Vettel sets new benchmark in cold Barcelona

Despite the cold which is hitting Europe this week, the teams were able to work by being more active on the track compared to this morning when the drivers' driving was essentially limited to installation laps during the winter tests. of the 2018 season contested on the Circuit de Catalunya in Barcelona.

Sebastian Vettel (Ferrari) showed himself to be the most efficient by setting the new test benchmark with a lap completed in 1'19''673 with the soft tyres, one second off the time set last year by his teammate Kimi Räikkönen who was then racing with an SF70H shod with super soft tires. The German was also the most diligent with nearly a hundred laps covered. His day was only disrupted by a brief trip off the track without consequences.

Valtteri Bottas (Mercedes) was the closest, ranking three tenths from the benchmark while having completed a similar number of laps. Stoffel Vandoorne (McLaren) completed the leading trio, even if the Belgian was significantly less present on the track with less than 40 loops covered. The former GP2 champion posted his best performance on hypersoft tires.

Max Verstappen (Red Bull) finished in fourth place being the only one with Bottas to have set his best lap with white wall tires. Carlos Sainz Jr. (Renault) completed the Top 5.

Pierre Gasly (Toro Rosso) followed in sixth place ahead of Robert Kubica (Williams) who made his debut on the FW41 replacing Sergey Sirotkin during the afternoon. The Pole was ahead of the Russian by more than three tenths.

Esteban Ocon (Force India) placed the VJM11 ninth ahead of the Sauber C37 of Charles Leclerc. The rookie was trapped early in the afternoon while going out into the gravel trap but was able to resume his program a little later. Kevin Magnussen (Haas) completed the ranking.

The teams will resume testing this Wednesday from 9 a.m. The weather forecasts are not very optimistic, rain being forecast throughout the day with temperatures not exceeding 8°C.