Barcelona Tests 1 – Day 1: Vettel Takes the Lead!

The greatest fear of most F1 enthusiasts is to see a repeat of last year’s scenario, with the domination of the Red Bull team, led by a Vettel on cloud nine. This first testing session at the Barcelona circuit is not exactly reassuring them since it was the German who clocked the fastest time of the day in 79 laps. He had already managed to lead before the 1 p.m. break, with a time of 1:23.343, which he improved around 3:30 p.m., clocking 1:23.265. However, this performance should be put into perspective, as the programs are not known.

Next comes Nico Hülkenberg, in the promising Force India, who clocked a 1:23.440, just two-tenths short of his compatriot. A reassuring performance for someone who couldn’t participate in the third day of testing in Jerez due to Jules Bianchi’s accident in the morning. The driver completed 97 laps.

He leads Lewis Hamilton, the second most diligent driver of the day with 114 laps. The Briton is three-tenths behind Vettel. Daniel Ricciardo takes fourth place at the wheel of the Toro Rosso, still quite consistent, just three-hundredths off Hamilton’s McLaren. The Australian still encountered a problem that forced him to park his car, causing the second red flag of the day around 3:50 PM.

Next are Alonso and Schumacher, both eight-tenths behind Vettel. The former completed 75 laps in the F2012, on which it seems there is still work to be done, while the latter debuted the new W03 (presented early this morning) completing 51 laps. However, the end of the day was disrupted by a hydraulic problem preventing the seven-time world champion from going out in the last hour and a half.

Perez finishes seventh, less than a second behind the Red Bull. His day was once again marked by gearbox problems, which he had already experienced in Jerez. The Mexican managed to complete 66 laps nonetheless. Senna, meanwhile, is the first driver over a second behind, as he finishes 2.4 seconds back after the 97 laps completed by a remarkably reliable Williams.

Problems also for the next two drivers: Heikki Kovalainen had to watch others race for much of the afternoon due to a problem with the rear of his Caterham, which forced him to stop and cause a red flag around 11:07. He was able to get back on track during the last hour of testing and achieved a time of 1:26.035. Meanwhile, Romain Grosjean encountered a problem with the chassis of his Lotus very early on, which limited him to only completing 7 laps today, with the Enstone team deciding to end the day early in the afternoon.

Finally, the award for perseverance goes to Charles Pic who, at the wheel of a 2011 Marussia, managed to cross the finish line 121 times. A great way to get in shape for the Frenchman who will have the 2012 model next week in Barcelona.

Private Testing in Barcelona – Day 1