The first preseason test in Barcelona was characterized by low temperatures and snow on Wednesday, which in combination with rain and low temperatures destroyed the third day – we bring an overview of the first test in numbers.
During the first four days of testing, the teams completed a total of 2581 laps, which is about half the mileage they would do in warmer, dry conditions. The problem were also low temperatures, especially for harder compounds such as a medium that needed ten laps to reach the optimum temperature.
“After the medium tires warm up, you can drive forever, almost no degradation. It was a tough week with lots of questions and little answers,” said Sebastian Vettel.
Another new variable is the new, significantly smoother asphalt on the Circuit de Barcelona – Catalunya track.
Most of the roughness on the old surface disappeared and track offers a lot of grip in the dry.
“You have the feeling of driving on the other course,” commented Nico Hulkenberg.
Mercedes sends an early warning
Lewis Hamilton set the fastest time of this year’s pre-season testing in Barcelona in his Mercedes W09 on the medium tire – 1:19:333.
Hamilton completed only 25 laps in the first three day, but added 69 on the final day when he set the fastest time.
Hamilton’s time was tenths faster than Vettel’s best time of the second day on soft tyres while third fastest was Vandoorne in McLaren on hypersoft tyres, the Pirelli’s softest tyres in F1 2018.
BEST TIMES – DRIVERS
Driver | Team | Day | Tyres | Time | |
1. | Lewis Hamilton | Mercedes | 4 | Medium | 1:19.333 |
2. | Sebastian Vettel | Ferrari | 2 | Soft | 1:19.673 |
3. | Stoffel Vandoorne | McLaren | 4 | Hypersoft | 1:19.854 |
4. | Valtteri Bottas | Mercedes | 2 | Medium | 1:19.976 |
5. | Daniel Ricciardo | Red Bull | 1 | Medium | 1:20.179 |
6. | Kevin Magnussen | Haas | 4 | Supersoft | 1:20.317 |
7. | Max Verstappen | Red Bull | 2 | Medium | 1:20.326 |
8. | Kimi Raikkonen | Ferrari | 1 | Soft | 1:20.506 |
9. | Nico Hulkenberg | Renault | 1 | Soft | 1:20.547 |
10. | Fernando Alonso | McLaren | 4 | Supersoft | 1:20.929 |
11. | Carlos Sainz | Renault | 4 | Medium | 1:20.940 |
12. | Lance Stroll | Williams | 4 | Soft | 1:21.142 |
13. | Pierre Gasly | Toro Rosso | 2 | Soft | 1:21.318 |
14. | Robert Kubica | Williams | 2 | Soft | 1:21.495 |
15. | Sergey Sirotkin | Williams | 2 | Soft | 1:21.822 |
16. | Esteban Ocon | Force India | 2 | Soft | 1:21.841 |
17. | Sergio Perez | Force India | 4 | Soft | 1:21.973 |
18. | Brendon Hartley | Toro Rosso | 1 | Soft | 1:22.371 |
19. | Romain Grosjean | Haas | 1 | Soft | 1:22.578 |
20. | Charles Leclerc | Sauber | 2 | Soft | 1:22.721 |
21. | Marcus Ericsson | Sauber | 1 | Soft | 1:23.408 |
22. | Nikita Mazepin | Force India | 1 | Medium | 1:25.628 |
BEST TIMES – TEAMS
Team | Driver | Day | Tyres | Time | |
1. | Mercedes | Lewis Hamilton | 4 | Medium | 1:19.333 |
2. | Ferrari | Sebastian Vettel | 2 | Soft | 1:19.673 |
3. | McLaren | Stoffel Vandoorne | 4 | Hypersoft | 1:19.854 |
4. | Red Bull | Daniel Ricciardo | 1 | Medium | 1:20.179 |
5. | Haas | Kevin Magnussen | 4 | Supersoft | 1:20.317 |
6. | Renault | Nico Hulkenberg | 1 | Soft | 1:20.547 |
7. | Williams | Lance Stroll | 4 | Soft | 1:21.142 |
8. | Toro Rosso | Pierre Gasly | 2 | Soft | 1:21.318 |
9. | Force India | Esteban Ocon | 2 | Soft | 1:21.841 |
10. | Sauber | Charles Leclerc | 3 | Soft | 1:22.721 |
LAPS – TEAMS
Momčad | Motor | Krugova | |
1. | Toro Rosso | Honda | 326 |
2. | Mercedes | Mercedes | 306 |
3. | Ferrari | Ferrari | 298 |
4. | Sauber | Ferrari | 283 |
5. | Williams | Mercedes | 276 |
6. | Renault | Renault | 273 |
7. | McLaren | Renault | 260 |
8. | Red Bull | Renault | 209 |
9. | Haas | Ferrari | 187 |
10. | Force India | Mercedes | 166 |
LAP COUNT DIFFERENCE 2017/2018
Team | Laps 2017 | Laps 2018 | Difference |
Mercedes | 558 | 306 | -252 |
Ferrari | 468 | 298 | -170 |
Red Bull | 294 | 209 | -85 |
Force India | 278 | 166 | -112 |
Williams | 213 | 276 | +63 |
Renault | 293 | 273 | -20 |
Toro Rosso | 183 | 324 | +141 |
Haas | 343 | 187 | -156 |
McLaren | 208 | 260 | +52 |
Sauber | 349 | 283 | -66 |
LAPS – ENGINES
Engine | Laps | |
1. | Ferrari | 768 |
2. | Mercedes | 748 |
3. | Renault | 742 |
4. | Honda | 324 |
LAPS – DRIVERS
Driver | Laps | |
1. | Gasly | 229 |
2. | Vettel | 218 |
3. | Bottas | 212 |
4. | Sainz | 151 |
5. | Vandoorne | 147 |
6. | Ericsson | 143 |
7. | Leclerc | 140 |
8. | Magnussen | 132 |
9. | Sirotkin | 127 |
10. | Hulkenberg | 122 |
11. | Alonso | 113 |
12. | Ricciardo | 107 |
13. | Verstappen | 102 |
14. | Stroll | 100 |
15. | Hartley | 95 |
16. | Hamilton | 94 |
17. | Raikkonen | 80 |
18. | Ocon | 79 |
19. | Perez | 65 |
20. | Grosjean | 55 |
21. | Kubica | 49 |
22. | Mazepin | 22 |
BEST TIMES PER TYRE COMPOUND
Tyre | Time | Driver | Team |
Hypersoft | 1:19.854 | Stoffel Vandoorne | McLaren |
Supersoft | 1:20.317 | Kevin Magnussen | Haas |
Soft | 1:19.673 | Sebastian Vettel | Ferrari |
Medium | 1:19.333 | Lewis Hamilton | Mercedes |
