Barcelona F1 test day one
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Gary Anderson
It looks like the right rear wheel has come clean off the car, although I didn't see the incident.
The final chicane is quite brutal, so it might have been caused by hitting the kerbs but even so this shouldn't happen, especially with the wheel retaining system.
So something has gone wrong for McLaren - usually it's 'finger trouble' for something like this although it's not impossible it's something more problematic.
Things have started just as badly for McLaren this year as last year in testing with this off!
The final chicane is quite brutal, so it might have been caused by hitting the kerbs but even so this shouldn't happen, especially with the wheel retaining system.
So something has gone wrong for McLaren - usually it's 'finger trouble' for something like this although it's not impossible it's something more problematic.
Things have started just as badly for McLaren this year as last year in testing with this off!
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Alonso had set a purple first sector before that minor mishap. He'd completed five laps.
Marshals are scrambling to rescue the stricken MCL33, with one rolling the offending wheel back to the rest of the car - where a flatbed truck awaits.
Here's another distant view of the McLaren incident from EDD STRAW
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Crash
It looks like the McLaren managed to shed a wheel...
Red flag
Red flag! Alonso is in the gravel at the final corner!
Ricciardo improves to a 1m29.232s, but he's still five seconds off Alonso in second.
Alonso finds another second with a 1m24.202s, while Ricciardo gets his first time on the board to go third-fastest. The Aussie is on mediums for this run.
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The air temperature is at 5.5C and the track temperature is 11.7C
Not quite red hot wheel to wheel racing, but it's good to see two cars together on track already. What positions might Hartley and Grosjean be fighting for in 2018? (LAT Images)
It's a 1m25.925s from Alonso, who slots between Bottas and Raikkonen into second. The McLaren is using the red-marked super-softs.
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Ricciardo and Hartley both back out - expect some more laptimes shortly.
All eyes on every car's every move today
Grosjean brings the Haas back to the pits before setting a laptime, but Alonso is heading back out in the McLaren.
Grosjean joined on track by Ericsson in the Sauber now.
Gary Anderson
As the fastest time in pre-season testing last year was a 1m18.6s last year I'd be very disappointed if they didn't dip into the 1m16s - maybe a 16.8 a 16.9 - on a decent day this time.
Last year was a new set of regulations and the cars should have got better since then, on top of the track being resurfaced. These cars brake at 5-6g and in the braking areas down to Turn 1 and Turn 10, they move the surface and these ruts build up - you get this ripple on the track and that's what the MotoGP riders complained about, leading to the resurfacing.
But it won't be until later in testing we see the fast times - for comparison at lunchtime day one last year the fastest time was a 1m22.791s.
Last year was a new set of regulations and the cars should have got better since then, on top of the track being resurfaced. These cars brake at 5-6g and in the braking areas down to Turn 1 and Turn 10, they move the surface and these ruts build up - you get this ripple on the track and that's what the MotoGP riders complained about, leading to the resurfacing.
But it won't be until later in testing we see the fast times - for comparison at lunchtime day one last year the fastest time was a 1m22.791s.
Bottas back in the pits, with nine laps complete - most of anyone so far, you'll be shocked to hear.
Bottas now joined on track by Grosjean in the Haas.
Hartley trying out the Toro Rosso-Honda
Stopwatch
Another second gained by Bottas, who continues to circulate alone. It's a 1m22.952s, approaching the worst qualifying time from last year's Spanish Grand Prix.
Alonso's McLaren-Renault in action
The amount of fence-work on the Renault shows Gary Anderson's point about how many sensors teams will be running on these early laps
Stopwatch
Two more improvements by Bottas, who posts a 1m24.556s and then a 1m24.045s.
Stopwatch
Now it's a 1m25.234s from Bottas. Track temperature is just 10 degrees C at the moment, so don't expect any lap records to be shattered just yet despite the new surface.
Bottas is alone on track, with Stroll, Mazepin and Hulkenberg having all pitted.
Gary Anderson
The good thing about what we've seen so far is the cars that drove out of the pits all drove back in again, which is always good news!
Initial testing is just to see all the systems work, and some teams have already done a shakedown to do that. You want to make sure all the cooling systems work as expected, with lots of sensors on the pipes to measure pressure and back pressure to ensure the flow through the systems is good.
The initial running as far as car performance is concerned is to make sure the aero loads are correct. There will be more sensors than normal and the driver will be giving feedback as well as the team measuring the loads on the straights.
It's a good day for it, quite calm, so you get fairly decent readings. The key is to ensure everything on track matches the windtunnel and the CFD on top of the driver's feedback.
Initial testing is just to see all the systems work, and some teams have already done a shakedown to do that. You want to make sure all the cooling systems work as expected, with lots of sensors on the pipes to measure pressure and back pressure to ensure the flow through the systems is good.
The initial running as far as car performance is concerned is to make sure the aero loads are correct. There will be more sensors than normal and the driver will be giving feedback as well as the team measuring the loads on the straights.
It's a good day for it, quite calm, so you get fairly decent readings. The key is to ensure everything on track matches the windtunnel and the CFD on top of the driver's feedback.
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Stopwatch
Bottas finds 2.6 seconds next time by, as he sets a 1m26.124s.
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Stopwatch
Bottas unsurprisingly smashes Raikkonen's benchmark with a 1m28.762s on mediums.
And the Sauber from the front
Now the Force India has emerged in the hands of development driver Mazepin. Hulkenberg also back out in the Renault.
Here's a look at the the more Alfa end of the Sauber livery as Ericsson sets out
Autosport
And if you're underwhelmed by that Red Bull livery, you might agree with SCOTT MITCHELL'S column on how F1 teams could add a little more variety into their colours without compromising their values: 
Autosport
After raising eyebrows with its blue camouflage colours for last week's launch and shakedown, Red Bull has now revealed its definitive 2018 livery: 
F1 testing 2018: Red Bull reveals its RB14 car's racing livery
Red Bull has revealed the livery it will race in the 2018 Formula 1 season
By: Geoff Creighton
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