The third winter test of the 2014 Formula 1 season continued on Saturday, with Felipe Massa setting the pace at the wheel of the FW36.
Despite it being the penultimate pre-season test session before the opening round in Australia, there were still plenty of reliability woes - particularly for Red Bull and Lotus.
The sun made a return following the cooler and overcast conditions of day two, but it wasn't shining over Sebastian Vettel as he suffered a disastrous day with the Renault-powered RB10.
The four-time champion could not even manage one lap on his first day back in the car, taking over driving duties from Daniel Ricciardo. It took well over two hours to get Red Bull's 2014 machine out on track and when it did; Vettel was forced to park it at turn four.
The Milton Keynes-based outfit's mechanics worked hard to get the German driver back on track for the afternoon session, but the RB10 once again ground to a halt. However, this time it was in the pit lane. Vettel even helped the marshals push the car back to the garage. Unfortunately he failed to reappear as the team's nightmare test continued.
Elsewhere, it was another hugely positive day for the Williams team. Felipe Massa was in the Mercedes-powered FW36 and not only set the fastest time of the day, but also of winter testing in Bahrain so far as the Grove-based outfit turned it up a notch.
His best lap of 1m33.258, which was set on the supersoft Pirelli tyre, beat Nico Rosberg's previous benchmark by the narrowest of margins. The Brazilian's test programme concluded on day three, with Valtteri Bottas taking over driving duties for the final session, after managing 99 laps.
Speaking about his day, Massa said: "We had a very good day today doing almost 100 laps. We did a lot more performance work in the car which is something that we haven't done so much of so far. I'm really happy with the car and feel we found a good balance.
"We did so much work on the set-up but it is very important that we go to Australia prepared. You can never be sure that you are 100% ready for the first race, but I feel that what we have done in these days testing has been important for making sure that we have a car that can not only get to the end of the race, but that will have good performance as well."
Rosberg's final day in the Mercedes W05 was another productive one. The German racked up 103 laps with a best time of 1m33.484. It was a largely trouble-free session for Rosberg, which was a positive for Mercedes after the team lost time on day two due to a gearbox problem. Kimi Raikkonen set the third fastest time in the Ferrari F14 T. He managed 87 laps in the car and was one of several drivers who jumped up the timesheets in the final hour.
It was a slow morning for the Finn, but his afternoon was far more successful. McLaren rookie Kevin Magnussen completed 88 laps and ended the day 2.6 seconds down on Massa's best lap. The Woking-based outfit fitted new upgrades to the car on Saturday after previously focusing on the base car.
Daniil Kvyat briefly topped the timesheets in the Toro Rosso STR9 but he slipped down the order in the closing stages. The Russian youngster gained 81 laps of experience in the Renault-powered machine, which was hugely important for the rookie after he lost track time at both the first and second pre-season tests.
Force India's brief run at the top came to an end on the third day of the final test. Nico Hulkenberg set the sixth fastest time and completed several long runs. He managed 117 laps overall on what was another strong and promising day for the Silverstone-based squad.
'The Hulk' said: "Lots of laps today, which is good, and it’s the third day in a row that the team has done more than 100 laps. When I jumped in the car this morning I could feel the progress the team has made since I last drove at the end of last week, so it shows we are moving in the right direction.
"The track conditions were quite tricky because it was windy, but otherwise it was a successful day and my feeling with the car is pretty good. We got through the test programme and hit the objectives for the day, including a race simulation in the afternoon. For the final day tomorrow we will continue doing our homework for Melbourne, ticking off the boxes and try and do another race simulation."
Jules Bianchi added 78 laps to his tally after his second day driving the MR03 at the third test. His running was briefly disrupted by a stoppage on track after a practice start, but the car was quickly recovered and he soon returned to the track.
Marcus Ericsson topped the lap count on day three and set the eighth fastest time. It was a rather smooth day for Caterham following Friday's fire, which cut short the Swedish rookies running. He completed 117 laps overall, including a full race simulation.
Romain Grosjean returned to the cockpit of the Lotus E22 but it proved to be another difficult day for the Enstone-based outfit. He managed just 33 laps before the team decided to call it a day with one and a half hours left on the clock.
At least the Frenchman managed to set a time. Both Sebastian Vettel and Adrian Sutil registered just one lap, although the former could only get as far as turn four. Sauber's problem was caused by an "engine anomaly" which forced the team to change the unit. Mid-way through the afternoon, the Swiss outfit decided to focus on getting the car repaired for the final day.
