F1 Madness

Tag: stoffel vandoorne

  • Vettel Ends His Pre-Season Testing Top of the Time Sheets

    Vettel Ends His Pre-Season Testing Top of the Time Sheets

    Sebastian Vettel topped the timing sheets for Ferrari on the penultimate day of testing before the start of the 2017 season.

    The session before lunch was topped by Ferrari driver Sebastian Vettel who set a time of 1:19:024 on a set of the purple marked ultra softy tyres. However, what was eye-catching about the German’s time was the manner in which he set it. Twice on his approach to the start/finish line he deliberately lifted off the throttle making his time significantly slower than it would’ve been. There could be several reasons for this approach but most point to Ferrari wanting to disguise their true pace ahead of the season-opener in Australia.

    Mercedes had another good day with 147 laps between Lewis Hamilton and Valtteri Bottas. Hamilton was 2nd fastest just a little over three tenths down on Vettel’s time. Hamilton also setting his time on the ultra soft tyres. Taking over in the afternoon was Bottas who completed 95 laps before calling it a day.

    It was not a smooth start to the day for Toro Rosso who suffered with technical issues in the morning session. But things looked much more encouraging in the afternoon session and Daniil Kvyat was able to put in some good times and his fastest time of 1:20.416 earned him 4th fastest.

    Quietly going about their business was the Haas team with Kevin Magnussen at the wheel of the VF-17. Magnussen set the 5th fastest time of the day and completed a very respectable 119 laps. Finishing behind Haas on the day was Daniel Ricciardo for Red Bull who seemed somewhat off the pace today. Red Bull have put the pace down to setup. Despite the slow pace Ricciardo completed 128 laps in the RB13.

    There were yet more woes for McLaren as Stoffel Vandoorne ground to halt and brought out the red flag. The Belgian’s stoppage wasn’t crash related but it was an electrical issue. This comes merely a day after Alonso fingered Honda as the villain in McLaren’s 2017 story. Vandoorne manage to complete 48 laps before the chequered flag and finished 7th fastest.

    Both Sauber drivers were out in the car once again today with Pascal Wehrlein 9th fastest and Marcus Ericsson 11th fastest. Between the the Sauber drivers was Renault’s Jolyon Palmer in 10th.

    The two Williams drivers finished 11th and 12th with Felipe Massa ahead of rookie Lance Stroll. Williams concentrated on race simulations and long run tyre evaluation. They had a very good day of running and between the two drivers completed 165 laps.

     

  • F1 2017: F1 2017: Team-by-team Guide, Part 2

    F1 2017: F1 2017: Team-by-team Guide, Part 2

    McLaren – Fernando Alonso & Stoffel Vandoorne

    Given the results it’s produced over the last two seasons it’s safe to say that McLaren’s renewed partnership with Honda has been miserable. As proud and prominent a company Honda may be there is no doubt that they underestimated the task of re-entering the sport.

    Fernando Alonso and 24-year-old Stoffel Vandoorne will drive for the team in 2017. In the 2016 Bahrain grand prix Vandoorne made his debut as Alonso sat out with fractured ribs from a crash in Australia. The Belgian driver not only out-qualified teammate Jenson Button but when on to finish in tenth, scoring one point for the team. What was most impressive about Vandoorne’s grand prix debut was the ease with which he slipped into the role of race driver. There were no wild off-track moments and hardly any mistakes. Regardless of the car’s performance in 2017 he’s unlikely to rattle Alonso’s cage but he has already revealed himself as a driver to watch.

    For a driver of Fernando Alonso’s caliber 2017 will be catalyst for his future in the sport. It’s unlikely, if McLaren were to underperform again, that he would stick around for much longer. It’s unlikely that he’ll slip into retirement either given his hunger for success. Come 2018 there is likely to be a plethora of options and all of them would welcome Alonso with open arms.

