Barcelona F1 test day two
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Gary Anderson
Yesterday late afternoon the track was wet enough for rooster tails to be produced. If it does rain again, we’re going to try and take a look in detail at them to see what differences we can see between the cars in terms of how they are affecting the wake off the car. When there’s a certain amount of water there, but not too much, it gives you a reasonable indication.
I’d never really thought about it before, but watching the cars on the main straight from the media centre in these conditions I could see differences in terms of where the wake connects up to the rear of the car, and also off the front wheels to the sidepods and underfloor.
I need to have a bit more of a look if it rains again, and spend some more time thinking about it, but there’s definitely something to learn from this.
I’d never really thought about it before, but watching the cars on the main straight from the media centre in these conditions I could see differences in terms of where the wake connects up to the rear of the car, and also off the front wheels to the sidepods and underfloor.
I need to have a bit more of a look if it rains again, and spend some more time thinking about it, but there’s definitely something to learn from this.
Let's have another tech thought from Gary Anderson, shall we?
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There are a few flakes of snow beginning to fall here at Barcelona. Where's the snow icon when you need it?
Sainz is back in the pits, as is everyone else now. Silence reigns.
All that track, and this happens...
Track temperature has fallen to just under 8 degrees C as we enter the final 90 minutes of the day's running. Sainz heads back on track in the Renault.
Vettel and Verstappen are now joined on track by Bottas.
The 100-lap mark is probably out of reach for Verstappen/Red Bull but they are soldiering on after a disjointed day
Vettel and Verstappen have the track to themselves at the moment (every time we type a post like that, someone else goes out, in this case, Kubica). Verstappen's last lap was only three tenths down on his best.
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Here's a lap count update for you:
Bottas: 90
Vettel: 85
Leclerc: 80
Ocon: 76
Gasly: 75
Sainz: 64
Verstappen: 56
Sirotkin: 52
Vandoorne: 37
Magnussen: 32
Kubica: 31
Bottas: 90
Vettel: 85
Leclerc: 80
Ocon: 76
Gasly: 75
Sainz: 64
Verstappen: 56
Sirotkin: 52
Vandoorne: 37
Magnussen: 32
Kubica: 31
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...keepers!
Finders...
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They're always watching...especially during testing
Verstappen is now 0.001s behind Vandoorne, having improved to a 1m20.326s.
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Verstappen gets into the 1m20s with a 1m20.687s. He stays fourth.
Two personal best sectors from Verstappen but he comes up a tenth short. He's 0.6s behind Vandoorne ahead of him, so he'd need to make quite a jump to gain any places.
Verstappen all-but matches his earlier 1m21.0s on this latest run on mediums.
Verstappen returns to the track. Red Bull managed to hit its 100-lap target yesterday, battling against the conditions by the end to get there. With Verstappen only on 38 laps heading into the final two hours, that target is going begging today, largely thanks to the fuel leak that wiped out the team's morning.
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Two improvements at once - Bottas joins Vettel in the 1m19s, doing so on mediums, and Kubica jumps up to seventh, ahead of Sirotkin, with a 1m21.495s.
It's been more than two hours since McLaren declared Vandoorne was going for lunch. He must have had a fair few courses by now.
Kubica's first quick lap is a 1m22.3s, two tenths slower than his best. He's up to 20 laps for the day.
Kubica is back out, warming up a set of softs, while Vettel returns to the pits and switches off this time after a quick practice at hitting his marks so his jack men can shake a little rust off as well. Decent amount of faith required from the person operating the rear jack, as he stood to the left of where Vettel would be entering, with his back facing the way the car was coming from.
Vettel pits after that eye-catching burst of quick times. He's 0.597s clear of Bottas, and heads straight back out.
Vettel's next attempt in his fast-slow-fast-slow-fast-slow sequence is a 1m20.1s. Half a second down on his best, but still faster than anyone else has managed today.
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Vettel finds even more time, getting down to a 1m19.673s with his next attempt.
Leclerc finally makes an improvement that does gain him a place - he moves ahead of Magnussen into 10th.
Vettel has another 1m27s cool-down lap, and he's going again...
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Here's something quite funky – David Coulthard will race a Mercedes! We should add that it's a 300SL – his "dream car" – and at Goodwood, rather than a W09 in Australia or anything like that: 
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Vettel makes use of that clear track behind Bottas to thump in a 1m19.964s - the fastest lap of the day.
Another improvement for Leclerc, but he stays at the bottom of the pile with a 1m23.0s.
That was short-lived. Vettel backs off for some clear track (posting a 1m27s after a 1m20s), so Bottas gets away.
Mercedes and Ferrari on track together alert - Bottas has joined the action in front of Vettel. Get those season preview photos in now.
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Here's a lap count update. Another good day so far for Toro Rosso-Honda...:
Bottas 72
Gasly 72
Vettel 65
Leclerc 65
Sainz 64
Sirotkin 52
Ocon 53
Vandoorne 37
Verstappen 37
Magnussen 32
Kubica 17
Bottas 72
Gasly 72
Vettel 65
Leclerc 65
Sainz 64
Sirotkin 52
Ocon 53
Vandoorne 37
Verstappen 37
Magnussen 32
Kubica 17
Leclerc keeps improving in the Sauber, but he's still six tenths away from making up a place.
Another improvement for Leclerc - 1m23.682s - but he's still 11th. 3.5 seconds cover the whole field today.
By: Geoff Creighton
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