-
Home
- TV Shows
- TV Schedule
- NASCAR
-
Latest Headlines: NASCAR
-
-
Formula 1
- Auto Racing
- Moto Racing
- Cars
- Bikes
- Store
- Social
- Games
- Mobile
- Deals
- Videos
- Photos
- Home
- TV Shows
-
TV Schedule
-
SPEED Showcase
-
- NASCAR
- Formula 1
- Auto Racing
- Moto Racing
- Cars
- Bikes
- Store
- Social
- Mobile
- Deals
- Videos
- Photos
Formula 1
F1: Grosjean Fastest For Lotus In Barcelona
Romain Grosjean has led two days of testing this winter...
Romain Grosjean set the pace on Friday in Barcelona testing. (Photo: LAT Photographic)
Romain Grosjean headed the times on the second day of four days of the final test in Barcelona.
Rain again had an impact on everyone’s test programs. The opening half hour was soaking wet. Later, it gradually dried out, and there was some proper dry running in the afternoon.
However, some drivers concentrated on longer race runs when conditions were at their best, and the significance of overall headline times was underlined by the fact that Nico Rosberg and Fernando Alonso were only 10th and 11th fastest, respectively, at the end of the day.
Grosjean became the first man to top two days of 2013 testing, having also been quickest on one day in Jerez.
“Even though the weather was far from ideal, it was a pretty good day for us,” said Grosjean. “And it’s certainly a better feeling to end the session with the fastest time on the board rather than the slowest. We had strong reliability again today and the E21 feels good in all conditions, which is very promising for the season ahead.
“Of course, I wish I could have more time in the car before the season starts, but if we’re in the same position on the monitors when we get to Australia, I’ll be very happy indeed.”
Behind Grosjean, Jenson Button was second fastest for McLaren, and crucially the Briton was in an optimistic mood afterward, making it clear that the car has made good progress. The team noted: “The program was efficient and productive, with Jenson going quicker on each subsequent run.”
Pastor Maldonado was third fastest as Williams enjoyed another positive day.
“We didn’t manage to complete our entire program because of the rain today,” he noted. “But we still did 75 laps with the track improving towards the end of the afternoon. I had a good feeling in the car, but we still have things we can improve.
“This afternoon we were able to complete some aero evaluations, with particular focus on trying some different front wings. We now have enough data to make some decisions on that, so I’m looking forward to getting some dry running in over the weekend.”
Sebastian Vettel was one of many drivers to experience the gravel trap during the wet conditions. Red Bull was trying some DRS developments.
“I didn’t do that many laps today, but to be honest, the weather wasn’t great and it was a pretty rough day in terms of the wind,” said Vettel. “It’s very cold, as well. The tires aren’t really working properly, and I think everybody is suffering the same problem, struggling to make the tires last for more than a lap. It’s difficult to compare things you are testing and also to compare yourself to others.”
Nico Hulkenberg was fifth for Sauber, ahead of Adrian Sutil, his replacement at Force India.
"It was a difficult day with changing track conditions, and it was very windy as well,” said Hulkenberg. “This made it very challenging to do precise testing and get perfect results, but I think we made the best out of it and gathered a lot of data which the engineers can now analyze. I’m satisfied with the pace we had in dry conditions; however, we need to do more work on the intermediate tires, where we have definitely more potential to exploit.”
“It was a very interesting day with such a variation in track conditions,” said Sutil. “But it was ideal for me to practice in the sort of conditions we might experience in Australia or Malaysia. I ran the full wets, the intermediates, and it was good to discover the crossover point with the slick tires.
“I only ran the medium compound dry tires today, but it was difficult to do too much setup work because the wind was affecting the aero balance quite a lot. Overall I felt positive today and whenever I went out on track, the lap times were competitive.”
Meanwhile, Daniel Ricciardo was seventh for Toro Rosso: “Looking on the positive side, the changing weather meant I was able to try the Pirelli rain, intermediate and soft tires, so that was interesting,” said the Aussie.
“However, the rain did make life tricky for all of us, and although we got plenty done today, I’m looking forward to achieving more on my last day on Sunday, when the weather is meant to be much better.”
Although his overall position was unspectacular, Nico Rosberg was pleased with progress at Mercedes.
“It was great to run in the wet today, which I have not done so far during our preseason testing program,” said Rosberg. “The car felt good in those conditions, and it’s important to have had this experience as there is always the chance of rain in Melbourne.
“This afternoon, we did some race simulation work which was very productive. I am happy with my mileage today, as every single lap is important for the learning process, and so overall it was a positive day for me here.”
Pos Driver Car Time Laps
1. Romain Grosjean Lotus 1:22.716 88
2. Jenson Button McLaren 1:23.181 72
3. Pastor Maldonado Williams 1:23.628 75
4. Sebastian Vettel Red Bull 1:23.743 65
5. Nico Hulkenberg Sauber 1:23.744 79
6. Adrian Sutil Sahara Force India 1:24.215 62
7. Daniel Ricciardo Toro Rosso 1:25.483 61
8. Max Chilton Marussia 1:25.598 75
9. Giedo Van Der Garde Caterham 1:26.316 48
10. Nico Rosberg Mercedes 1:26.655 120
11. Fernando Alonso Ferrari 1:27.878 102
Adam Cooper notched up his 28th season as a racing journalist in 2012. He has written about F1 for SPEED.com since 2005. Follow him on Twitter.
Rain again had an impact on everyone’s test programs. The opening half hour was soaking wet. Later, it gradually dried out, and there was some proper dry running in the afternoon.
