Formula 1 Pre-Season Testing: 5 Observations from Day 1 at Barcelona
After a two-week break, Formula One pre-season testing has recommenced, this time at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya.
The second of three four-day tests ahead of the season-opening Australian Grand Prix on March 15, this week's running gives the teams a chance to build upon what they learned at the first test at the Jerez circuit.
For the likes of Mercedes and Ferrari, the Barcelona test represents an opportunity to consolidate their position as the "winners" of pre-season, while for other outfits—most notably Red Bull Racing and McLaren-Honda—it is all about eradicating the issues of Jerez and closing the gap.
Here are five things that caught our eye on Day 1.
Pascal Wehrlein Is a Wanted Man
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Force India's financial concerns appeared to be confirmed on the eve of the Barcelona test, with the team announcing that Pascal Wehrlein would drive their 2014 car for two days at the Spanish track.
The news came just days after Motorsport.com reported the Silverstone-based team were planning to run the 20-year-old, Mercedes' reserve driver, to compensate for unpaid bills to their engine supplier.
The German's first day with Force India was cut short after 32 laps, however, as Wehrlein was recalled to his parent team to deputise for Lewis Hamilton, who according to Mercedes' official Twitter account was struggling with illness.
Although Hamilton's team-mate, Nico Rosberg, was present at the track, F1 journalist Tobias Gruner reported the 2014 runner-up was suffering from an "inflamed nerve in his neck," forcing Mercedes to draft in the youngster.
Wehrlein did a credible job, adding 48 laps to his morning workload, while Sergio Perez, the German's replacement at Force India, completed 34 laps.
The youngster may be at the centre of another tug of war on Saturday if Hamilton fails to recover in time.
McLaren-Honda in Serious Trouble
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Following a slow and steady start in the opening test at Jerez, McLaren were expected to step up their pre-season preparations at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya.
The morning started well enough, as Jenson Button racked up 21 laps, with the Honda-powered MP4-30 much closer to the pace than ever before. Button's best lap of 1:28.182 seconds, as per the official F1 website, was within a second of Felipe Nasr's pace-setting time at the lunch break stage.
The 2009 world champion, however, never reappeared for the afternoon session, as McLaren were forced to curtail their running hours in advance of the chequered flag.
A faulty seal on the MGU-K recovery system, the team confirmed on Twitter, was the reason behind McLaren's stoppage, with Honda managing officer Yasuhisa Arai telling Sky Sports' Pete Gill and James Galloway that a replacement part will not be available until Day 3.
That is bad news for Fernando Alonso, who is set to take over driving duties on Day 2, which is likely to see a recurrence of the problem as McLaren—despite their optimism—wait for the spare part to arrive.
Susie Wolff and Felipe Nasr Commit the Ultimate Testing Sin
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Wiliams and Sauber made solid starts to their winter schedule at Jerez and carried that good form into the opening day at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya.
The FW37, in the hands of Susie Wolff, completed 77 laps, while the Sauber C34, driven by Felipe Nasr, had shown signs of speed and consistency after racking up 68 laps, topping the morning session.
That was, of course, until the drivers committed the ultimate sin of F1 testing, colliding with one another in an incident that left both cars stranded in the gravel.
The drivers were unhurt, with Wolff laying the blame at Nasr's feet, telling ESPN:
"I was on my outlap [from the pits] and I guess he was already on his flying lap and I was coming into braking zone for Turn 5. I stayed on my line and he came across and his rear right hit my front left. It's very difficult to understand how and why it happened, but it did.
The facts are that I stayed on line and he came across and his rear hit my front. It was an unnecessary coming together.
"
The incident undid much of their good work, but both sets of mechanics managed to send their drivers out again in time for the chequered flag.
Nasr and Wolff ended the day with 79 and 86 laps respectively.
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Lotus Recover Strongly After Two Slow Starts
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Lotus have become the ultimate slow-starters in pre-season over the last 12 months, completely missing the first test of 2014 and arriving late to the opening test of this year.
The hat-trick was completed on Thursday morning, as Pastor Maldonado stopped twice in quick succession with "minor software glitches," according to the team's official website.
Thankfully, this wasn't a sign of things to come, as Maldonado completed a good morning's work. However, a clutch change, as per the same source, resulted in yet another slow start, this time in the afternoon session.
Like all great racers, Lotus compensated for the slow start by coming on strong at the end, as Maldonado set the fastest time of anyone by the day's end.
It might only be testing, and the margin between the Venezuelan and the rest of the pack might have been insignificant, but Lotus needed that.
Ferrari Showing No Signs of Falling Back
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After topping the time sheets on three of the four days at Jerez, there was a sense that Ferrari were flattering to deceive.
An improvement over the winter was always expected after the most shambolic season in the team's recent history in 2014, but could they really have made so much progress in so little time?
Whisper it for now, but that might just be the case.
Sky Sports' Live Blog reported that there is a "growing feeling" in the paddock that the Ferrari pace "is genuine," a belief that would have been backed up by Kimi Raikkonen's showing on Day 1.
The 2007 world champion completed 74 laps and headed the leaderboard for much of the afternoon before being pipped by Pastor Maldonado.
Most impressive, however, was the fact Raikkonen, as per Pirelli Motorsport's Twitter account, ended the day just a tenth shy of the Lotus—and four tenths quicker than Daniel Ricciardo's Red Bull—despite setting his fastest lap of the day on medium tyres.
The Finn's pace, as opposed to those around him who fitted the softer tyres, suggests that Ferrari really do have a strong all-round package, the biggest indication yet that the Prancing Horse will be fighting at the front this season.
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