    Carlos Sainz_Russia 2015Toro Rosso – Carlos Sainz JR & Daniil Kvyat

    The sister Red Bull team should have had a much better 2016 season. But running a year-old Ferrari engine encumbered it. This season they revert back to Renault power and with a good chassis they could, potentially, threaten a team like Force India.

    For one of its drivers, Russian Daniil Kvyat, it’s likely the last chance to make a real impression. His very public demotion from the Red Bull team last year was a spirit breaker and he took months to show some sort of recovery from it. But he did so as he fiercely held off her replacement Max Verstappen at the 2016 Singapore grand prix. On the other side of the garage Carlos Sainz Jr. must underline the enormous talent shown in the previous season. If he does, a better drive at a bigger team is definitely in his future.

    Sauber_RearWing ComparisonSauber – Marcus Ericsson & Pascal Wehrlein

    In the nick of time the Swiss-based team was given a new lease on life from Swedish investment firm, Longbow Finance. Though an independent team Sauber has rich history in the sport. Much credit must go to Monisha Kaltenborn and her team for continuing to fight for a team in a near financial death spiral. Sauber has already stressed the importance of chassis design and development in the new season. Thanks to relatively comfortable financial position the team will be able to maintain a program of development in 2017 unlike in 2016.

    Marcus Ericsson remains as driver and while his performances have been solid an uncompetitive car has dwarfed them. Pascal Wehrlein slots in alongside and has a lot to prove to the paddock and himself. He will feel hard done by for not getting the Force India or Merc drive. But there’s a reason he didn’t get – the powers that be didn’t think him ready to step up. 2017 is his chance of changing that opinion not just on the track but in the garage too.

    Motor Racing - Formula One World Championship - Bahrain Grand Prix - Practice Day - Sakhir, BahrainRenault – Nico Hulkenberg & Jolyon Palmer

    The French team is very much in a re-building phase and wouldn’t expect to make a massive splash in the new season. But their expectation will be to see a steady improvement throughout the season.

    With several crashes and lackluster showings Jolyon Palmer has not impressed in the Renault. And now he’ll be matched up against one of the most highly rated drivers on the grid in Nico Hulkenberg. German-driver Hulkenberg is the sort that fits well into any team but is running short on time to make it into one of the top teams in the sport.

    kevin-magnussen_haas

    Haas F1 – Romain Grosjean & Keven Magnussen

    The American-owned team started the 2016 season like a house on fire. That fire has dampened slightly but it is still a team of immense potential that is run, by Gene Haas, in the best way possible.

    There is a sense of unfulfilled potential when you think about Romain Grosjean. His stint in the Lotus a few seasons ago looked like it would be the springboard to greater things but it hasn’t worked out for the Frenchman. But he’s a quality driver who should easily have the measure of teammate Kevin Magnussen if he can learn how to drive around the issues that may be present in the 2017 Haas car.

     

  • F1 2017: Team-by-team Guide, Part 1

    F1 2017: Team-by-team Guide, Part 1

    Mercedes – Lewis Hamilton & Valtteri Bottas

    Given their ominous and unbeatable run since the start of the hybrid era Merc automatically start the new year as favourites. However, this ‘theory’ is based solely on what’s gone before. In reality, there is nothing to suggest that the Silver Arrows’ dominance will continue into the vastly different 2017 season. Nevertheless, even if they don’t brandish the same sort of advantage over the rest of the field there is a reasonable expectation that they’ll be mixing it at the front.

    The Silver Arrows enter an interesting period where its driver line-up is concerned too. In Lewis Hamilton they have a three-time world champion who is prodigiously fast and who still seems to have an incredible hunger for winning. However, Hamilton showed his fallibility through several costly errors on track and a few peppery statements off it.

    Red Bull Racing RB12 launchRed Bull – Daniel Ricciardo & Max Verstappen

    With the virtuoso Adrian Newey in the stable the new aero rules could play right into Red Bull’s hands. In 2016 the Austrian team proved that their power unit was the only hindrance to their competitiveness. If the Tag Heuer-branded Renault power unit can match its Merc counterpart the Red Bull will be exceptionally difficult to beat.

    Although Max Verstappen exploded onto the scene and electrified more than a few supporters Daniel Ricciardo still had the measure of the teenaged Dutchman. Verstappen’s biggest test this season will be to, firstly, consistently out-perform his Aussie teammate. What’s more, Verstappen’s biggest challenge will be to deal with the weight of expectation. In 2016 he had near free reign; if he performed well it was a bonus for the team, if he didn’t they would understand that he was dropped into the deep-end. Now he is expected to deliver every time he’s strapped into cockpit.

    Ferrari Kimi Raikkonen Canadian Grand PrixFerrari – Kimi Raikkonen & Sebastian Vettel

    There is such a thing as famous last words but Ferrari’s season could hardly be worse than in 2016. The team failed to win a single race and made several, embarrassing mistakes. Nevertheless, the Maranello-based team is keen to turn things around. They’re reportedly doing so with an innovative new multi-jet system for its internal combustion engine that will limit reliance on the turbocharger.

    It’s unlikely that there is a more harmonious driver pairing in the paddock than Kimi Raikkonen and Sebastian Vettel. The two teammates work in perfect symmetry with the team with little to no ego getting in the way of the task at hand. Rumours of Raikkonen’s future will undoubtedly begin to swirl as soon as he hits the track that but as history has shown it couldn’t bother him any less. There is little question about the Ferrari drivers’ ability to deliver. Rather the question is about what they’ll be given to drive.

    Force India F1 Team Preview QuotesForce India – Sergio Perez & Esteban Ocon

    For a privately-owned team Force India’s likely expectation will be to finish fourth in the constructor’s championship as they did in 2016, perhaps to score a first win if the cards fall their way. They’re a team that regularly punches above its weight but is unlikely to do better than last season.

    It’s a big year for Sergio Perez and his future in F1. Several outstanding performances have proven his ability but he’s yet to translate it into a drive for a top team. With Bottas on a one-year deal at Mercedes a standout season from Perez could catapult him into the seat in 2018. Despite being favoured over Pascal Wehrlein Merc prodigy Esteban Ocon, who is still finding his feet in the sport, is highly unlikely to show Perez the way in 2017.

    Felipe Massa_Brazil 2016Williams – Felipe Massa & Lance Stroll

    The Claire Williams-run operation’s ambition is unlikely to be a title in 2017. However, the aim will be to restore the legendary team’s name to at least fourth in the standings. They’ve already completed a massive coup by snatching Paddy Lowe from Mercedes. While it’s unclear if Lowe will take up his new position immediately the Englishman is one of the most highly regarded leaders in F1.

    Valtteri Bottas’ departure to Merc has cut short Felipe Massa’s retirement and while the Brazilian’s stock in F1 isn’t nearly as high as it was in the mid-2000s his level of experience was attractive enough to Williams. Alongside the one-time runner-up will be Canadian teenager Lance Stroll. It will be a learning curve for Stroll but expect him to take the fight to his veteran teammate in terms of outright speed.

    Part 2 coming soon. 

  • Jenson Button Announcement

    Jenson Button Announcement

    Jenson Button has announced that he will not be racing in Formula 1 in 2017.

    The 2009 champion announced at a press even on Saturday that he will not be driving for McLaren in 2017. However, the Brit confirmed that he will remain with the team in a team and car development role.

    “I’m delighted that I’ll be staying on as a key member of the McLaren-Honda team. In fact I’m massively excited about my new role, which has come about as a result of a number of in-depth chats with Ron,” said the Brit at the press conference after qualifying on Saturday.

    “Specifically, I’m looking forward to becoming even more deeply involved in the team’s efforts to bring about the success we’ve all been striving to deliver.

    Button squashed any rumours that have tipped him for a Williams drive in 2017.

    “I love McLaren-Honda – I firmly believe it’s made up of the best bunch of people I’ve ever worked with – and I have no intention of ever driving for another Formula 1 team.”

