Barcelona 2 review: Ferrari and Mercedes look at each other

Three thousandths separated the best timekeeping performance from the winter tests F1 2019. The preferential position at the top of the timesheet returned from one breath to la Team Ferrari thanks to Sebastian Vettel in 1'16″221, followed very closely by Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes), author of his reference tour this Friday afternoon.

It is these last two sessions today which will have allowed us to see the fastest lap times since the start of testing on February 18, with the almost complete adoption of Pirelli's C5 red tires. A logical progression, as the teams have previously focused on accumulating kilometers.

Once again, these times must be nuanced: it is impossible to assert any definitive hierarchy before Melbourne and the start of the first Grand Prix, since it is complicated to determine the quantities of gasoline, the power modes...

However, we were able to see the first little sentences between the two Mercedes and Ferrari clans, Hamilton admitting this Friday that the SF90 could potentially be half a second faster per lap than the W10. To which Mattia Binotto, new head of the Scuderia, responded quickly.

Fewer kilometers at Mercedes and Ferrari when Renault, Racing Point and Williams accumulate

Besides the question of speed, the engineers mainly sought to make their single-seaters even more reliable, but also to test new parts, like Mercedes, starting Monday.

In the game of kilometers traveled, the world champions still dominated (579 laps for a cumulative total of 1189 laps over the two weeks), but the mechanical setbacks (oil pressure) on Monday did not make it possible to match the mileage from the first week at Mercedes.

At Ferrari and Red Bull, track exits (Vettel after a broken rim, gasly Thursday), and technical avatars (electric for Vettel this Friday, gearbox for Verstappen that same day) further reduced the laps on the track.

Renault, Racing Point, Haas are improving on mileage between the two weeks, just like Williams, but the Grove team had the disadvantage of having missed two full days last week.

It remains to be seen what the level of the FW42 will be when it comes time to increase the tempo, neither Kubica nor Russell having apparently sought absolute performance.

The decryption of this second week of the 2019 winter tests, and the overall assessment of these runs, carried out by our special correspondents in Catalonia, will be found in issue n°2206 of AUTOhebdo, available from Monday evening in digital version, and from next Wednesday on newsstands.

Our F1 2019 Guide also remains available in digital version and on newsstands.

Week 2 review Barcelona 2019 (Right-click on each image, then view to enlarge):

Best times per driver:

Laps by drivers:

Mileage per driver:

Tours per stable:

Kilometers per stable:

Tours by engine manufacturer:

Kilometers per engine manufacturer: