crash
Vettel spins!
Kvyat's back out... and he's back in again. Bottas also returns to the pits, and Perez heads out.
Kvyat returns after another installation lap, while our current pacesetter Vettel heads back out.
We're going to guess this conversation from about half an hour ago went something like:

We're going to guess this conversation from about half an hour ago went something like: "Sorry I went into the gravel straight away, but I'll go back out and come very close to knocking my old team off first place if you want?"

Kvyat breaks the silence on track, followed by Bottas.
Autosport
Quiet at the track? You'll need something to listen to - such as Gary Anderson's rundown of what the F1 teams will be up to today in the latest Autosport podcast:

Information
Lap count:

Vettel 12
Bottas 11
Raikkonen 10
Sainz 10
Hulkenberg 9
Kvyat 4
Grosjean 3
Verstappen 1
Perez 1
The Alfa Romeo comes back to the pits, and the track falls silent for the first time since Raikkonen's off at Turn 5 brought out an early red flag.
Raikkonen cruises past the pits slowly, while we've had Grosjean and Kvyat appearing for single laps at a time and coming straight back in, both on the white-marked C2 tyres.
Raikkonen follows up his fastest overall first sector with two personal bests in the next two parts of the lap, and he crosses the line 0.025s slower than Vettel to stay second - just.
Raikkonen gains another place to move into second behind Vettel (who pits). 1m21.566s for the ex-Ferrari driver in the Alfa Romeo, and he starts the following lap with a best time overall in the first sector.
Raikkonen moves up to third with a 1m22.466s, kicking out plenty of sparks from the back of his Alfa Romeo as he crosses the line just a few seconds in front of former team-mate Vettel.
Sainz improves again to a 1m22.348s, in second behind Vettel.
Raikkonen is also on the yellow-marked tyres, so we have to thank McLaren and Alfa Romeo for listening to our pleas for everyone to run the easiest-to-identify tyre compound. Raikkonen's first timed lap of the day is a 1m24.629s.
Sainz goes second with a 1m23.111s running the yellow C3s.
Autosport
Here's more on the Racing Point's track debut:

Racing Point's 2019 F1 car revealed at start of pre-season testing

The Racing Point Formula 1 team has unveiled its 2019 car at the start of pre-season testing at Barcelona

Racing Point's 2019 F1 car revealed at start of pre-season testing
Sainz heads back out in the McLaren, as does Raikkonen in the Alfa, returning to the track after causing the first red flag of the morning earlier.
Stopwatch
Vettel goes faster again - 1m20.920s.
Another look at the Racing Point as it leaves the garage for the first time

Another look at the Racing Point as it leaves the garage for the first time

By: Geoff Creighton

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