Jerez first 2014 test Test day one
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Jean-Eric Vergne F1 Toro Rosso 2014
Vergne pits after that five-lap run, and we're back to quiet on the track.
Another huge chunk for Vergne, who shaves three seconds off his previous benchmark to get down to a 1m36.530s.
That is still nearly seven seconds off Hamilton, but it is also the fifth lap of this stint - comfortably the longest run of this opening morning.
That is still nearly seven seconds off Hamilton, but it is also the fifth lap of this stint - comfortably the longest run of this opening morning.
First period of sustained running from Vergne. His third flyer yields a 1m39.161s, and also takes him to nine laps for the day, just one shy of Hamilton.
Raikkonen is the next best in terms of lap count, with two (only one completed under his own steam).
Raikkonen is the next best in terms of lap count, with two (only one completed under his own steam).
After that burst, Hamilton pits once more.
Vergne is still out though, and second time around dips down to a 1m41.398s.
Vergne is still out though, and second time around dips down to a 1m41.398s.
Stopwatch
A new best - Hamilton comes round in a 1m29.662s.
Vergne, in contrast, is on half chat down the straight.
Vergne, in contrast, is on half chat down the straight.
The day's two busiest man are at it again - Hamilton heads out in the Mercedes, followed very shortly be Vergne.
Jean-Eric Vergne F1 Toro Rosso 2014
Vergne pits to bring his own three-lap stint to a close. Six laps total for the Frenchman now, just one behind Hamilton and Mercedes.
Indeed we do - Vergne clocks a 1m43.299s for his first flyer of 2014.
The Frenchman comes round for a second lap, and it looks like we'll have our second time of the day.
Vergne is back out for Toro Rosso.
After our first two and a half hours of running, the order is:
1 Hamilton, Mercedes: 1m33.305s, 7 laps
2 Vergne, Toro Rosso: no time, 3 laps
3 Raikkonen, Ferrari: no time, 2 laps
4 Perez, Force India: no time, 1 lap
5 Gutierrez, Sauber: no time, 1 lap
1 Hamilton, Mercedes: 1m33.305s, 7 laps
2 Vergne, Toro Rosso: no time, 3 laps
3 Raikkonen, Ferrari: no time, 2 laps
4 Perez, Force India: no time, 1 lap
5 Gutierrez, Sauber: no time, 1 lap
Ferrari F1 2014
Here's our technical expert CRAIG SCARBOROUGH's full analysis of the new Ferrari. His judgement on the unveiling spec... conservative:
Ferrari F14 T technical analysis
As a comparison to Hamilton's time, the fastest lap on day one of this test last year was a 1m18.861s. The first flyer of the first day, meanwhile, was a 1m35.607s, set by Felipe Massa for Ferrari.
Take two for Raikkonen and Ferrari - the Finn is back out in the F14 T, almost two hours after his first, failed attempt.
Which means we're yet to see Red Bull, McLaren, Williams, Caterham or Marussia. Lotus of course is missing the entire test.
Gutierrez is the only other man to have completed a lap so far this morning.
Raikkonen and Perez have gone out, but both stopped on the back half of the track and had to be recovered.
Raikkonen and Perez have gone out, but both stopped on the back half of the track and had to be recovered.
Jean-Eric Vergne F1 Toro Rosso 2014
Vergne doesn't come round again, instead pitting after his second lap. He's onto three for the day.
Hamilton returns to the pits after that three-lap run.
Gutierrez pits, but Vergne stays on track to start his own first timed run.
Stopwatch
Hamilton's first flyer - and the first of the day - is a 1m33.305s.
Make that three, as Vergne heads out for Toro Rosso.
From the first flyer, we now have two cars on track for the first time, as Gutierrez heads out for Sauber.
Hamilton is very vaguely leaning on the car here - and he's onto his first flyer!
He hits 260km/h down the main straight as he begins that sixth lap.
He hits 260km/h down the main straight as he begins that sixth lap.
Gutierrez is back, and no sooner does the track go green than Hamilton fires up the W05 and heads back out for his fifth run of the day.
