The second winter test of the 2014 Formula 1 season has come to a close, following a heavily disrupted fourth day of on-track action at the Bahrain International Circuit.
There will now be a four-day break before the 11 teams return to the 3.63-mile track for the final pre-season test.
It will certainly be a busy period for the whole F1 paddock, as this year's cars are prepared for their final runs before the season opener in Australia. Upgrades and parts will be flown in before the final four-day event kicks off on Thursday.
Nico Rosberg set the pace on the fourth day, with a 1m33.283. In fact, it was the fastest time of the whole test. The German driver completed 89 laps over the course of the day, but a problem at the start of the final hour meant his running was cut short.
However, it was still a positive end to the test for Mercedes. The W05 looked fast and reliable once again, so it is no surprise that the team has been labelled pre-season favourites. Jenson Button finished the fourth day with the second fastest time. His quickest lap was 1.6 seconds slower than Rosberg's, but the Brit only completed 66 laps.
He had a busy morning but the MP4-29 was rarely seen in the afternoon. Kimi Raikkonen's day in the F14 T came to a dramatic end after he crashed in the closing stages of the session.
The 'Iceman' lost control of the car at turn four and made contact with the barrier. He didn't lose much track time, as there was only five minutes left on the clock, but it did bring out the fifth red flag of the day. He set the third fastest time and managed 81 laps in the latest F1 machine to emerge from Maranello.
Felipe Nasr was announced as the Williams F1 Team's reserve and test driver for the 2014 season in the early hours of Saturday morning. The Grove-based squad had not confirmed its driver schedule prior to the test and many expected the young Brazilian to drive the FW36.
He did just that, taking to the track and completing 87 laps in the Mercedes-powered car. It was the former GP2 racer's first time driving a Formula 1 car, and he certainly gained plenty of experience in Bahrain. His best lap was good enough for fourth, 4.2 seconds down on Rosberg, and the new car looked reliable once again.
Pastor Maldonado's second consecutive day at the wheel of the new Lotus E22 was a more encouraging one. He set the fifth fastest time and did manage 59 laps, although he did cause one red flag. The session was far from smooth, with a few small electronic glitches, but it was more trouble-free.
He said: "We gained a lot more laps today and it was good for me to get time in the car. There was a lot of work with different settings, aero runs and similar which meant there was quite a lot to think about, but I think it all went well. The car was much more reliable which has helped with our work and hopefully it’s a good sign for next week."
Sergio Perez set the sixth fastest time but he could only complete 19 laps on Saturday. He caused a red flag mid-way through the day and the Force India team was forced to end its day two hours early thanks to a drivetrain issue. It was a disappointing day for the Silverstone-based outfit.
Red Bull Racing suffered similar fortunes. The RB10 completed just 15 laps with Daniel Ricciardo at the wheel, and the Milton Keynes-based squad was also forced to cut short its running thanks to more mechanical issues.
It has been another disastrous test for the team, although it showed more promise in comparison to Jerez. Toro Rosso had a similarly unproductive day. Jean-Eric Vergne lapped the Bahrain International Circuit just 19 times and set the eighth fastest time.
Marcus Ericsson was in the Caterham CT05 in the morning but an electrical problem cut short his running. He caused the first red flag of the day after he stopped out on track with just four laps on the board. Repairs to the car then delayed Kamui Kobayashi's time in the car.
The Japanese driver set the ninth fastest time, two seconds faster than Ericsson's best lap, and managed 17 laps in the final hour of the session. The Sauber C33 was rarely seen out on track on Saturday.
Adrian Sutil was forced to spectate for most of the morning after the team found a problem with an internal part of the monocoque and when he did, finally, take to the circuit, the car stopped working. It was a poor end to what had been a promising test for the Swiss outfit, with Sutil managing just seven laps in total.
He said: "It was a disappointing day. We lost valuable time on track, even though the pit crew did an incredible job to have the car back together in the afternoon. These things happen when you are testing, and we learn from this. Now we will focus on getting the most out the four days we have left."
Marussia had a terrible day once again. Jules Bianchi could only complete three laps on Wednesday and he only managed to add five to his overall tally. After a huge team effort, the MR03 emerged for one final one to test some parts for the third and final test, but Raikkonen's crash ended it early.
The second winter test has seen teams continue to focus on reliability. However, we have seen some performance running take place - particularly from the Mercedes-powered cars, which have a clear reliability advantage. Stay tuned, as I will have a blog jam-packed full of stats from the four-day event.
Now the team's look ahead to the final winter test which takes place from the 27th February to the 2nd March, as preparations for the start of the 2014 season continue.
