Summary

  • Final day of pre-season testing

  • Sebastian Vettel fastest in the morning

  • Vettel tests 'halo' head protection device

  • Transmission problem for Hamilton before lunch

  • Get involved #worsteverF1mods

Live Reporting

Gary Rose

  2. Rio Haryanto must be absolutely itching to get going. He's spent all morning in the Manor garage, with the team trying to fix a "mechanical issue".

    Manor said they hoped to be out before lunch. T-minus 40 minutes...

  4. Get involved #worsteverF1mods

    Can't help but see the below when I see this car.

    ElscalatorGetty Images

  5. Testing latest

    1. Sebastian Vettel 1:22.852 37 laps (SS)

    2. Carlos Sainz 1:23.471 46 laps (SS)

    3. Sergio Perez 1:23.849 34 laps (SS)

    4. Lewis Hamilton 1:24.133 52 laps (M)

    5. Daniel Ricciardo 1:24.549 48 laps (S)

    6. Jenson Button 1:24.714 38 laps (US)

    7. Romain Grosjean 1:25.255 40 laps  (S)

    8. Jolyon Palmer 1:25.505 18 laps (S)

    9. Felipe Massa 1:25.696 63 laps (M)

    10. Marcus Ericsson 1:26.823 44 laps (M)

  7. BBC Radio 5 Live

    BBC 5 live commentary Jack Nicholls: "Pascal Wherlein is a very exciting prospect. He will be a very exciting prospect in the Manor this season. Jolyon Palmer is also exciting. He won GP2 - the first time a Britain has won that championship since Lewis Hamilton in 2006. He will be one to watch."

  8. The three fastest times have been set on the super softs, with Sergio Perez moving up to third after a 1:23.839.

    Meanwhile Jolyon Palmer is back on track. He hasn't had too much running this morning - about one hour before spending the last two hours in the Renault garage.

  9. Get involved #worsteverF1mods

    Aidy Muttram: Those strange extra front wings (as per the below Honda), always reminded me of Gromit.  

    F1Twitter

  10. Felipe Massa, by the way, is leading the way in terms of mileage today - 55 laps and counting.

    Meanwhile, nothing doing on that run on the ultra softs for Sebastian Vettel. He was unable to improve on the 1:22.852 he set on the super softs earlier.

  11. BBC Radio 5 Live

    WilliamsGetty Images

    Williams' chief technical officer Pat Symonds: "There is a lot to do in testing. People think we come here and play around and see what happens. We have huge check lists we have to get through, we have to practice all the things that might go wrong as well as the things that go right. 

    "We are concentrating on our testing, believe it or not we are not looking too closely at other cars. When we finish testing and on that long flight to Australia I will be having a look at photographs [of our rivals] and I'll be trying to see what inspires me for our next development.

    "There is no need to analyse what others are doing. If someone is quicker than us, we can't work any harder. What others are doing is ultimately irrelevant but we are human and human beings are competitive. So we do check on the pecking order."

  12. There's plenty of secrecy during testing, with big boards expertly and swiftly moved into place when cars return to the pits. So just how much time do teams spend looking at their rivals?

  13. Get involved #worsteverF1mods

  14. Sebastian Vettel dipped below 1:23 on a recent super soft run, clocking 1:22.852.

    A chance to go even faster now because he has made the switch to ultra softs.  

  15. On the Button

    That time by Jenson Button - 1:24.714 - was McLaren's best in testing so far. They have also managed 358 laps so far in the second test.

  16. Just me, or does that Ferrari look a lot like this meme?

    MemeKnowyourmeme

  17. Get involved #worsteverF1mod

  18. A couple of movements on the timing board as Sergio Perez, on softs, goes third with 1:24.533 on his 26th lap of the day.

    Jenson Button also improves, going fifth after a 1:24.714. He had those snazzy purple boots on for that lap - the ultra softs...

  19. F1

    F1 journalist Dan Knutson in Barcelona: "Speaking of the Renault hospitality unit, most team’s motor homes – still called that because they actually were motor homes 30 years ago –have grown bigger and more elaborate over the years. 

    "But this modest one has remained the same as the Enstone team has gone through various owners, and has been used by Benetton, Renault, Lotus and now Renault again."

  20. A home away from home

    Formula 1

    F1 journalist Dan Knutson in Barcelona: "Williams, like most teams, do not bring its huge hospitality units to testing. All they really need is a place for the crew to eat, and that area is also used for the press conferences. 

    "The only two teams that set up their “race” hospitality units during the Barcelona test were Mercedes, with its palatial building complete with a terrace, and Renault."

    MercedesGetty Images