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Formula 1

Barcelona F1 test two day one

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While we wait for things to hot up on track, here's another chance to read ALEX KALINAUCKAS' take on why 2020 is a big season for Daniel Ricciardo and Renault.

Why Ricciardo needs to put anomalous 2019 behind him - F1 - Autosport Plus

Daniel Ricciardo's first season at Renault in 2019 offered plenty of promise, but ultimately no podiums. Now established as the Formula 1 team's lead driver, he needs that statistic to change in 2020 to keep his long-term options open

Why Ricciardo needs to put anomalous 2019 behind him - F1 - Autosport Plus
Norris was on the C5 tyres there, presumably putting a heat cycle through a new set.
And we have a car on the road! Lando Norris makes his way out on track.
Romain Grosjean is the only driver to remain in the car for the afternoon session, as everyone else makes way for team-mates.
AlphaTauri appears to be affixing a fence to the back of its AT01, which is being primed for Daniil Kvyat to take the wheel. We'd say it makes the car look a little strange, but we don't want them to take of-fence...
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Driving this afternoon is:
Alfa Romeo - Raikkonen
Williams - Russell
Red Bull - Verstappen
Renault - Ocon
Racing Point - Perez
AlphaTauri - Kvyat
Haas - Grosjean
Ferrari - Leclerc
Mercedes - Bottas
McLaren - Norris
There's the distinct tone of a V6 turbo-hybrid powertrain making a few tunes - but nobody's left the garage yet.
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Alex Albon, who will be replaced in the Red Bull by Max Verstappen this afternoon, confirms that it's prolonged spell in the garage this morning was caused by suspension problems.
Absolutely no one is venturing out right now. Bit lazy, if you ask us!
Green flag
And we're back for four more hours of testing!
There were plenty of concerned faces down at Red Bull this morning. We'll have more on that for you shortly.

There were plenty of concerned faces down at Red Bull this morning. We'll have more on that for you shortly.

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There's just under 10 minutes left of the lunch break before testing is once again in full swing.
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How many of these did you manage to spot from the lunch-time photo below? Patrick Tambay, Didier Pironi, Jacques Laffite, Jean-Pierre Jabouille, Gerard Larrousse, René Arnoux and with a fork in his hand, Patrick Depailler. If you got them all, treat yourself to a congratulatory brew.
Autosport
From cancelled Bahrain 2011 to the Dutch and Spanish GPs of 1956 that were interrupted by the Suez Crisis, ADAM COOPER charts the F1 races that fell through the cracks of time.

The potted history of F1's calendar cancellations - F1 - Autosport Plus

The postponement and seemingly inevitable cancellation of the Chinese Grand Prix makes it the latest in a long line of F1 events that haven't been staged as planned. A look back at some of the others that didn't make it reveals a few recurring themes

The potted history of F1's calendar cancellations - F1 - Autosport Plus
Should the race have to be cancelled due to the outbreak, it would join the long list of GP that were slated to happen before being chalked off. Perhaps most famous are the 1985 Belgian GP - rescheduled for later in the year after the track broke up - and the 1997 Portuguese GP, which was replaced with Jerez for the season finale. We all know how that one ended...

Should the race have to be cancelled due to the outbreak, it would join the long list of GP that were slated to happen before being chalked off. Perhaps most famous are the 1985 Belgian GP - rescheduled for later in the year after the track broke up - and the 1997 Portuguese GP, which was replaced with Jerez for the season finale. We all know how that one ended...

News
While you puzzle that conundrum, the organisers of the Vietnamese GP have announced that track works have been completed on its Hanoi circuit, but offered no update about how the coronavirus outbreak in the region might affect the event.

Hanoi track works completed ahead of inaugural Vietnam GP

Vietnam GP organisers say that work on the Hanoi track has been completed ahead of the first Formula 1 race at the venue on April 5

Hanoi track works completed ahead of inaugural Vietnam GP
Courtesy of the Motorsport Images archives, here's a glimpse at how lunch used to be. How many French drivers can you recognise here?