Day 4 Times:
1. Rosberg (Mercedes) 1m33.283 - 89 laps
2. Button (McLaren) 1m34.957 - 66 laps
3. Raikkonen (Ferrari) 1m36.718 - 81 laps
4. Nasr (Williams) 1m37.569 - 87 laps
5. Maldonado (Lotus) 1m38.707 - 59 laps
6. Perez (Force India) - 1m39.258 - 19 laps
7. Ricciardo (Red Bull) 1m39.837 - 15 laps
8. Vergne (Toro Rosso) 1m40.472 – 19 laps
9. Kobayashi (Caterham) 1m43.027 – 17 laps
10. Ericsson (Caterham) 1m45.094 – 4 laps
11. Sutil (Sauber) no time - 7 laps
12. Bianchi (Marussia) no time – 5 laps
 |
| © Mercedes AMG Petronas |
It will certainly be a busy period for the whole F1 paddock, as this year's cars are prepared for their final runs before the season opener in Australia. Upgrades and parts will be flown in before the final four-day event kicks off on Thursday.
Nico Rosberg set the pace on the fourth day, with a 1m33.283. In fact, it was the fastest time of the whole test. The German driver completed 89 laps over the course of the day, but a problem at the start of the final hour meant his running was cut short.
 |
| © Ferrari |
He had a busy morning but the MP4-29 was rarely seen in the afternoon. Kimi Raikkonen's day in the F14 T came to a dramatic end after he crashed in the closing stages of the session.
The 'Iceman' lost control of the car at turn four and made contact with the barrier. He didn't lose much track time, as there was only five minutes left on the clock, but it did bring out the fifth red flag of the day. He set the third fastest time and managed 81 laps in the latest F1 machine to emerge from Maranello.
Felipe Nasr was announced as the Williams F1 Team's reserve and test driver for the 2014 season in the early hours of Saturday morning. The Grove-based squad had not confirmed its driver schedule prior to the test and many expected the young Brazilian to drive the FW36.
He did just that, taking to the track and completing 87 laps in the Mercedes-powered car. It was the former GP2 racer's first time driving a Formula 1 car, and he certainly gained plenty of experience in Bahrain. His best lap was good enough for fourth, 4.2 seconds down on Rosberg, and the new car looked reliable once again.
Pastor Maldonado's second consecutive day at the wheel of the new Lotus E22 was a more encouraging one. He set the fifth fastest time and did manage 59 laps, although he did cause one red flag. The session was far from smooth, with a few small electronic glitches, but it was more trouble-free.
 |
| © Sahara Force India F1 Team |
Sergio Perez set the sixth fastest time but he could only complete 19 laps on Saturday. He caused a red flag mid-way through the day and the Force India team was forced to end its day two hours early thanks to a drivetrain issue. It was a disappointing day for the Silverstone-based outfit.
Red Bull Racing suffered similar fortunes. The RB10 completed just 15 laps with Daniel Ricciardo at the wheel, and the Milton Keynes-based squad was also forced to cut short its running thanks to more mechanical issues.
It has been another disastrous test for the team, although it showed more promise in comparison to Jerez. Toro Rosso had a similarly unproductive day. Jean-Eric Vergne lapped the Bahrain International Circuit just 19 times and set the eighth fastest time.
Marcus Ericsson was in the Caterham CT05 in the morning but an electrical problem cut short his running. He caused the first red flag of the day after he stopped out on track with just four laps on the board. Repairs to the car then delayed Kamui Kobayashi's time in the car.
The Japanese driver set the ninth fastest time, two seconds faster than Ericsson's best lap, and managed 17 laps in the final hour of the session. The Sauber C33 was rarely seen out on track on Saturday.
Adrian Sutil was forced to spectate for most of the morning after the team found a problem with an internal part of the monocoque and when he did, finally, take to the circuit, the car stopped working. It was a poor end to what had been a promising test for the Swiss outfit, with Sutil managing just seven laps in total.
He said: "It was a disappointing day. We lost valuable time on track, even though the pit crew did an incredible job to have the car back together in the afternoon. These things happen when you are testing, and we learn from this. Now we will focus on getting the most out the four days we have left."
 |
© Sauber F1 Team
|
Marussia had a terrible day once again. Jules Bianchi could only complete three laps on Wednesday and he only managed to add five to his overall tally. After a huge team effort, the MR03 emerged for one final one to test some parts for the third and final test, but Raikkonen's crash ended it early.
The second winter test has seen teams continue to focus on reliability. However, we have seen some performance running take place - particularly from the Mercedes-powered cars, which have a clear reliability advantage. Stay tuned, as I will have a blog jam-packed full of stats from the four-day event.
Now the team's look ahead to the final winter test which takes place from the 27th February to the 2nd March, as preparations for the start of the 2014 season continue.
Day 4 Times:
1. Rosberg (Mercedes) 1m33.283 - 89 laps
2. Button (McLaren) 1m34.957 - 66 laps
3. Raikkonen (Ferrari) 1m36.718 - 81 laps
4. Nasr (Williams) 1m37.569 - 87 laps
5. Maldonado (Lotus) 1m38.707 - 59 laps
6. Perez (Force India) - 1m39.258 - 19 laps
7. Ricciardo (Red Bull) 1m39.837 - 15 laps
8. Vergne (Toro Rosso) 1m40.472 – 19 laps
9. Kobayashi (Caterham) 1m43.027 – 17 laps
10. Ericsson (Caterham) 1m45.094 – 4 laps
11. Sutil (Sauber) no time - 7 laps
12. Bianchi (Marussia) no time – 5 laps
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