However, some drivers concentrated on longer race runs when conditions were at their best, and the significance of overall headline times was underlined by the fact that Nico Rosberg and Fernando Alonso were only 10th and 11th fastest, respectively, at the end of the day.
Grosjean became the first man to top two days of 2013 testing, having also been quickest on one day in Jerez.
“Even though the weather was far from ideal, it was a pretty good day for us,” said Grosjean. “And it’s certainly a better feeling to end the session with the fastest time on the board rather than the slowest. We had strong reliability again today and the E21 feels good in all conditions, which is very promising for the season ahead.
“Of course, I wish I could have more time in the car before the season starts, but if we’re in the same position on the monitors when we get to Australia, I’ll be very happy indeed.”
Behind Grosjean, Jenson Button was second fastest for McLaren, and crucially the Briton was in an optimistic mood afterward, making it clear that the car has made good progress. The team noted: “The program was efficient and productive, with Jenson going quicker on each subsequent run.”
Pastor Maldonado was third fastest as Williams enjoyed another positive day.
“We didn’t manage to complete our entire program because of the rain today,” he noted. “But we still did 75 laps with the track improving towards the end of the afternoon. I had a good feeling in the car, but we still have things we can improve.
“This afternoon we were able to complete some aero evaluations, with particular focus on trying some different front wings. We now have enough data to make some decisions on that, so I’m looking forward to getting some dry running in over the weekend.”
Sebastian Vettel was one of many drivers to experience the gravel trap during the wet conditions. Red Bull was trying some DRS developments.
“I didn’t do that many laps today, but to be honest, the weather wasn’t great and it was a pretty rough day in terms of the wind,” said Vettel. “It’s very cold, as well. The tires aren’t really working properly, and I think everybody is suffering the same problem, struggling to make the tires last for more than a lap. It’s difficult to compare things you are testing and also to compare yourself to others.”
Nico Hulkenberg was fifth for Sauber, ahead of Adrian Sutil, his replacement at Force India.
"It was a difficult day with changing track conditions, and it was very windy as well,” said Hulkenberg. “This made it very challenging to do precise testing and get perfect results, but I think we made the best out of it and gathered a lot of data which the engineers can now analyze. I’m satisfied with the pace we had in dry conditions; however, we need to do more work on the intermediate tires, where we have definitely more potential to exploit.”
“It was a very interesting day with such a variation in track conditions,” said Sutil. “But it was ideal for me to practice in the sort of conditions we might experience in Australia or Malaysia. I ran the full wets, the intermediates, and it was good to discover the crossover point with the slick tires.
“I only ran the medium compound dry tires today, but it was difficult to do too much setup work because the wind was affecting the aero balance quite a lot. Overall I felt positive today and whenever I went out on track, the lap times were competitive.”
Meanwhile, Daniel Ricciardo was seventh for Toro Rosso: “Looking on the positive side, the changing weather meant I was able to try the Pirelli rain, intermediate and soft tires, so that was interesting,” said the Aussie.
“However, the rain did make life tricky for all of us, and although we got plenty done today, I’m looking forward to achieving more on my last day on Sunday, when the weather is meant to be much better.”
Although his overall position was unspectacular, Nico Rosberg was pleased with progress at Mercedes.
“It was great to run in the wet today, which I have not done so far during our preseason testing program,” said Rosberg. “The car felt good in those conditions, and it’s important to have had this experience as there is always the chance of rain in Melbourne.
“This afternoon, we did some race simulation work which was very productive. I am happy with my mileage today, as every single lap is important for the learning process, and so overall it was a positive day for me here.”
Pos Driver Car Time Laps
1. Romain Grosjean Lotus 1:22.716 88
2. Jenson Button McLaren 1:23.181 72
3. Pastor Maldonado Williams 1:23.628 75
4. Sebastian Vettel Red Bull 1:23.743 65
5. Nico Hulkenberg Sauber 1:23.744 79
6. Adrian Sutil Sahara Force India 1:24.215 62
7. Daniel Ricciardo Toro Rosso 1:25.483 61
8. Max Chilton Marussia 1:25.598 75
9. Giedo Van Der Garde Caterham 1:26.316 48
10. Nico Rosberg Mercedes 1:26.655 120
11. Fernando Alonso Ferrari 1:27.878 102
Adam Cooper notched up his 28th season as a racing journalist in 2012. He has written about F1 for SPEED.com since 2005. Follow him on Twitter.
Grand Prix of Bahrain
LATEST HEADLINES: FORMULA-ONE
-
F1: Pirelli Confirms Canada Changes 'Less' Than Announced
Reports are the F1 supplier will now make only minimal changes to… -
F1: Series Owner CVC Votes To Keep Ecclestone Despite Charges
F1's owners have voted to keep Bernie Ecclestone at the helm of the… -
F1: Grand Prix News Briefs (Update 2)
Toto Wolff is disappointed with McLaren's move to link up with works… -
F1: Paddy Lowe Finally Confirmed At Mercedes
Paddy Lowe will join the team as Executive Director (Technical) Monday… -
F1: We Need To Improve Qualifying, Says Massa
Felipe Massa says Ferrari is still not where it wants to be... -
F1: Grosjean Pumped About Monaco Prospects
Romain Grosjean wrecked on the first lap of the 2012 Monaco GP...… -
F1: Raikkonen Hoping For Better Luck In Monaco
Kimi Raikkonen is focused on qualifying well in Monaco... - More News