    He made it clear that he is not retiring from Formula 1 and confirmed that McLaren has the option to call him back to the cockpit in 2018.

    “To be clear, I’m very definitely not retiring. I’m contracted for both 2017 and 2018, I intend to work hard on car-development, and I’m sure I’ll get behind the wheel of the new car at some point.”

    Belgian driver Stoffel Vandoorne has been announced as Button replacement and will race alongside Fernando Alonso in 2017.

    “First of all, I want to express my gratitude to everyone at McLaren-Honda, and especially Ron, for showing faith in me.,” said Vandoorne.

    “It’s an enormous honour to become a McLaren-Honda race driver, and I promise to work as hard as any Formula 1 driver ever has before.

    “I already know the team extremely well – they’re a fantastic group of extremely clever people – and I’ve already raced the car once and tested it often

    “I have total confidence in the potential of the McLaren-Honda project, and I firmly believe that, racing alongside a brilliant and experienced driver, I’ll be able to make a strong contribution to the team’s future World Championship successes.

    “There are a lot of other people whom I’d like to take this opportunity to thank – too many to list in fact. So all I can say is: you know who you are, and thank you.”

  • Vandoorne Shows What he’s Capable of

    Vandoorne Shows What he’s Capable of

    GP2 Champion and McLaren Reserve Driver Stoffel Vandoorne showed just what he is capable of on his debut F1 weekend.

    Vandoorne, who stood in for Fernando Alonso after he was declared unfit to race by the FIA medical delegate on the Thursday ahead of the race, claimed the Woking based teams first points of the 2016 season with a 10th place finish at the Bahrain Grand Prix race.

    The young Beligian was in Japan when he got the call to fill in for Alonso on Thursday evening. He was immediately on a flight and he was at the Bahrain International Circuit just before Free Practice 1. As F1 debuts go, this was not the ideal situation, but Vandoorne took his challenge head on and went with it.

    With not much time to prepare he got in the car and finished 18th fastest in Free Practice 1. In Free Practice 2 he managed 11th fastest and 14th in Free Practice 3. After FP2 he remarked that he was comfortable in the car as soon as he climbed in. His qualifying performance was impressive. He out qualified his team-mate Jenson Button by going 12th fastest.

    Come race day he did not have it easy at the start. He almost got caught up in the chaos after Williams’ Valtteri Bottas tangled with Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton at the start of the race into Turn 1. A relatively aggressive strategy of soft-soft-super soft together with some good overtaking moves earned him 10th place and a world championship point.

    “This result was more or less what I expected – I maximised the opportunity and I’m quite satisfied,” said Vandoorne after the race on Sunday.

    “The start was a little bit difficult. There was debris left and right – it was pretty hectic in fact – and there was a lot of fighting throughout that opening lap.

    “Since the beginning of the weekend, I’ve felt very confident in the car, and pretty comfortable that I could do a good job.

    “I’m pleased that I didn’t make any mistakes operationally – I was really focusing on that side of things – and I came away with a point, which was a nice bonus.

    “This weekend was a big opportunity for me: I made the most of it, I showed what I’m capable of, and now I just need to wait and see what happens next.

    “That’s not for me to decide – so let’s see what the future brings.”

    The young Belgian may not have to wait too long as Button is out of contract at the end of the season.

     

    Photo Credit: McLaren Honda Formula One Team

  • F1 2016: Bahrain GP Race Report – Desert Success for Rosberg

    F1 2016: Bahrain GP Race Report – Desert Success for Rosberg

    For nine years the Bahrain grand prix was run under the hot desert sun. For nearly a decade it wasn’t a race marked as one to look forward to and it almost always produced the most lacklustre racing of a season. But it would only take pushing back the starting time a few hours and a few thousand floodlight to ignite the Bahrain Gp into a spectacle of note. And in 2016 it delivered once more.

