Skip to main content

Sign up for free

  • Get quick access to your favorite articles

  • Manage alerts on breaking news and favorite drivers

  • Make your voice heard with article commenting.

Autosport Plus

Discover premium content
Subscribe
Live text
Formula 1

Barcelona F1 test day three

Live Text

Sort by
Hartley returns to the pits. Gradually, each of these cars driving down the pitlane are attracting less interest at the media centre window.
Ahhh yeah, here we go - we have a fifth car appearing. It's Hartley in the Toro Rosso. We reckon the transponder is accurate, as team-mate Gasly has only just finished a Twitter Q&A on the team's channel.
You've had photographic and video evidence it happened, so... why not have more proof that Kubica headed out of the pits a few minutes ago? (Sutton Images)

You've had photographic and video evidence it happened, so... why not have more proof that Kubica headed out of the pits a few minutes ago? (Sutton Images)

Bottas spotted by Williams having a nosey down at their garage, as the car took to the track for that install lap. Clearly keen to fill time on a quiet day and see what's going down at his old team.
Nope, not Stroll. Snow must have got into the timing screen, or the Williams transponder. It was Kubica - who is now back in the pits.
Stroll takes the Williams out to make it four cars that have appeared on track today.
We hear another engine...
There was a brief sound of engine revs coming from one of the garages just then, but no car venturing forth. Track temperature is still only 4.4C as the rain continues to fall.
Information
It's three and a quarter hours now since the session started. Four laps on the board in total in that time.
Rain
The snow might have stopped, but rain has taken its place and has got slightly heavier in the past few minutes.
Autosport
Here's a bit of (late) lunchtime reading for you while we're in this current lull. Valtteri Bottas says he would be "wasting my energy" spending time trying to exploit any of Mercedes F1 team-mate Lewis Hamilton's weaknesses:

Valtteri Bottas: Mind games with Lewis Hamilton a waste of energy

Valtteri Bottas says he will not "waste my energy" on playing mind games with Mercedes Formula 1 team-mate Lewis Hamilton in 2018

Valtteri Bottas: Mind games with Lewis Hamilton a waste of energy
Here's Ricciardo, digging his way out of the gravel in the Red Bull (LAT Images)

Here's Ricciardo, digging his way out of the gravel in the Red Bull (LAT Images)

This photo made us ask whether one of three drivers to have visited the track had an off earlier. The next photo should clear things up... (LAT Images)

This photo made us ask whether one of three drivers to have visited the track had an off earlier. The next photo should clear things up... (LAT Images)

Here's Ericsson heading out of the pits, before his swift return, from a little earlier on (LAT Images)

Here's Ericsson heading out of the pits, before his swift return, from a little earlier on (LAT Images)

Ricciardo pits. With no times set, the timing screens have the Aussie now at the top, presumably on account of having done two laps to Alonso's one.
Here's the second of the three cars we've seen on track today out there - and recent circuit returnee - Ricciardo in the RB14 (Sutton Images)

Here's the second of the three cars we've seen on track today out there - and recent circuit returnee - Ricciardo in the RB14 (Sutton Images)

But wait! Ricciardo is back out for a second go in the Red Bull now.
Straight back in the pits comes Ericsson. Fun while it lasted.
Another car heads out! It's Ericsson in the Sauber.
Gary Anderson
Testing is all about trying things and yesterday Red Bull experimented with what we call the vertical turning vane, which picks up the turbulent wake off the back of the front tyre. It’s obviously not getting the results expected, so Red Bull took it on and off and then today experimented with it off again.<br><br>It lets us see more detail on the leading edge of the sidepod and how the bargeboards pull airflow out from underneath the front of the chassis and onto this leading edge section.<br><br>Red Bull’s sidepod concept is quite different from others in that it’s the minimum possible size needed to house the cooling requirements within it - it really is a limpet style. The turbulent airflow coming off the rear of the tyre will affect it differently than on other cars, so this is could be why Red Bull is doing some experiments in this area.

Testing is all about trying things and yesterday Red Bull experimented with what we call the vertical turning vane, which picks up the turbulent wake off the back of the front tyre. It’s obviously not getting the results expected, so Red Bull took it on and off and then today experimented with it off again.

It lets us see more detail on the leading edge of the sidepod and how the bargeboards pull airflow out from underneath the front of the chassis and onto this leading edge section.

Red Bull’s sidepod concept is quite different from others in that it’s the minimum possible size needed to house the cooling requirements within it - it really is a limpet style. The turbulent airflow coming off the rear of the tyre will affect it differently than on other cars, so this is could be why Red Bull is doing some experiments in this area.

Autosport
The FW41 is one of eight cars that hasn't been on track today, but Williams and its drivers are at least keeping us busy on the news front. Sergey Sirotkin and Lance Stroll will each have two race engineers this season:

Williams F1 team gives Stroll and Sirotkin two race engineers each

Sergey Sirotkin and Lance Stroll will have two race engineers each for the 2018 Formula 1 season as part of an operational staffing reshuffle at Williams

Williams F1 team gives Stroll and Sirotkin two race engineers each
Ricciardo's back in the pits. Engine off. The crew have fans ready, although arguably heaters would be a better choice today.
Big news: Ricciardo's out lap middle sector wasn't as fast as Alonso's. And people say you can't read too much into testing...
Ricciardo becomes the second driver to take to the track today.
Here's the shot you've all been waiting for... the first car on track on Wednesday! (Sutton Images)

Here's the shot you've all been waiting for... the first car on track on Wednesday! (Sutton Images)

By: Geoff Creighton

Published: