Barcelona Tests 2018
18h
This is the end of this live-text. The summary of the day and the time and mileage reports will be available in the coming minutes. Next meeting for F1 live on AUTOhebdo.fr, the Australian Grand Prix in two weeks.
18h
The checkered flag is lowered on the session. End of the 2018 winter tests, with the best time this Friday for Kimi Räikkönen (Ferrari) in 1’17”221. The Finn is ahead of Fernando Alonso (McLaren), who at one time thought he had achieved the perfect time-wise hold-up in the final moments, before seeing his 1'16"720 canceled for having cut the chicane.
The Spaniard, despite a turbo problem and an engine change, was able to complete 93 laps today and limit the damage. Carlos Sainz (Renault), victim of a gearbox problem this morning, took third place ahead of Daniel Ricciardo (Red Bull) and Romain Grosjean (Haas). The latter ends this day with the greatest number of laps completed: 181.
17h
Alonso ultimately remains second in the day's standings in 1'17"784.
17h
Alonso cut at turn 14 and saw his time logically canceled. Too bad for McLaren and the Spaniard.
17h
Hyper-soft tires for the McLaren MCL33 – Renault.
17h
Fernando Alonso (McLaren) sets the track record in 1’16”720!
17h
The double world champion achieved his time on hyper-soft tires.
17h
Alonso slips a set of hypersoft tires on and grabs P2 with a 1:18.981!
He displaces Sainz, who had himself just gone second on pink tires#F1 #F1Testing pic.twitter.com/ELDOlk8Fe0
- Formula 1 (@ F1) March 9, 2018
17h
The Spaniard continued in 1’17”784. This is the third best time in these winter tests behind the two Ferraris of Vettel and Räikkönen.
17h
Fernando Alonso (McLaren) brings his MCL33 back to second place in 1’17”981. A brightening in a still difficult day for Woking.
17h
Sainz continues in 1’18”092.
17h
Carlos Sainz (Renault) climbs into second position in 1’18”164 less than half an hour from the end of the session.
17h
By a thousandth, Fernando Alonso (McLaren) overtakes Charles Leclerc for eighth place.
17h
The McLaren MCL33 also crossed the 80 lap mark, a lesser evil for the Woking clan after the new mechanical problems encountered today, this time with the turbo.
17h
Alonso is back on track and lowers his personal benchmark for the day to 1’19”127.
17h
The Monegasque improves to 1’19”118.
17h
Hyper-soft tires fitted to Charles Leclerc's Sauber C37.
PRETTY IN PINK trying out the new hypersofts @Charles_Leclerc #F1Testing pic.twitter.com/iP1C55SEzZ
— Sauber F1 Team (@SauberF1Team) March 9, 2018
17h
Mercedes exceeds 1000 laps covered thanks to Valtteri Bottas
We've done it!! @ValtteriBottas smashes through the 1,000 lap mark! #DrivenByEachOther #F1Testing pic.twitter.com/m5rOTZJVtU
- Mercedes-AMG F1 (@ MercedesAMGF1) March 9, 2018
17h
It’s Carlos Sainz’s (Renault) turn to break into the top 4 in 1’18”425. The gearbox problems seem to have been resolved on the R.S. 18.
17h
Bottas improves slightly in 1’18”825, but remains fourth. Ricciardo accelerates the pace further and moves up to second position in 1’18”327 and overtakes Romain Grosjean in the standings.
