Lewis Hamilton dominates the morning in Barcelona

Reference yesterday with a best lap completed in 1'21″765, Lewis Hamilton continued its momentum this Tuesday morning for the start of the second day of Barcelona's winter testing in Catalonia.

The pilot Mercedes was once again the fastest on the track, in 1'20"983, with a lap completed on super-soft tires. The Briton was also able to count on a W08 that was still very reliable with 66 laps accumulated in four hours, the equivalent of a Spanish Grand Prix.

La car world champion has also released some new aerodynamic features, including a double T-Wing, an element placed between the rear wing and the engine cover.

Behind the standard value, Kimi Räikkönen raises his Ferrari SF70-H in second place. The Finn was satisfied with a lap in 1'22″831 for 47 laps completed.

Third time of the morning in 1'23″045, Esteban Ocon was however unable to progress throughout the session, Force India having fallen behind in completing the work started on the VJM10 entrusted to the French driver, which only started after more than an hour and a half in the session.

The former 3 GP2015 Series winner also caused a red flag in the last ten minutes by stopping on track, leading to a 5′ session extension.

Behind the Frenchman, Kevin Magnussen (Haas) finished with the fourth fastest time after having progressed regularly during the morning. The Dane completed his reference time in 1'23″200 with 36 laps completed. Max Verstappen started at the wheel of the Red Bull RB13 to conclude with the fifth time in 1'23″212.

Daniil Kvyat (Toro Rosso) follows in the standings with 44 cumulative laps ahead Lance stroll (Williams). The European champion of F3 in title caused a red flag in the morning, after a spin and the Canadian rookie's passage into the gravel trap. Williams announced moments ago that his day would have to be over, due to parts needing to be sent back to the Grove factory.

After a complicated first day, McLaren did not regain full reliability in the Honda engine block this Tuesday morning. Stoffel Vandoorne experienced a small scare from the first moments of the session, stopping in the pit lane after his installation lap, before being brought back “to the stroller” by his mechanics. The Belgian subsequently returned to the track to set a best lap in 1'26″201.

The former GP2 champion, however, was hampered in his progress by a loss of power on the Honda Power Unit, requiring a new replacement by the Woking mechanics.

Difficult morning in the Sauber stands and Renault. Antonio Giovinazzi was only able to complete two laps with the C36, due to a problem with the Ferrari V6 turbo/hybrid Power Unit, before completing one final lap in the final moments of the session. Jolyon Palmer was only able to complete one installation lap during the extended session. Driving will resume at 14 p.m.

Ranking Day 2 (mid-session):

Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes) – 1’20″983 (66 laps)
Kimi Räikkönen (Ferrari) – 1’22″831 (47)
Esteban Ocon (Force India) – 1’23″045 (27)
Kevin Magnussen (Haas) – 1’23″200 (36)
Max Verstappen (Red Bull) – 1’23″212 (31)
Daniil Kvyat (Toro Rosso) – 1’25″012 (44)
Lance Stroll (Williams) – 1’26″040 (12)
Stoffel Vandoorne (McLaren) – 1’26″201 (29)
Antonio Giovinazzi (Sauber) – 1’33″741 (5)
Jolyon Palmer (Renault) – No time (1)