The chequered flag flew at the Bahrain International Circuit on Thursday, signalling the mid-way point of winter testing ahead of the 2014 Formula 1 season.
It was a far more productive day for all 11 teams in attendance, despite there being four red flag periods, with 671 laps being completed overall.
With the track conditions improving and temperatures hovering around the 22 degree mark, lap times tumbled throughout the day and soon bettered Nico Hulkenberg's best effort from day one - although times are more or less irrelevant at the moment.
The focus continued to be on reliability, although some teams did manage to complete some longer performance runs with their 2014 challengers. Unlike the opening day, there was no delay to the start of the session.
However, just like the previous session, there was an almost immediate red flag. Nico Rosberg's Mercedes W05 ground to a halt at turn eight with a sensor problem. It was an issue that would return later in the day.
Day two marked the half-way point of pre-season testing, and there were promising signs for the Renault-powered teams. After a tough first day in Bahrain, Red Bull and Toro Rosso both managed over 50 laps and Caterham continued to gain plenty of mileage with its CT05.
However, Lotus - who announced on Thursday morning that they will continue to be powered by Renault from "2014 and beyond" - struggled once again with its recently revealed E22. Romain Grosjean's day started with a short wait in the garage, and the car was rarely seen in the afternoon.
In comparison to his recent outings in the new McLaren MP4-29, it was a rather quiet day for Kevin Magnussen. The Danish driver set the fastest time of the day, easily beating the previous day's benchmark from Hulkenberg, with a 1m34.910.
The Woking-based outfit's 2014 rookie managed 81 laps on Wednesday but only completed eight before stopping for lunch on Thursday. However, he had a far more productive afternoon to increase his tally to 45.
His best time was just 2.6 seconds down on the pole time from the 2013 Bahrain Grand Prix - set by Nico Rosberg - and was 1.5 seconds clear of Hulkenberg's Force India. The German driver had another strong day in the car, with his best time of a 1m36.445 being set on the soft Pirelli tyre - Magnussen's was set on the super-soft compound.
The VJM07 lapped the 3.63-mile circuit 59 times with Hulkenberg at the wheel, on his last day of the second test in the car. Fernando Alonso completed 96 laps in the Ferrari F14 T after a trouble-free day that included several long runs.
His fastest lap was 1.6 seconds down on Magnussen's time, but was four tenths clear of Nico Rosberg. The German's running was cut short twice over the course of the day due to sensor failures, which meant the car had to be shut down on track - causing two of the four red flags.
Valtteri Bottas topped the lap count, making up for the time lost on the opening day. He got 116 laps under his belt at the wheel of the FW36 and set the fifth fastest time. Kamui Kobayashi leaped up to sixth place after a late improvement.
It was another productive day for Caterham and its CT05, completing the most laps of any Renault-powered car. Kobayashi's best time was just under five seconds down on the top time. Sebastian Vettel set the seventh fastest time and put 58 laps on the board, more than the previous five test days combined.
Jean-Eric Vergne took to the track with the Toro Rosso STR9 and, like Red Bull, managed to complete 58 laps. It was a more promising day for the Italian team following a disastrous opening day for Daniil Kvyat.
Esteban Gutierrez brought out the third red flag of the day but managed to return to the track, giving the Sauber team 55 laps worth of data. His ninth fastest time was nine tenths quicker than Romain Grosjean's best effort, with Lotus team struggling to get the new E22 out on track once again.
It was a similar story with Marussia. Jules Bianchi failed to set a time on Wednesday after managing just three laps with the new MR03. A fuel system problem meant Max Chilton had to wait until the closing stages of the session to add to his lap tally.
Day two was a better one for many, but there were still plenty of issues. Some looked to have started some performance running while others continued to iron out mechanical issues with their 2014 machinery.
Day 2 Times:
1. Magnussen (McLaren) 1m34.910 – 45 laps
2. Hulkenberg (Force India) 1m36.445 – 59 laps
3. Alonso (Ferrari) 1m36.516 – 96 laps
4. Rosberg (Mercedes) 1m36.965 – 84 laps
5. Bottas (Williams) 1m37.328 – 116 laps
6. Kobayashi (Caterham) 1m39.855 – 65 laps
7. Vettel (Red Bull Racing) 1m40.340 – 58 laps
8. Vergne (Toro Rosso) 1m40.609 – 58 laps
9. Gutierrez (Sauber) 1m40.717 – 55 laps
10. Grosjean (Lotus) 1m41.670 – 18 laps
11. Chilton (Marussia) 1m42.511 – 17 laps
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| © McLaren Mercedes |
With the track conditions improving and temperatures hovering around the 22 degree mark, lap times tumbled throughout the day and soon bettered Nico Hulkenberg's best effort from day one - although times are more or less irrelevant at the moment.
