Bahrain F1 test: Nico Rosberg keeps Mercedes ahead as test ends
Mercedes led the way for the second consecutive day in Formula 1 testing in Bahrain, as Nico Rosberg set the fastest time of the week while rival Red Bull continued its miserable pre-season
The three-time grand prix winner became the only driver to break into the 1m33s with a blistering set of short runs on Pirelli's soft tyre in the morning before completing a race run of more than 50 laps in the afternoon.
Meanwhile, Red Bull managed just 15 laps with Daniel Ricciardo as the team encountered yet more problems with its troublesome new car.
The team parked the RB10 early with software and mechanical issues and spent much of the afternoon working furiously on the car in the garage.
The other Renault-engined teams also endured a difficult day.
Jean-Eric Vergne completed just 19 laps in the Toro Rosso, while Pastor Maldonado suffered another glut of problems with the Lotus E22, though he did manage 59 laps between issues and the fastest time by a Renault-powered car so far.
Caterham managed nearly 100 laps with Marcus Ericsson yesterday, but an electrical issue restricted the Swede to just four today.
Team-mate Kamui Kobayashi took the repaired car out and managed 17 laps in the final hour.
Jenson Button's McLaren-Mercedes went second fastest for the second consecutive day, racking up 66 laps as the Woking squad continued its solid showing in Bahrain.
Of the other Mercedes-engined teams, new Williams signing Felipe Nasr managed nearly 90 laps and went fourth fastest on his F1 driving debut, while Force India's Sergio Perez was sixth quickest on his first day in the VJM07, but had his running curtailed by a gearbox issue after just 19 laps.
Kimi Raikkonen bounced back from a telemetry issue yesterday to log 82 laps for Ferrari and post the third quickest time on Pirelli's soft tyre.
He got within two tenths of Fernando Alonso's best lap on day two, but brought the test to an early halt when he crashed his Ferrari at Turn 4.
Adrian Sutil only managed seven laps after Sauber found a problem with its chassis in the morning, while Marussia encountered engine and fuel problems that restricted Jules Bianchi to just five circuits.
Pos Driver Team Time Gap Laps 1. Nico Rosberg Mercedes 1m33.283s 89 2. Jenson Button McLaren-Mercedes 1m34.957s +1.674s 66 3. Kimi Raikkonen Ferrari 1m36.718s +3.435s 82 4. Felipe Nasr Williams-Mercedes 1m37.569s +4.286s 87 5. Pastor Maldonado Lotus-Renault 1m38.707s +5.424s 59 6. Sergio Perez Force India-Mercedes 1m39.258s +5.975s 19 7. Daniel Ricciardo Red Bull-Renault 1m39.837s +6.554s 15 8. Jean-Eric Vergne Toro Rosso-Renault 1m40.472s +7.189s 19 9. Kamui Kobayashi Caterham-Renault 1m43.027s +9.744s 17 10. Marcus Ericsson Caterham-Renault 1m45.094s +11.811s 4 11. Jules Bianchi Marussia-Ferrari no time 5 12. Adrian Sutil Sauber-Ferrari no time 7
Hamilton says Mercedes F1 team 'way ahead' of what he expected
Bahrain F1 test: 'Major' Renault engine issue halts STR
The historic clues that offer hints of Hamilton’s next move
OPINION: Uncertainty over Lewis Hamilton's future has persisted since the race direction call that denied him an eighth world title in Abu Dhabi last month. But while walking away would be understandable, Hamilton has time and again responded well in the face of adversity and possesses all the tools needed to bounce back stronger than ever
What the FIA must do to restore F1’s credibility
OPINION: The first stage of the 2022 Formula 1 pre-season is just over a month away, but the championship is still reeling from the controversial results of last year’s finale. The FIA acknowledges F1 has had its reputation dented as a result, so here’s how it could go about putting things right
The six F1 subplots to watch in 2022 as a new era begins
As Formula 1 prepares to begin a new era of technical regulations in 2022, Autosport picks out six other key elements to follow this season
Why newly-retired Raikkonen won't miss F1
After 349 grand prix starts, 46 fastest laps, 21 wins and one world championship, Kimi Raikkonen has finally called time on his F1 career. In an exclusive interview with Autosport on the eve of his final race, he explains his loathing of paddock politics and reflects on how motorsport has changed over the past two decades
Unpacking the technical changes behind F1 2022's rules shakeup
Formula 1 cars will look very different this year as the long-awaited fresh rules finally arrive with the stated aim of improving its quality of racing. Autosport breaks down what the return of 'ground effect' aerodynamics - and a flurry of other changes besides - means for the teams, and what fans can expect
Why new era F1 is still dogged by its old world problems
OPINION: The 2022 Formula 1 season is just weeks away from getting underway. But instead of focusing on what is to come, the attention still remains on what has been – not least the Abu Dhabi title decider controversy. That, plus other key talking points, must be resolved to allow the series to warmly welcome in its new era
The Schumacher trait that will give Haas hope in F1 2022
Mick Schumacher’s knack of improving during his second season in a championship was a trademark of his junior formula career, so his progress during his rookie Formula 1 campaign with Haas was encouraging. His target now will be to turn that improvement into results as the team hopes to reap the rewards of sacrificing development in 2021
The “glorified taxi” driver central to F1’s continued safety push
As the driver of Formula 1’s medical car, Alan van der Merwe’s job is to wait – and hope his skills aren’t needed. JAMES NEWBOLD hears from F1’s lesser-known stalwarts