F1 Bahrain 2021 pre-season testing - Day 2
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Leclerc's first time is a 1m36.875s on the unmarked tyre.
That trio are now joined by Schumacher, the reigning F2 champion no doubt anxious to get some more representative running after a gearbox problem hampered him in the morning session yesterday.
Remember, Aston managed just 10 laps this morning with Vettel and will be keen for a trouble-free run this afternoon.
Action at last, as Leclerc, Gasly and Stroll each head out on track.
While we await the first taker for the afternoon session, how about a clue towards our Bahrain F1 rookies question earlier?
As a reminder of the marathon men, Alonso, Giovinazzi, Perez and Latifi will remain behind the wheel of their respective machines this afternoon.
The session may be green, but not that you would know it by the activity on track. No-one has headed out just yet.
As a reminder, we'll have a few driver swaps this afternoon. Bottas in the Mercedes, Leclerc in the Ferrari, Schumacher at Haas, Norris for McLaren, Gasly at AlphaTauri and Stroll for Aston Martin.
Green flag
Here we go then, the afternoon session is officially underway.
For reference, we're not including Pietro Fittipaldi and Jack Aitken's debuts in last year's Sakhir GP. Get your thinking caps on!
Tsunoda, Schumacher and Mazepin are due to make their F1 debuts in Bahrain, only the third time that the Kingdom has held the season-opener after 2006 and 2010. During the lunchbreak, we've compiled a list of the nine drivers who have made their debuts in the Bahrain GP - how many can you recall?
Continuing the talk of liveries earlier, surely no discussion can be completed without reference to the Orange Arrows' of the early 2000s?
Having expressed our admiration for Jost Capito's scarf choice earlier, I'm wondering whether we have a tea towel in similar fabric. Probably.
Jost Capito Bahrain F1 test 2021
Photo by: Motorsport Images
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As the teams take the opportunity to rifle through data and scoff some lunch, we'll take this opportunity to have a little light refreshment too before action resumes at 12. Hula Hoops anyone?
Now that we've had time to get used to the liveries, which is your favourite?
Personally, I'm digging the Alpine - which reminds me a lot of the 2001 Prost that Heinz-Harald Frentzen somehow qualified fourth for that year's Belgian GP. Just look at it.
Personally, I'm digging the Alpine - which reminds me a lot of the 2001 Prost that Heinz-Harald Frentzen somehow qualified fourth for that year's Belgian GP. Just look at it.
Heinz-Harald Frentzen, Prost, 2001 Belgian GP
Photo by: Motorsport Images
Breaking news
Here's the full report from this morning's action, as McLaren continued its encouraging start: https://www.autosport.com/f1/news/ricciardo-quickest-hamilton-spins-bahrain-f1-test-second-morning/5709954/
It's not all that common that we see cars in the Turn 13 gravel in Bahrain heading onto the back straight. Come to think of it, you very rarely see cars go that far off that they find the gravel in Bahrain at all, so expansive is the run-off.
We'll have Karun's full thoughts in a special column that will appear on Autosport.com later this week, so keep your eyes peeled for that!
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We have to look all the way down to eighth before we find Lewis Hamilton after another difficult morning for Mercedes that included a strange spin into the gravel, while Antonio Giovinazzi and Sebastian Vettel (whose running was severely hampered by gearbox woes) complete the top 10.
Nicholas Latifi is fourth for Williams, 0.326s from Ricciardo's benchmark time, with Yuki Tsunoda, Carlos Sainz Jr and Nikita Mazepin also within 1s of the pace.
Here's a rundown of how many laps each team has managed this morning - Aston Martin the clear big loser.
1. Haas 76
2. Alfa Romeo 73
3. Alpine 60
4. Mercedes 58
5. AlphaTauri 57
6. Ferrari 56
7. McLaren 52
8. Williams 47
9. Red Bull 39
10. Aston Martin 10
Sergio Perez is third on his first day with the Red Bull, ensuring the top three are all newbies to their respective teams (although, technically, Alonso is a returnee having been away from Team Enstone since the end of 2009).
Alas, it's Daniel Ricciardo who once again ends the morning session on top with McLaren, while the man driving Ricciardo's old car Fernando Alonso is second quickest on his return to an official F1 session.
Checkered flag
Vettel has also taken the opportunity to come out for some practice starts as the session officially comes to a close.
Green flag
Mazepin and Alonso have been released from the end of the pitlane and head out again.
Well, Vettel wouldn't have finished his flyer even without the red flags - for all cars to do practice starts together - as he locked up at Turn 11 and ran wide over the kerb.
No time then for Vettel to complete his flyer - he set a personal best first sector before the red came out.
Red flag
We've got a red flag.
While admiring (guilty, officer) pictures of the 2006 Spyker, we neglected to inform you that Vettel is indeed out on track.
Hamilton is currently circulating in the mid 1m37s on the mediums - a low-key morning for the champion, who is still down in eighth in the standings.
To correct our earlier post, looks like Sainz is actually on mediums rather than softs - apologies.
No surprises for guessing that the 2006 Midland didn't make it onto the list. Have there been many more forgettable Formula 1 cars ever?
Christijan Albers Midland MF1, Jerez 2005
Photo by: Motorsport Images
Any takers for a late improvement? Sainz may be the best candidate as he's just been sent out on softs.
This week's Autosport magazine has a top 5 run-down of the best machines to come out of the 'Team Silverstone' stable under it's previous guises as Jordan, Midland (remember that?), Spyker, Force India and Racing Point.
We won't give away the full list, but the somewhat controversial RP20 that won last year's Sakhir GP came in at number three.
We won't give away the full list, but the somewhat controversial RP20 that won last year's Sakhir GP came in at number three.
Looks like Vettel is gearing up for a quick run in the dying minutes of the session as he pulls on his helmet. No tyres affixed to his machine as yet though.
By: Jake Boxall-Legge, Tom Howard, James Newbold, Stephen Lickorish
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