The focus continued to be on reliability, although some teams did manage to complete some longer performance runs with their 2014 challengers. Unlike the opening day, there was no delay to the start of the session.
However, just like the previous session, there was an almost immediate red flag. Nico Rosberg's Mercedes W05 ground to a halt at turn eight with a sensor problem. It was an issue that would return later in the day.
 |
| © Lotus F1 Team |
However, Lotus - who announced on Thursday morning that they will continue to be powered by Renault from "2014 and beyond" - struggled once again with its recently revealed E22. Romain Grosjean's day started with a short wait in the garage, and the car was rarely seen in the afternoon.
In comparison to his recent outings in the new McLaren MP4-29, it was a rather quiet day for Kevin Magnussen. The Danish driver set the fastest time of the day, easily beating the previous day's benchmark from Hulkenberg, with a 1m34.910.
The Woking-based outfit's 2014 rookie managed 81 laps on Wednesday but only completed eight before stopping for lunch on Thursday. However, he had a far more productive afternoon to increase his tally to 45.
 |
| © Sahara Force India F1 Team |
His best time was just 2.6 seconds down on the pole time from the 2013 Bahrain Grand Prix - set by Nico Rosberg - and was 1.5 seconds clear of Hulkenberg's Force India. The German driver had another strong day in the car, with his best time of a 1m36.445 being set on the soft Pirelli tyre - Magnussen's was set on the super-soft compound.
The VJM07 lapped the 3.63-mile circuit 59 times with Hulkenberg at the wheel, on his last day of the second test in the car. Fernando Alonso completed 96 laps in the Ferrari F14 T after a trouble-free day that included several long runs.
His fastest lap was 1.6 seconds down on Magnussen's time, but was four tenths clear of Nico Rosberg. The German's running was cut short twice over the course of the day due to sensor failures, which meant the car had to be shut down on track - causing two of the four red flags.
Valtteri Bottas topped the lap count, making up for the time lost on the opening day. He got 116 laps under his belt at the wheel of the FW36 and set the fifth fastest time. Kamui Kobayashi leaped up to sixth place after a late improvement.
It was another productive day for Caterham and its CT05, completing the most laps of any Renault-powered car. Kobayashi's best time was just under five seconds down on the top time. Sebastian Vettel set the seventh fastest time and put 58 laps on the board, more than the previous five test days combined.
 |
| © Red Bull/Getty Images |
Esteban Gutierrez brought out the third red flag of the day but managed to return to the track, giving the Sauber team 55 laps worth of data. His ninth fastest time was nine tenths quicker than Romain Grosjean's best effort, with Lotus team struggling to get the new E22 out on track once again.
It was a similar story with Marussia. Jules Bianchi failed to set a time on Wednesday after managing just three laps with the new MR03. A fuel system problem meant Max Chilton had to wait until the closing stages of the session to add to his lap tally.
Day two was a better one for many, but there were still plenty of issues. Some looked to have started some performance running while others continued to iron out mechanical issues with their 2014 machinery.
Day 2 Times:
1. Magnussen (McLaren) 1m34.910 – 45 laps
2. Hulkenberg (Force India) 1m36.445 – 59 laps
3. Alonso (Ferrari) 1m36.516 – 96 laps
4. Rosberg (Mercedes) 1m36.965 – 84 laps
5. Bottas (Williams) 1m37.328 – 116 laps
6. Kobayashi (Caterham) 1m39.855 – 65 laps
7. Vettel (Red Bull Racing) 1m40.340 – 58 laps
8. Vergne (Toro Rosso) 1m40.609 – 58 laps
9. Gutierrez (Sauber) 1m40.717 – 55 laps
10. Grosjean (Lotus) 1m41.670 – 18 laps
11. Chilton (Marussia) 1m42.511 – 17 laps
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