Kimi Raikkonen, Alfa Romeo, Fiorano, 2019

F1 teams confirm driver line-ups for first test of 2019

2019 F1 season

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All bar one of the Formula 1 teams have confirmed their drivers line-ups for the first test of the new season.

World champion Lewis Hamilton will be in action on the first day of testing at the Circuit de Catalunya, but team mate Valtteri Bottas will begin the day at the wheel of the team’s new W10. The team will confirm the rest of its programme during the course of the four-day test.

Sebastian Vettel will put the first laps on the Ferrari SF90 which was launched today, while at Red Bull Max Verstappen will be at the wheel of the Honda-powered RB15.

Williams will join Mercedes in splitting its workload between two drivers. It intends to continue the arrangement throughout the test and will also give Nicholas Latifi, its new test driver, a chance to drive the FW42. Haas has also confirmed a run for its test driver Pietro Fittipaldi in the VF-19.

Renault is the only team yet to confirm its driver plans for the first test. These may be contingent upon whether the team is able to complete its planned shakedown of the new RS19 tomorrow. Team principal Cyril Abiteboul revealed at the team’s launch event on Tuesday they were facing a race against time to finish their first chassis in time for its first run.

[smr2018test]

2019 test one driver line-up

TeamCarMonday 18thTuesday 19thWednesday 20thThursday 21st
MercedesW10Valtteri Bottas (am) / Lewis Hamilton (pm)TBCTBCTBC
FerrariSF90Sebastian VettelCharles LeclercSebastian VettelCharles Leclerc
Red BullRB15Max VerstappenPierre GaslyMax VerstappenPierre Gasly
RenaultRS19Nico Hulkenberg (am)
Daniel Ricciardo (pm)
Daniel Ricciardo (am)
Nico Hulkenberg (pm)
Nico Hulkenberg (am)
Daniel Ricciardo (pm)
Daniel Ricciardo (am)
Nico Hulkenberg (pm)
HaasVF-19Romain GrosjeanKevin MagnussenRomain Grosjean / Pietro FittipaldiPietro Fittipaldi / Kevin Magnussen
McLarenMCL34Carlos Sainz JnrLando NorrisCarlos Sainz JnrLando Norris
Racing PointRP19Sergio PerezLance StrollSergio PerezLance Stroll
Alfa RomeoKimi RaikkonenAntonio GiovinazziKimi RaikkonenAntonio Giovinazzi
Toro RossoSTR14Daniil KvyatAlexander AlbonDaniil KvyatAlexander Albon
WilliamsFW42Not runningGeorge Russell (am)
Nicholas Latifi (pm)
Nicholas Latifi (am)
Robert Kubica (pm)
Robert Kubica (am)
George Russell (pm)

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Keith Collantine
Lifelong motor sport fan Keith set up RaceFans in 2005 - when it was originally called F1 Fanatic. Having previously worked as a motoring...

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24 comments on “F1 teams confirm driver line-ups for first test of 2019”

  1. TBC has a busy schedule

  2. Thank you. I was looking forward so much to know which drivers were circulating on Monday as it’s been a few weeks since I planned my journey.

    1. @jeff1s – are you attending the tests? All days or just Monday?

      1. I surely will attend Monday and Thursday. Another full day might be a bit too much for my wife!

    2. @jeff1s beware if you plan to buy the tickets at the circuit. Last year we went to the track and their internet connection was down (something that happens very often, I hear). And they don’t sell you tickets if they cannot connect to the internet.

      You probably bought them in advance, but I just wanted to warn you in case you didn’t.

  3. For the teams running two drivers I notice they’ve all gone for the ABAB line-up. I’d be curious to understand the benefits of doing this vs AABB. I’m assuming it’s because the team is able to get the feedback of both drivers as quickly as possible, as well as giving them more time to digest comments before the driver is back in the car two days later.

    Any other thoughts from experts on the best way to divvy the driver time up?

    1. @ben-n – I think it’s pretty much what you said. And to ensure that one driver doesn’t give feedback that might steer them one way, but ends up compromising the car for the other driver.

    2. @ben-n I read some time ago that the line-ups were also done in order to make it fairer for each of the drivers in case there is a major disruption in some of the days, like that day last year or 2 years ago when it snowed in Barcelona and there wasn’t any running. But this is all a bit subjective and therefore each team chooses whatever they feel suits best their needs/goals.

    3. So everyone’s sending out their No. 1 driver first, except Mercedes and Racing Point

      1. Lol, you really this Stroll is their nr 1 driver?

  4. I seem to recall there being talk of testing being televised this season… does anyone know anything about this?

    Thanks in advance!

    1. Skysports and F1 live streaming service are going to cover the F1 testing season.

    2. Sky are covering 4 hours per day live of the first test. 1pm-5pm followed by a daily recap show.

      1. Skysports giving just live commentary or video streaming as well? I’m not in the UK, any way I can get access to it?

  5. How can I see the testing?

    1. @panagiotism-papatheodorou F1TV in regions where it’s available or Sky Sports (Who will only be showing the afternoon running) if your in the UK.

      1. Thanks man!

  6. Some notes regarding the testing coverage on F1TV.

    It will feature the same trackside camera angles & usual world-feed timing graphics.

    There won’t be onboard cameras on every car as teams install there own sensors and things in the usual camera locations during testing preventing a live TV camera from been used. They may have 1 car carrying a live onboard each day depending on if a team agrees.

    Along with that there will be no telemetry or team radio since FOM usually pull those things via there systems which with the lack of onboard cameras won’t be on the cars.

    Timing & tracking data will be less than usual as the timing systems been used will be more basic due to the full systems not been installed around the circuit.

    Coverage will run from 8am-5pm with a lunch break between 12-1pm. An additional review program will run from 5-6pm to look at the days running.

    There will be no live coverage of the second week but will be a final wrap-up show on the Friday at 5pm.

    1. Too add a bit on the final point (No live testing of the second week). The first week is basically been done just as a trial to gauge interest.

      Sending all the equipment/crew out, setting it up & producing the broadcast is expensive & the reason live testing hasn’t been done in the past (Apart from Sky in 2013 which i’ll get to below) is because it’s believed that not many would watch so it wouldn’t be worth the cost.

      In 2013 Sky UK decided to produce live testing coverage themselves (And got agreement from FOM to do so) & covered the final Barcelona test using there own staff/equipment. This was something they had intended to do every year but it simply didn’t draw many viewers, Less than they usually get for official practice on race weekends & there was a sizable drop-off in viewers as the week went on & as a result of this they decided it wasn’t worth the cost to do it again in following years.

    2. @gt-racer Regarding your fifth point: What does the word ‘basic’ precisely mean in this context, the lap times get taken to the thousands of a second in testing, as well as, on the race weekends. The cars, as always, carry timing-transponders for testing as well, and there are timing loops in place all-year round buried below the track surface (below the chequered flag-colored line on the S/F straight, and the two sector timing points, which on this circuit locate ahead of T4, and T10), though, so how wouldn’t ‘the full systems’ be installed around the circuit then?

      1. @jerejj Laptimes, sector times & positions will still be available but they won’t have the full range of additional timing and tracking stuff they usually have.

        Things like the mini sectors, What tyre compounds everyone is on/what tyre they set there best lap on & some other more in-depth tools that go into parts of the graphics.

        1. @gt-racer OK, thanks for the small clarification.

  7. Monday? Going to be a looooooooooooong weekend.

  8. Its a merry go round at williams.

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