Courtesy of the Motorsport Images archives, here's a glimpse at how lunch used to be. How many French drivers can you recognise here?

Alas, it turns out that our speculating about the drivers eating pasties during their lunch break is wrong. Who would have thought it?
Autosport
From our man on the ground ALEX KALINAUCKAS, here's a recap of this morning's events as Alfa Romeo reserve driver Robert Kubica went fastest with the second quickest time of pre-season so far.

Barcelona F1 testing: Alfa's Kubica leads first morning of test two

Alfa Romeo Formula 1 reserve driver Robert Kubica set the fastest time on the opening morning of the second 2020 pre-season test at Barcelona, with Pierre Gasly second for AlphaTauri

Barcelona F1 testing: Alfa's Kubica leads first morning of test two
Autosport
Red Bull came on leaps and bounds last year with Honda power, and the Japanese marque's F1 managing director Masashi Yamamoto has set the ambitious target of incurring no engine change penalties this year - although Christian Horner concedes he would be open to taking a fourth engine if there was a performance advantage to be gained.

Red Bull targets no penalties from engine changes in 2020

Red Bull and Honda have targeted getting through the 2020 Formula 1 season without any unprescribed engine changes this season, amid growing optimism about the reliability of its power unit

Red Bull targets no penalties from engine changes in 2020
We reckon these fans will have enjoyed seeing the timesheets at the end of the morning running. They've had a hard time following their idol in recent years - surely never more than when a legion turned out to Monza for the World Endurance Championship Prologue in 2017 to see Kubica turn no laps after the rear wing of his ByKolles fell off while team-mate Oli Webb was at the wheel.

We reckon these fans will have enjoyed seeing the timesheets at the end of the morning running. They've had a hard time following their idol in recent years - surely never more than when a legion turned out to Monza for the World Endurance Championship Prologue in 2017 to see Kubica turn no laps after the rear wing of his ByKolles fell off while team-mate Oli Webb was at the wheel.

News
Meanwhile, in F1 support paddock news, Williams tester Roy Nissany will fill the final vacant seat at Trident, and thus completes the 22-car grid. Based on his form in 2018, it would be quite the turnaround if he were to become a title contender though.

Williams tester Roy Nissany completes F2 grid at Trident

Williams Formula 1 test driver Roy Nissany has become the final driver to be confirmed in FIA Formula 2 this season, returning to the F1 support category with Trident

Williams tester Roy Nissany completes F2 grid at Trident
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The full order is this:
Kubica - 1m16.942s
Gasly - 1m17.540s
Albon - 1m17.550s
Hamilton - 1m17.562s
Stroll - 1m17.787s
Vettel - 1m18.113s
Ricciardo - 1m18.214s
Sainz - 1m18.221s
Latifi - 1m18.300s
Grosjean - 1m18.670s
Alfa Romeo test driver Robert Kubica leads the opening session on Wednesday from AlphaTauri's Pierre Gasly and the Red Bull of Alex Albon. That would be a popular podium if that ever came to pass.
Checkered flag
Session one is over, time for the teams to regurgitate data and for the drivers to scoff a pasty, or something similar.
Gasly improves in the final minute to a 1m17.540s.
So it was an apparent engine issue which stopped Latifi earlier on, though the exact cause is still unknown.
Another small error for Hamilton on his way into the final complex. Rear of his Mercedes snapped on him on the way into Turn 13.
Improvement for Gasly in the closing stages on the C4 tyres. The AlphaTauri edges ahead of Stroll with a 1m17.773s.
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Here's a latest lap count as we move towards the final 15 minutes of the session:

Vettel 78
Hamilton 78
Ricciardo 53
Kubica 50
Latifi 48
Sainz 46
Grosjean 34
Stroll 36
Albon 19
Gasly 18
Albon jumps up to second ahead of Hamilton with a 1m17.550s on C2 tyres. Kubica's lap on the C5s still some six tenths quicker.
Sainz has come back into the pitlane for a brief stop, but is on his way again.
Meanwhile, Hamilton puts in his best lap of the session so far in second with a 1m17.562s on C2s.

By: Geoff Creighton

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