ABU DHABI TEST DAY TWO – Robert Shwartzman fastest on the final day by almost half a second
Robert Shwartzman was fastest on the final day of the post-season test in Abu Dhabi. The Russian driver was the only young driver taking part in the test as the rest of the test as the other teams ran mule cars to help Pirelli to finalise the new eighteen-inch tyres for next season.
Teams were only allowed to field a young driver on one of the two days of testing, with all bar Haas opting to do so on Tuesday. Shwartzman set a 25.348 in the last forty minutes, that put him ahead of Lando Norris by four and a half tenths.
Norris driving the mule McLaren managed more than a hundred laps while testing a new LED lights system on the rear wheel covers of the McLaren, offering a sign of future technology that could be used in.
Despite having day with a few problems, Sebastian Vettel recovered from a hydraulic issue to finish third. The Aston Martin driver completed more than a hundred laps, before setting his fastest lap in the final five minutes.
The two red flags caused by Vettel were the only stoppages on track, but they didn’t seem to impact the on-track running too much.
George Russell made his first outing as a full-time Mercedes driver, going fifth fastest six tenths off Norris. Pierre Gasly put his Alpha Tauri fifth, going a quarter of a second faster than the Ferrari of Carlos Sainz. Fernando Alonso was seventh, the Alpine driver managing almost a hundred and fifty laps.
Guanyu Zhou had a second day in the Alfa Romeo, this time completing his tyre development work and replacing Valtteri Bottas. The Chinese driver going a tenth faster than the Red Bull of Sergio Perez, who did a hundred and fifty laps. Haas driver Pietro Fittipaldi rounded the field, three seconds off the pace.
Testing resumes in Barcelona in February