Hülkenberg in the lead, Alonso serene

Si Nico Hulkenberg (Williams) was the fastest this Friday, it is Fernando Alonso (Ferrari) who was the most consistent and fastest, with a series of very good times in the morning. Even though the Spaniard was running on low fuel, in qualifying configuration, he regularly went below the 1?22?? mark, displaying the reliability and regularity of the F10. Holder of the best time for a good part of the day (1:20:637), the Spanish driver was “beaten” by Nico Hülkenberg, Williams having opted for an opposite strategy.

Indeed, if most of the teams opted for race simulations in the afternoon, the Grove team worked on qualifying after the midday break, allowing Nico Hülkenberg to "slam" a few times. , including the fastest of the day, in 1:20:614.

But it is Ferrari, which made certain aerodynamic modifications this week - and in particular to the engine cover - which seems in better position before the Bahrain Grand Prix (March 12-14). The team should confirm its good intentions on Saturday and Sunday, while Felipe Massa will take the wheel.

With a time under 1?21??, the Sauber team also shows that it is in good shape before Bahrain. The team, which Pedro de la Rosa thinks is closest to the “big four” (Ferrari, McLaren, Red Bull, Mercedes), could be the nice surprise of this season.

Sebastian Vettel (Red Bull), who took over from Mark Webber, erased his teammate's best time but was hampered at the end of the day by mechanical problems. Of the four leading teams, Red Bull seems to encounter more problems on track than its rivals.

In the "fight" between the two new teams, Lotus placed itself ahead of Virgin in terms of performance, but Jarno Trulli's T127 suffered hydraulic problems at the end of the day, like Virgin Racing's VR-01 during the week. last. Reliability is the key word for these two teams.

This Saturday, a third and penultimate day of testing is on the program in Barcelona. The times could start to fall unless the teams, such as Mercedes (see elsewhere), decide not to reveal anything about their best assets before Bahrain.