Quote
Esteban Gutierrez F1 Sauber 2014
Speaking of Gutierrez, the young Mexican admits adjusting to driving in F1 2014 will require massive effort:
"To adjust to a new car this year is pretty special because the regulations are quite a dramatic change.
"There's a difference in strategy, a difference in the way to drive the car and this will take a lot of time and analysis.
"Testing is going to be pretty important for this because obviously we want to go to the first race fully prepared and 100 per cent adapted to our package."
Swift response as ever by the pitcrew - a selection of Force India's team jumps into a course car and races off to the VJM07, which has stopped, as Raikkonen did, on the back part of the circuit.
Twitter
Sauber had just been building up to its first run of the day before that stoppage:
@OfficialSF1Team: "#Guti is in the car cranking the engine in preparation for the first outing of the #C33 #Jerez"
@OfficialSF1Team: "#Guti is in the car cranking the engine in preparation for the first outing of the #C33 #Jerez"
Force India
Our man at the trackside KEVIN TURNER just watched the Force India grind to a halt in front of him at Dry Sac.
Just before it did so, he managed to snap this picture of it moving. And we assume that's a portaloo in the frame as well.
Force India unveiled the VJM07 two hours ago. It's fair to say its nose has been one of the most attention-grabbing of an already controversial bunch:
Force India launches the VJM07
Compare it to the rest of the field in our gallery:
2014 F1 designs so far
Force India launches the VJM07
Compare it to the rest of the field in our gallery:
2014 F1 designs so far
Red flag
Perez won't complete that lap though - he's stopped out on circuit, and we're back to reds.
Which is the perfect time to bring you a round-up of the first two hours (disclaimer: this won't take long).
No driver has set a single timed lap, but we've now had four head out on single-lap runs.
Leading the way is Hamilton, who has clocked up four laps for Mercedes. Vergne has completed one for Toro Rosso, while Raikkonen stopped out on track on his first run.
No driver has set a single timed lap, but we've now had four head out on single-lap runs.
Leading the way is Hamilton, who has clocked up four laps for Mercedes. Vergne has completed one for Toro Rosso, while Raikkonen stopped out on track on his first run.
Sergey Sirotkin F1 Force India 2014
Meantime, we have another engine - and another new car! New Force India recruit Sergio Perez heads out in the VJM07.
While we're waiting patiently in the media centre for any sign of further action, JONATHAN NOBLE is discussing everything 2014 with Red Bull's design guru Adrian Newey.
We'll be bringing you all the latest interviews, rumours and paddock gossip across the four days at Jerez.
We'll be bringing you all the latest interviews, rumours and paddock gossip across the four days at Jerez.
Vergne is straight back in, but we now have six laps (counting the Ferrari's aborted attempted) on the board.
We have a third car to try a lap - Jean-Eric Vergne heads out (very gingerly) in the Toro Rosso.
Lewis Hamilton F1 Mercedes 2014
It is indeed Mercedes, as Hamilton heads out for a fourth run in the W05. It's as brief as the previous three though, and he's straight back in.
Aha. An engine (the sound is already starting to grow on us).
It's from the far end of the pitlane, which means the guessing game lottery starts. We're playing the percentages though and saying Mercedes...
It's from the far end of the pitlane, which means the guessing game lottery starts. We're playing the percentages though and saying Mercedes...
We've also crunched last year's data. Day one's 2013 tally? 637.
We're on maths duty in the media centre...we've established, through complex algorithms, that we're currently on around two laps per hour at Jerez.
Twitter
KEVIN TURNER's trackside assessment of a relaxed Ferrari crew was spot on:
@InsideFerrari: "No one attempted pit exit, only #Ferrari and Merc. New systems check long and complex process, #verycalmTeam nonetheless"
@InsideFerrari: "No one attempted pit exit, only #Ferrari and Merc. New systems check long and complex process, #verycalmTeam nonetheless"
By: Sam Tremayne, Glenn Freeman, Matt Beer, Kevin Turner
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