We’re finally getting back to the track and heating up the tires as the new Formula 1 cars get out the pits for testing.
Testing is taking place in Barcelona where we get to enjoy all teams involved and see what adjustments and improvements they need to apply before heading out in the first race of the season.
There has been a lot going on with the first day, and there is more to come as all teams have not made it to the track just yet. However, even with just the first day’s results, we see some promising results all over the board.
Williams in Hot Water
In the Williams paddock today, we saw the new Formula 2 champion driver, George Russell who was standing with the 2018 car.
Of course, this is a little concerning as he cannot test the new car as yet and he made it clear that he cannot wait to get out on the track and experience the new car. However, the team isn’t quite ready with it yet and are in Oxfordshire doing all they can to get the car ready in time.
Sebastian Vettel Leads with Lap Times
During these practice sessions, the lap times shouldn’t be considered or used for any indication as to what team is the fastest. Some drivers might be testing different aspects of the car, using different techniques and simply not going for the fastest possible lap.
However, Sebastian Vettel appears at the top of the times throughout the day. That might not mean anything, but it’s certainly good to see him at the top, especially after the poor ending towards the end of last year.
However, he did have a bit of a spin out quite early on the first day, which is exactly what took him down in the second half of 2018. Luckily, it was nothing major, but we certainly hope it doesn’t happen during races in the season ahead.
Red Bull
The Red Bull team also showed some great promise with their new car as Max Verstappen push for 100 laps as the team tested the car and made adjustments. This year they are winning with the new Honda engine and hasn’t experienced any issues thus far.
Honda re-entered the sport back in 2015, and if their engines are already delivering impressive results, we might just seem some interesting racing in the season ahead. The team are pleased with the results after the first day, but we’ll have to see how it holds up with the testing days ahead.
McLaren
The beginning of 2018 started rather poorly for the McLaren team as the Renault power unit installation had some issues, which resulted in Fernando Alonso losing a wheel and ending up in the gravel.
This year, it all seems much better, and the team’s testing has been going well. Not only are they appearing near the top of the lap times, but it seems as if the team has some relief, which is almost the most important as they head into the 2019 season.