    As if to emphasise its transformation the drama started before a lap could be turned in anger. Ferrari’s Sebastian Vettel was forced into retirement on the formation lap. While Ferrari has stopped short of calling it an engine failure the plumes of smoke pouring from the rear of the car say otherwise. In Australia it was Raikkonen who retired with a turbo failure and there too Ferrari went out of its way to assure that there is no reliability concern. But even though its only two races into the season they’re developing a bit of an uncomfortable and undesirable habit of only getting one car to the chequered flag.

    Lewis Hamilton was sitting pretty in pole position with teammate Nico Rosberg alongside on the front row of the grid but it wasn’t to last very long for the Brit. Hamilton struggled to get off the line and ended up tangling with the Williams of Valtteri Bottas and dropped down to seventh.

    GP BAHRAIN F1/2016From fourth place Raikkonen made a poor start and dropped behind a pair of fast starting Williams’ and the Red Bull of Daniel Ricciardo. However, the Finn followed with some tenacious overtaking got himself into second place. By this stage the leading Mercedes of Rosberg was already eleven seconds up the road. The 2007 champion maintained a comparable pace with the Mercedes and even managed to reduce the gap to three seconds through strategy and occasional superior pace. But the number 7 Ferrari was never close enough to challenge for the lead of the race.

    As Hamilton recovered to third with some damage to the right-side barge board Rosberg wrapped up his fifth win in a row. For years we’ve been calling for Rosberg to step up his game and make it a championship battle worth watching and he’s done it now. There is still an incredibly long season ahead but Rosberg has started 2016 in the way that he’s needed to, in a way that will give Hamilton a lot to think about.

    With the top three positions established the rest of the points paying positions was an intense fight right to the chequered flag. The availability of three tyre compounds once again added a dynamism to the racing as drivers opted for strategies than ran the gamut of possibilities. Red Bull’s Daniel Ricciardo finished fourth thanks an early stop and rolling the dice by running the final stint on the medium tyres.

    GP BAHRAIN F1/2016As the race strategy engineer for the Haas F1 team Ruth Buscombe once again worked a brilliant strategy for Romain Grosjean. The Frenchman ran most of the race on the supersoft compound which allowed him to scythe through the field. He ran as high as fourth at one stage and ultimately finished fifth in what is turning out to be a fairytale debut for the American team.

    Toro Rosso’s Max Verstappen finished sixth ahead of Daniil Kvyat in seventh who recovered from starting fifteenth on the grid. After a difficult tyre strategy Felipe Massa and Valtteri Bottas finished eighth and ninth for Williams. Driver of the day belong the final points scorer Stoffel Vandoorne. The 24-year-old Belgian driver stood in for Fernando Alonso who is recovering from fractured ribs sustained in the Australian Gp crash. The difficulty of having to deal with the complexity of a 2016 F1 car, to understand the Pirelli tyres, and to fight with seasoned F1 drivers, must not be underestimated. Vandoorne put all of his talents on display and blitzed his F1 debut.

    The 2016 hasn’t begun to hit its stride and already an immense battle is brewing up and down the field. Roll on China.

    (All images courtesy of Pirelli Motorsport)

  • Alonso Not Cleared to Race in Bahrain

    Alonso Not Cleared to Race in Bahrain

    McLaren driver Fernando Alonso has not been cleared to race the Bahrain Grand Prix by the FIA medical team.

    Following his crash at the Australian Grand Prix Alonso underwent chest scans today at the Bahrain International Circuit’s Medical Centre where chest scans were taken and compared. The medical delegates decided that there was “insufficient resolution of the signs to allow him to compete on safety grounds.”

    This development makes way for McLaren reserve driver Stoffel Vandoorne to make his F1 debut. Vandoorne is currently competing in a two-day Super Formula pre-season test in Japan. We are sure he’ll be on the next flight to Bahrain in time for Free Practice 1.

