Valtteri Bottas was quickest on the first of two days of testing at the Yas Marina circuit.
The test is being held to evaluate Pirelli’s new tyres for the 2020 F1 season. However Bottas was one of two drivers who set their best time using the current rubber. He set a best lap of 1’37.124 – 2.3 seconds off last weekend’s pole position time – using the 2019-specficiation C4 tyres.The five drivers closest to him all used the 2020-specification C5s. They were led by Sebastian Vettel, who ended the test eight-tenths of a second off Bottas in his Ferrari. This was despite being knocked into a spin at turn 11 following contact with Sergio Perez.
In consistently sunny and clear conditions at the track, most drivers completed over 100 laps. Max Verstappen logged 153 – well on the way to three full race distances at the home of the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.
Esteban Ocon had his first run as an official Renault driver, completing 77 laps and setting the eighth-fastest time.
Williams and Toro Rosso split their Tuesday running between race and test drivers. George Russell began the day in the FW42 and the Mercedes junior driver will return tomorrow to take over Bottas’s car.
His Williams was driven by Roy Nissany in the afternoon. The former F2 driver had his first run in an F1 car and will drive again for the team tomorrow morning. He lapped around three seconds off the pace of the next-slowest driver.
That was Sean Gelael, who did half a day’s running in the Toro Rosso. He shared the car with Daniil Kvyat, who set the third-quickest time.
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2019 Yas Marina test day one lap times
| Pos. | Car number | Driver | Team | Model | Best time | Gap | Laps | Tyres |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 77 | Valtteri Bottas | Mercedes | W10 | 1’37.124 | 138 | C4 2019 | |
| 2 | 5 | Sebastian Vettel | Ferrari | SF90 | 1’37.991 | 0.867 | 136 | C5 2020 |
| 3 | 26 | Daniil Kvyat | Toro Rosso | STR14 | 1’38.183 | 1.059 | 72 | C5 2020 |
| 4 | 11 | Sergio Perez | Racing Point | RP19 | 1’38.434 | 1.310 | 120 | C5 2020 |
| 5 | 8 | Romain Grosjean | Haas | VF-19 | 1’39.526 | 2.402 | 146 | C5 2020 |
| 6 | 4 | Lando Norris | McLaren | MCL34 | 1’39.741 | 2.617 | 125 | C5 2020 |
| 7 | 33 | Max Verstappen | Red Bull | RB15 | 1’39.926 | 2.802 | 153 | C3 2020 |
| 8 | 31 | Esteban Ocon | Renault | RS19 | 1’39.962 | 2.838 | 77 | C5 2020 |
| 9 | 63 | George Russell | Williams | FW42 | 1’40.368 | 3.244 | 87 | C5 2020 |
| 10 | 7 | Kimi Raikkonen | Alfa Romeo | C38 | 1’40.903 | 3.779 | 93 | C4 2019 |
| 11 | 38 | Sean Gelael | Toro Rosso | STR14 | 1’41.640 | 4.516 | 67 | C4 2020 |
| 12 | 41 | Roy Nissany | Williams | FW42 | 1’44.760 | 7.636 | 41 | C3 2020 |
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2019 F1 season
- Crying in the Melbourne car park at 2019 grand prix was my career low – Ocon
- McLaren Racing reports reduced £71 million loss in 2019
- Kvyat: Hockenheim podium last year was “my biggest achievement” so far
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- “He smashed my office door”: 23 must-see moments from ‘Drive to Survive’ season two
GeeMac (@geemac)
3rd December 2019, 15:16
Good to see Roy Nissany carrying on the family tradition of being woefully slow in an F1 car.
DonSmee (@david-beau)
3rd December 2019, 15:48
Right ’round like a record, baby
Right ’round, ’round, ’round
You spin me right ’round, baby!!
Phylyp (@phylyp)
3rd December 2019, 17:11
Or as reddit says, S🅱️inalla.
@HoHum (@hohum)
3rd December 2019, 20:07
Watched the race “Highlights” last nite, seems LH set fastest lap, a new race record on well worn “HARD” tyres. Harder, longer lasting, tyres may be seconds slower in qualifying but in the race itself they perform admirably. It’s time to dump the mandatory 2 compound rule and allow tyres that can perform well for a full race distance without being driven in ” preservation” mode, if that happens drivers will have to “push” all race to try and pass the car ahead, I guarantee they wont look slower than they do now.
Jay Menon (@jaymenon10)
3rd December 2019, 23:58
@hohum
“LH set fastest lap, a new race record on well worn “HARD” tyres”
And yet, this was his most challenging title win..said the man who did the above and won 11 out of 21 races in the season. hahaha Perhaps I’m missing something?
ajaya
4th December 2019, 0:28
yes you are missing something. being consistent, not making stupid mistakes, known when to back-off in a stupid battle (w/leclrec) is challenging. how many a race has max,seb et al have thrown away by spinning, hitting a barrier etc on race day. i see such stuff from lewis only on a FP sessions.
dan
4th December 2019, 5:49
@jaymenon10 Hamilton’s racepace and racecraft is getting better and better. The most wins not on pole in a season. So yes he had to work very hard. I also felt alot of his best drives where when he didnt win like Monza and Spa taking the fight to Ferrari splitting them in qually etc.