"This is why we are testing," he said. "Of course I would like to drive as much as possible, but you have to look at the overall picture and the team decided to focus on and get ready for the final day of testing tomorrow.
"I would rather have these issues appearing here at the test than on the first race weekend. It shows how complex the new car and powertrain are and that we are exploring them to the limits. Although the garage doors were closed, the engineers and mechanics worked incredibly hard and hopefully we’ll have a better day tomorrow."
Unbelievably, Vettel's day was even worse. It featured two breakdowns and an early end to his running at the Bahrain International Circuit as Red Bull's woes continued. The Milton Keynes-based outfit made good progress on day two with Daniel Ricciardo at the wheel, but unfortunately the RB10's mechanical issues returned.
So what can we take from day three? Well, Williams and Force India certainly look strong and reliable, Mercedes continues to impress and McLaren managed plenty of laps. Ferrari's F14 T continues to look like the strongest car without a Mercedes power-unit and Marussia made decent progress.
It is still very difficult to predict what will happen at the first round. Of the Renault-powered teams, Red Bull and Lotus should both be worried. The final day of testing will be an incredibly important one for both teams, as it will be their last chance to prepare for the season opener. Will they fall even further behind? Let's wait and see.
Day 3 Times:
1. Felipe Massa (Williams), 1m33.258 - 99 laps
2. Nico Rosberg (Mercedes), 1m33.484 - 103 laps
3. Kimi Raikkonen (Ferrari), 1m35.426 - 87 laps
4. Kevin Magnussen (McLaren), 1m35.894 - 88 laps
5. Daniil Kvyat (Toro Rosso), 1m36.113 - 81 laps
6. Nico Hulkenberg (Force India), 1m36.205 - 115 laps
7. Jules Bianchi (Marussia), 1m37.087 - 78 laps
8. Marcus Ericsson (Caterham), 1m38.083 - 117 laps
9. Romain Grosjean (Lotus), 1m42.116 - 33 laps
10. Adrian Sutil (Sauber), no time - 1 lap
11. Sebastian Vettel (Red Bull Racing), no time - 1 lap
 |
| © Williams F1 Team |
The sun made a return following the cooler and overcast conditions of day two, but it wasn't shining over Sebastian Vettel as he suffered a disastrous day with the Renault-powered RB10.
The four-time champion could not even manage one lap on his first day back in the car, taking over driving duties from Daniel Ricciardo. It took well over two hours to get Red Bull's 2014 machine out on track and when it did; Vettel was forced to park it at turn four.
The Milton Keynes-based outfit's mechanics worked hard to get the German driver back on track for the afternoon session, but the RB10 once again ground to a halt. However, this time it was in the pit lane. Vettel even helped the marshals push the car back to the garage. Unfortunately he failed to reappear as the team's nightmare test continued.
Elsewhere, it was another hugely positive day for the Williams team. Felipe Massa was in the Mercedes-powered FW36 and not only set the fastest time of the day, but also of winter testing in Bahrain so far as the Grove-based outfit turned it up a notch.
 |
| © Mercedes AMG Petronas |
His best lap of 1m33.258, which was set on the supersoft Pirelli tyre, beat Nico Rosberg's previous benchmark by the narrowest of margins. The Brazilian's test programme concluded on day three, with Valtteri Bottas taking over driving duties for the final session, after managing 99 laps.
Speaking about his day, Massa said: "We had a very good day today doing almost 100 laps. We did a lot more performance work in the car which is something that we haven't done so much of so far. I'm really happy with the car and feel we found a good balance.
"We did so much work on the set-up but it is very important that we go to Australia prepared. You can never be sure that you are 100% ready for the first race, but I feel that what we have done in these days testing has been important for making sure that we have a car that can not only get to the end of the race, but that will have good performance as well."
Rosberg's final day in the Mercedes W05 was another productive one. The German racked up 103 laps with a best time of 1m33.484. It was a largely trouble-free session for Rosberg, which was a positive for Mercedes after the team lost time on day two due to a gearbox problem. Kimi Raikkonen set the third fastest time in the Ferrari F14 T. He managed 87 laps in the car and was one of several drivers who jumped up the timesheets in the final hour.
 |
| © McLaren Mercedes |
It was a slow morning for the Finn, but his afternoon was far more successful. McLaren rookie Kevin Magnussen completed 88 laps and ended the day 2.6 seconds down on Massa's best lap. The Woking-based outfit fitted new upgrades to the car on Saturday after previously focusing on the base car.
