Barcelona Tests I – Day 3 (morning): Verstappen on top, Vettel in the gravel

As the drivers present to start this third day of testing at the Barcelona circuit are getting ready, the sky is increasingly threatening and rain might well make an appearance.

Present on track today are Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes), Daniil Kvyat (Red Bull), Felipe Massa (Williams), Sebastian Vettel (Ferrari), Jenson Button (McLaren), Pascal Wehrlein (Force India), Max Verstappen (Toro Rosso), Pastor Maldonado (Lotus), and Marcus Ericsson (Sauber).

Very quickly, Sebastian Vettel leaves his box to chase the clock. Unfortunately, his Ferrari is immobilized very quickly in the gravel due to running off on a slippery track. Indeed, rain appeared in Spain from the first minutes of practice but won’t last.

After the restart following the red flag, all the drivers take their turn, except for Marcus Ericsson, who is stuck in the pit due to a gearbox problem on his Sauber. Lewis Hamilton dominates the beginning of this session while Vettel, whose car was quickly brought back, was able to return to the track.

The weather conditions remain uncertain and the drivers are hesitant to take the track to attempt a lap time, except for Pascal Wehrlein who takes his chance at the wheel of his Force India, but without troubling Hamilton’s time.

While Jenson Button and his McLaren-Honda stop on the track causing a brief red flag, Max Verstappen grinds the asphalt with remarkable consistency, eventually stealing the fastest time from Hamilton’s Mercedes. Both men are the most diligent on the Barcelona tarmac.

At the end of the morning, the intensification of the rain prevents any improvement, and the drivers remain in their pit, except for Jenson Button, who, after a long immobilization, manages to get back on track, just like Marcus Ericsson, who finally starts his Sauber.