     

    The full FIA statement:

    Following an examination undertaken this morning at the Bahrain International Circuit Medical Centre, it has been decided that McLaren Honda Fl Team driver Fernando Alonso should not take part in this weekend’s Bahrain Grand Prix. Two sets of chest CT scans were compared and it was decided that there was insufficient resolution of the signs to allow him to compete on safety grounds.

    A repeat chest scan has been requested before the Chinese Grand Prix and the results will be considered before allowing him to race there. 

  • Button hints at F1 exit, Suzuka announcement expected – “the joy is gone”

    Button hints at F1 exit, Suzuka announcement expected – “the joy is gone”

    Amidst increased swirling speculation regarding his Formula One career, Jenson Button has admitted that the “joy” of competing in F1 is no longer there and has hinted at exiting the sport.

    The British driver has always said that the moment he no longer enjoys being behind the wheel of a Formula One car, he would cal it a day. He also insinuated that he would like to make an announcement at this coming weekend’s Japanese Grand Prix – which he considers a second home race.

    Although McLaren holds the option on Button for the 2016 season and holds the final say over whether he will stay, the team’s financial situation and being keen on bringing his salary down will most likely force them to rethink their future plans.  Button will not be keen to stay on at a lower salary with the struggling McLaren-Honda outfit and struggle at the back of the field.

    “My head knows but my mouth and tongue doesn’t know. The joy of being in the car is only there if you’re fighting at the front and you feel as though you are achieving something,,” Button said to British media.

    “If you’re fighting near the back, you’re driving an F1 car, but you can easily get joy driving something else. The joy you get is from competing. It’s about fighting at the front.

    “It’s about the possibility of standing on top of the podium. That’s the joy of F1.”

    Jenson ButtonButton indicated that while meetings will still need to take place with McLaren, his mind was made up and he’d like to make an announcement at Suzuka.

    “I have made that decision, that’s the important thing,” he said. “It is always nice to make an announcement when you are at your home grand prix, but I don’t know what’s happening yet.

    “There are a lot of meetings in Japan, Ron Dennis and Eric Boullier will be there. I’m sure there will be a lot of meetings at the headquarters.”

    Should Button leave, the vacant seat will almost certainly belong to either reserve Kevin Magnussen, or test and development driver Stoffel Vandoorne, who is also the runaway leader in the 2015 GP campaign.

  • Wehrlein Tops The Time Sheets on Day 1 of Rain Hit Austria In-Season Test

    Wehrlein Tops The Time Sheets on Day 1 of Rain Hit Austria In-Season Test

    Mercedes reserve driver Pascal Wehrlein ended on top of the time sheets after the first day of the final in-season test at the Red Bull Ring in Austria.

    The young German set a best time of 1:11.005, 0.187s clear of Force India’s Esteban Ocon who’s best time was 1:11.192.

    The session got off to a very wet start on Tuesday morning with just Ferrari Academy driver Antonio Fuoco and McLaren’s Stoffel Vandoorne heading out for installation laps on full wets. The track remained quiet for the rest of the morning. The session was red-flagged 30mins in due to the heavy rains that showed no sign of letting up.

    There was much deliberation between the teams to cancel running for the day and extend the test for an extra day to Thursday. It was eventually decided, as the rain started to ease up, that Monday’s running should be extended by 2 hours.

    Cars started firing up and heading out after the lunch break. First on full wets and then on intermediates as the track quickly dried up. Not long after that it was time for dry weather tyres and we were able to see more cars on the track.

    Finishing 3rd fastest for the day was Toro Rosso’s Max Verstappen. He set a best time of 1:11.328 clocking up 97 laps, the most from all the drivers on the day.

    Ferrari Academy driver Antonio Fuoco’s fastest time was 1:11.331 which was 0.326s off Wehrlein’s pace. He’s lap time steadily climbed all afternoon but a slight mistake into Turn 1 saw him spin off the track and hit the wall damaging the front end of the SF15-T. “I am very angry with myself for making a mistake today,” commented Fuoco. “But getting behind the wheel of a Ferrari has always been my dream and today it finally came true. All the same, I am pleased with the work I was able to do, gathering useful data for the team, even if the rain affected our programme today.”