Daniil Kvyat briefly topped the timesheets in the Toro Rosso STR9 but he slipped down the order in the closing stages. The Russian youngster gained 81 laps of experience in the Renault-powered machine, which was hugely important for the rookie after he lost track time at both the first and second pre-season tests.
Force India's brief run at the top came to an end on the third day of the final test. Nico Hulkenberg set the sixth fastest time and completed several long runs. He managed 117 laps overall on what was another strong and promising day for the Silverstone-based squad.
'The Hulk' said: "Lots of laps today, which is good, and it’s the third day in a row that the team has done more than 100 laps. When I jumped in the car this morning I could feel the progress the team has made since I last drove at the end of last week, so it shows we are moving in the right direction.
"The track conditions were quite tricky because it was windy, but otherwise it was a successful day and my feeling with the car is pretty good. We got through the test programme and hit the objectives for the day, including a race simulation in the afternoon. For the final day tomorrow we will continue doing our homework for Melbourne, ticking off the boxes and try and do another race simulation."
Jules Bianchi added 78 laps to his tally after his second day driving the MR03 at the third test. His running was briefly disrupted by a stoppage on track after a practice start, but the car was quickly recovered and he soon returned to the track.
 |
| © Caterham F1 Team |
Marcus Ericsson topped the lap count on day three and set the eighth fastest time. It was a rather smooth day for Caterham following Friday's fire, which cut short the Swedish rookies running. He completed 117 laps overall, including a full race simulation.
Romain Grosjean returned to the cockpit of the Lotus E22 but it proved to be another difficult day for the Enstone-based outfit. He managed just 33 laps before the team decided to call it a day with one and a half hours left on the clock.
At least the Frenchman managed to set a time. Both Sebastian Vettel and Adrian Sutil registered just one lap, although the former could only get as far as turn four. Sauber's problem was caused by an "engine anomaly" which forced the team to change the unit. Mid-way through the afternoon, the Swiss outfit decided to focus on getting the car repaired for the final day.
"This is why we are testing," he said. "Of course I would like to drive as much as possible, but you have to look at the overall picture and the team decided to focus on and get ready for the final day of testing tomorrow.
"I would rather have these issues appearing here at the test than on the first race weekend. It shows how complex the new car and powertrain are and that we are exploring them to the limits. Although the garage doors were closed, the engineers and mechanics worked incredibly hard and hopefully we’ll have a better day tomorrow."
 |
| © Red Bull/Getty Images |
Unbelievably, Vettel's day was even worse. It featured two breakdowns and an early end to his running at the Bahrain International Circuit as Red Bull's woes continued. The Milton Keynes-based outfit made good progress on day two with Daniel Ricciardo at the wheel, but unfortunately the RB10's mechanical issues returned.
So what can we take from day three? Well, Williams and Force India certainly look strong and reliable, Mercedes continues to impress and McLaren managed plenty of laps. Ferrari's F14 T continues to look like the strongest car without a Mercedes power-unit and Marussia made decent progress.
It is still very difficult to predict what will happen at the first round. Of the Renault-powered teams, Red Bull and Lotus should both be worried. The final day of testing will be an incredibly important one for both teams, as it will be their last chance to prepare for the season opener. Will they fall even further behind? Let's wait and see.
Day 3 Times:
1. Felipe Massa (Williams), 1m33.258 - 99 laps
2. Nico Rosberg (Mercedes), 1m33.484 - 103 laps
3. Kimi Raikkonen (Ferrari), 1m35.426 - 87 laps
4. Kevin Magnussen (McLaren), 1m35.894 - 88 laps
5. Daniil Kvyat (Toro Rosso), 1m36.113 - 81 laps
6. Nico Hulkenberg (Force India), 1m36.205 - 115 laps
7. Jules Bianchi (Marussia), 1m37.087 - 78 laps
8. Marcus Ericsson (Caterham), 1m38.083 - 117 laps
9. Romain Grosjean (Lotus), 1m42.116 - 33 laps
10. Adrian Sutil (Sauber), no time - 1 lap
11. Sebastian Vettel (Red Bull Racing), no time - 1 lap
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