BARCELONA, Spain – Lewis Hamilton ensured Mercedes completed quickest on the first F1 preseason check, the place Fernando Alonso and Alpine’s day went up in smoke within the morning.
Hamilton, who’s trying to win a report eighth F1 championship this season, set two fast laps within the ultimate 20 minutes.
On the C4 tyre he set a 1:19.141 earlier than switching to the C5, the softest and quickest tyre in Pirelli’s check vary, and went 0.003s quicker to complete the check with a finest time of 1:19.138.
McLaren and Ferrari had grabbed the headlines on the opening two days however Mercedes ensured it left Barcelona with each its drivers prime of the order. George Russell’s 1:19.233, set within the morning, was adequate for second on the board.
Pink Bull occupied the subsequent two spots, with Sergio Perez on a 1:19.556 and Max Verstappen on a 1:19.756.
Lap occasions are usually deceptive throughout preseason, particularly throughout the opening few days, with a number of unknown variables corresponding to gasoline hundreds, engine modes and common automotive set-up. Occasions set at completely different factors within the day, when climate and temperature can change drastically, is one other variable in play.
F1 has three extra days of testing at Bahrain’s Sakhir Worldwide Circuit between March 8-10, which is the place consideration is extra prone to flip in direction of outright one-lap and race tempo.
That venue will then host the opening race of the season, the Bahrain Grand Prix, on March 20.
After two days and 16 hours with simply two purple flag stoppages, there have been 5 on Friday morning in a massively disrupted session.
The primary one, brought on by Fernando Alonso, was probably the most dramatic. Alonso was informed to cease his automotive within the ultimate sector after dropping strain when his automotive then caught hearth. It was surrounded by plumes of smoke when marshals arrived with hearth extinguishers.
Alpine stated it had been a hydraulics drawback and that “a minor sealing situation led to a hearth behind the automotive”.
It meant Alonso and Alpine completed the day with simply 12 laps on the board and successfully misplaced one-third of the time accessible to the groups this week.
AlphaTauri additionally had a shortened day when Pierre Gasly crashed his carat Flip 5, prompting the second purple flag of the day. Footage of Gasly’s automotive confirmed it had broken entrance suspension on either side in addition to injury to the entrance wing following contact with the wall.
The incident ended Gasly and AlphaTauri’s day early.
Alfa Romeo rookie Guanyu Zhou prompted a pair of purple flags within the area of half-hour, as soon as when he beached his automotive within the gravel and one other when it crawled to a halt after a lack of energy on the start-finish straight.
Aston Martin brought about an extra purple flag when an oil leak resulted in a small hearth behind Sebastian Vettel’s automotive, forcing him to cease on monitor.
A number of different groups had very productive days by way of mileage.
McLaren accomplished 138 laps between Lando Norris and Daniel Ricciardo both facet of the lunch break, whereas Ferrari managed 136 between Carlos Sainz and Charles Leclerc. Neither staff set among the head-turning occasions of the primary couple of days however the prevailing temper within the group is that each groups had extremely encouraging first check.
On the different finish of the mileage scale was Haas, working a plain white automotive after deciding to take away the colors and brand of Uralkali within the wake of Russia’s army invasion of Ukraine.
Nikita Mazepin, who’s future with the staff stays doubtful, accomplished solely 9 laps throughout the day as Haas was restricted by an oil leak within the automotive.
Last occasions:
1. Lewis Hamilton – Mercedes – 1:19.138 – 94 laps
2. George Russell – Mercedes – 1:19.233 – 66 laps
3. Sergio Perez – Pink Bull – 1:19.556 – 74 laps
4. Max Verstappen – Pink Bull – 1:19.756 – 59 laps
5. Sebastian Vettel – Aston Martin – 1:19.824 – 48 laps
6. Charles Leclerc – Ferrari – 1:19.831 – 44 laps
7. Carlos Sainz – Ferrari – 1:20.072 – 92 laps
8. Alex Albon – Williams – 1:20.318 – 94 laps
9. Nicholas Latifi – Williams – 1:20.699 – 13 laps
10. Daniel Ricciardo – McLaren – 1:20.790 – 86 laps
11. Lando Norris – McLaren – 1:20.827 – 52 laps
12. Fernando Alonso – Alpine – 1:21.242 – 12 laps
13. Guanyu Zhou – Alfa Romeo – 1:21.939 – 41 laps
14. Pierre Gasly – AlphaTauri – 1:22.469 – 40 laps
15. Nikita Mazepin – Haas – 1:26.229 – 9 laps
16. Valtteri Bottas – Alfa Romeo – 1:30.433 – 10 laps