F1 testing: Valtteri Bottas ends post-Spanish GP test fastest
Valtteri Bottas ended the second day of the post-Spanish Grand Prix Formula 1 test at Barcelona fastest overall, with his lap of 1m16.904s set shortly before lunch
The Mercedes driver used supersoft Pirellis for his best time after he and Ferrari's Antonio Giovinazzi swapped places several times in the hour before lunch.
Giovinazzi did not improve on his morning lap time, so ended up 0.068s behind Bottas with his time set on hypersofts and completed more laps than anyone with 148.
McLaren's Lando Norris claimed third with his final lap of the day, taking the chequered flag as he posted a 1m18.039s using soft Pirellis.
He had a spin at Turn 12 during the morning's running, and his McLaren caused a red flag in the afternoon when it stopped on track with a "minor issue" on an out-lap.
"It was into Turn 12, it's the one corner that has been quite tricky because of the wind," said Norris of his morning spin.
"It was more of a mistake on my part, I pushed the entry a bit too much and lost the rear.
"In F2 you're able to control the car more when you're oversteering and from what everyone's seen in F1, the high downforce and the new surface, it's quite tricky when it starts to go and it's hard to get back.
"It did no damage or anything, just a spin."
Kevin Magnussen was fourth fastest with his morning time, set on hypersofts, and caused one of two red flags in the afternoon when he pulled over between Turns 2 and 3.
Force India's Nikita Mazepin earned fifth overall and set his best time on softs with just under 20 minutes remaining.
Jack Aitken ended his first Formula 1 test for Renault in sixth, with his morning time set on ultrasofts.
Behind him, neither Sauber's Charles Leclerc nor Williams driver Robert Kubica improved in the afternoon, ending the day separated by 0.260s using hypersofts in seventh and eighth respectively.
Pierre Gasly took over the Toro Rosso that Sean Gelael drove for the first day and a half of the test, ending up ninth and 2.506s off the pace using mediums and ahead of the Pirelli test McLaren of Stoffel Vandoorne.
Jake Dennis improved his time to a 1m20.440s using mediums with an hour-and-a-quarter remaining, which put him 10th ahead of Gelael and the second Pirelli test car, Nicholas Latifi's Force India - the latter the fourth and final driver to improve during the afternoon.
Day two times
| Pos | Driver | Car | Time | Gap | Laps |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Valtteri Bottas | Mercedes | 1m16.904s | - | 139 |
| 2 | Antonio Giovinazzi | Ferrari | 1m16.972s | 0.068s | 148 |
| 3 | Lando Norris | McLaren/Renault | 1m18.039s | 1.135s | 80 |
| 4 | Kevin Magnussen | Haas/Ferrari | 1m18.274s | 1.370s | 75 |
| 5 | Nikita Mazepin | Force India/Mercedes | 1m18.344s | 1.440s | 112 |
| 6 | Jack Aitken | Renault | 1m18.942s | 2.038s | 120 |
| 7 | Charles Leclerc | Sauber/Ferrari | 1m18.993s | 2.089s | 139 |
| 8 | Robert Kubica | Williams/Mercedes | 1m19.253s | 2.349s | 123 |
| 9 | Pierre Gasly | Toro Rosso/Honda | 1m19.410s | 2.506s | 39 |
| 10 | Stoffel Vandoorne | McLaren/Renault | 1m19.914s | 3.010s | 96 |
| 11 | Jake Dennis | Red Bull/Renault | 1m20.440s | 3.536s | 75 |
| 12 | Sean Gelael | Toro Rosso/Honda | 1m20.763s | 3.859s | 83 |
| 13 | Nicholas Latifi | Force India/Mercedes | 1m21.412s | 4.508s | 121 |
FIA outlines plan for clampdown on halo-mounted F1 mirrors
Why talk of a Mercedes F1 tyre conspiracy in Spanish GP is rubbish
The pioneering pair who brought a new glory era to an F1 heavyweight
With the team’s founder now retired and a new boss at the helm, change was coming to Brabham – change that would shape the future of Formula 1. In the third part of our four-part history of Brabham, DAMIEN SMITH examines the effect Bernie Ecclestone had on the team
The combination behind the Silverstone racing battles Hamilton called "F1 at its best"
OPINION: The late battling in the British Grand Prix wowed Formula 1 fans and surely represents the best racing action of the season so far. And there was a cocktail of factors that created the action, from which Carlos Sainz emerged as a popular new winner
How Ferrari’s Monaco headache became its Silverstone migraine
OPINION: Ferrari won the British Grand Prix with Carlos Sainz, but it ultimately cost Charles Leclerc a chance to make a bigger dent in Max Verstappen's title lead by leaving the Monegasque out on old tyres towards the end. Like Monaco, indecision over strategy proved to be the Scuderia's biggest issue - and if the team doesn't reflect, the headache can only intensify
The five factors behind Sainz winning a British GP he’d twice lost
Formula 1 has a newest race winner, in a grand prix the victor appeared to have lost twice, only to charge back to headline a sensational and dramatic British Grand Prix. From a massive start crash to a late sprint finish, here’s how five factors saw Carlos Sainz take his maiden grand prix win
Why there was no case to answer in Aston’s latest F1 copycat saga
The appearance of a revised Aston Martin in Spain caused controversy but PAT SYMONDS explains why the FIA investigation found the Silverstone team had no case to answer
Why it's Red Bull that really leads a three-way fight so far at Silverstone
After a slow start to Friday at Silverstone, all the Formula 1 teams had to effectively cram in a day’s worth of practice into one hour. But there was still plenty to learn and while Ferrari topped the times, a three-way battle is brewing ahead of the British Grand Prix
Why the future is bright for the British GP
It wasn’t so long ago the situation looked bleak at Silverstone with the future of the British Grand Prix under threat. But a transformation has seen it restored to one of the most important races on the Formula 1 calendar, with bigger and better to come
Could mixed fortunes for F1's leading Brits turn around at Silverstone?
For the first time in many years, none of the local racers starts among the favourites for the British Grand Prix. But George Russell, Lewis Hamilton and Lando Norris could have reasons for optimism