    GP2 driver Stoffel Vandoorne ended his day for McLaren 8th fastest 1.525s off the pace with a fastest time of 1:12.530 and managed to rack up 76 laps for the dayLotus’ Romain Grosjean ended his day 5th fastest ahead of Red Bull’s Peirre Gasly. Another Ferrari Academy driver Raffaele Marciello was in the driving seat at Sauber. He racked up 53 laps for the Swiss based team with his fastest time of the day of 1:11.826.

    Williams test driver Susie Wolff was 9th fastest for Williams with a best time for her of 1:13.248. Wolff says that her runs in the dry were mainly for aerodynamic evaluations and preparation work for Silverstone. The Williams did emerge from the pits with interesting looking winglets ahead of the rear wheels which, if deemed legal, could provide the team with a really big advantage come Silverstone.

    Force India were trailing parts for their B-spec car which they hope to run in Silverstone. Deputy Team Principal Robert Fernley says that the team hopes to have two complete B-spec cars ready for the British Grand Prix at Silverstone. At the moment, he says they are on track to meet their deadline.

    Wednesday’s driver line up:

    Mercedes Nico Rosberg
    Ferrari Esteban Gutierrez
    Williams Valtteri Bottas
    Red Bull  Daniel Ricciardo
    Force India Pascal Wehrlein
    Lotus Jolyon Palmer
    Sauber Felipe Nasr
    Toro Rosso  Marco Wittmann
    McLaren Fernando Alonso

     

    Below is the unofficial timing sheet for Day 1 of the Austrian in-season test.

    Pos
    Driver
    Team
    Laps
    Time
    		 Gap
    1
    Pascal Wehrlein
    Mercedes
    67
    1:11.005

    –
    2
    Esteban Ocon
    Force India
    76
    1:11.192
    		 +0.178
    3
    Max Verstappen
    Toro Rosso
    97
    1:11.328
    		 +0.323
    4
    Antonio Fuoco
    Ferrari
    71
    1:11.331
    		 +0.326
    5
    Romain Grosjean
    Lotus
    45
    1:11.509
    		 +0.504
    6
    Pierre Gasly
    Red Bull
    80
    1:11.757
    		 +0.752
    7
    Raffaele Marciello
    Sauber
    53
    1:11.826
    		 +0.821
    8
    Stoffel Vandoorne
    McLaren
    76
    1:12.530
    		 +1.525
    9
    Susie Wolff
    Williams
    39
    1:13.248
    		 +2.243
  • F1 2014 Abu Dhabi Test: Day 2

    F1 2014 Abu Dhabi Test: Day 2

    Mercedes ended the second day of testing at Abu Dhabi on top of the timing sheets.

    Test driver Pascal Wehrlein brought the Abu Dhabi test to a close with the fastest lap on the timing sheets. The 20-year-old official Mercedes test driver set a fastest time of 1:42:624 roughly half a second ahead of the pack.

    McLaren’s newly minted Honda partnership underwent further teething problems today as Stoffel Vandoorne was only able to complete two laps. Vandoorne’s times were not timed and adds to a rather unspectacular first outing for the highly anticipated Honda hybrid power unit. The team discovered an electrical issue which severely compromised the team’s program. As Vandoorne finally emerged from the garage he grinded to a halt on track a few minutes later signalling the end of the testing session for the McLaren team.

    Toro Rosso’s 2015 prospect Max Verstappen set the third fastest time of the day as Raffaele Marciello made his debut for Ferrari. Verstappen clocked a total of 78 laps before a power unit issue in the afternoon brought his running to an end.

    Alex Lynn put the Lotus through its paces and managed the ninth fastest time of the day. Formula Three Champion Esteban Ocon took over the Lotus seat in the afternoon and set the tenth quickest lap with a total of 34 laps.

    Unofficial Wednesday times from Abu Dhabi:
    AbuDhabiTest_Day2