Vettel Sets Quickest Time on Penultimate Test Day

By FIA

Sebastian Vettel broke the circuit record set yesterday by Daniel Ricciardo by almost a second to top the timesheets on the penultimate day of pre-season Formula 1 testing in Barcelona. The Ferrari ended the day over a second clear of nearest rival Kevin Magnussen of Haas, as other frontrunners sent much of the day on long runs.

Vettel’s table topping time arrived in morning session as the German sampled the hypersoft Pirelli tyres. And as the bulk of drivers, including Vettel, moved to race simulations in the afternoon the benchmark stood until the chequered flag fell.

Vettel also topped the lap count chart for drivers notching 188 laps edging Red Bull Racing’s Max Verstappen by a single lap by virtue of laps completed while conducting standing starts at the end of the session.

Ferrari’s likely rivals for podium honours this season, Mercedes and Red Bull, had relatively low-key outings, with Lewis Hamilton finishing eighth for Mercedes, just over two tenths ahead of ninth-place team-mate Valtteri Bottas. Both drivers set their best time on medium tyres.

Verstappen, meanwhile, spent most of the day on soft tyres, though he did try a non-performance run on the ultrasoft in the morning on his way to 12^th place.

Vettel finished 1.178s ahead of Haas driver Kevin Magnussen who set his quickest time on supersoft tyres. Third place went to Toro Rosso’s Pierre Gasly, who posted a lap 1:18.363 in the final hour to finish just 0.003s behind Magnussen. Gasly also posted the day’s third biggest lap total behind Max and Vettel, getting through 169 laps.

Nico Hulkenberg finished fourth in the works Renault, finishing five hundredths of a second ahead of team-mate Carlos Sainz as both tried the hypersoft tyre.

Elsewhere, after a troubled second day in Barcelona, McLaren bounced back today, with Stoffel Vandoorne slotting into sixth place and adding 151 laps to the Woking team’s tally. The Belgian driver finished ahead of Sauber’s Marcus Ericsson, the Mercedes duo of Hamilton and Bottas and the Williams of Robert Kubica. Sergio Perez was 11^th for Force India ahead of Max and the table was propped by Williams’ Lance Stroll.

Formula 1 Pre-Season Test 2, Barcelona – Day 3
1 S Vettel Ferrari 1:17.182 188
2 K Magnussen Haas 1:18.360 +1.178 153
3 P Gasly Toro Rosso 1:18.363 +1.181 169
4 N Hulkenberg Renault 1:18.675 +1.493 79
5 C Sainz Renault 1:18.725 +1.543 69
6 S Vandoorne McLaren 1:18.855 +1.673 151
7 M Ericsson Sauber 1:19.244 +2.062 148
8 L Hamilton Mercedes 1:19.296 +2.350 84
9 V Bottas Mercedes 1:19.532 +2.114 97
10 R Kubica Williams 1:19.629 +2.447 73
11 S Perez Force India 1:19.634 +2.452 159
12 M Verstappen Red Bull 1:19.842 +2.660 187
13 L Stroll Williams 1:20.262 +3.080 67