Formula One Vault

BARCELONA TEST: Rosberg fastest from Bottas

Nico Rosberg has gone fastest on the second day of third pre-season test in Barcelona. The German was over a second faster on than the Williams of Valtteri Bottas in second.

The German set his fastest time using the slower medium and hard compounds meant that neither Nico Rosberg nor Lewis Hamilton had truly lit up a timesheet in the opening nine days of pre-season action. This underlined that the team are the best going into the season.

McLaren remain in the midfield but had a much better day completing more laps in a day than previously. But they still ground to a halt on its 101st lap with 20 minutes to go.

Force India completed over 70 laps. For all the teams it was an impressive day for the amount of mileage that the teams completed. Sauber remained third completing a race simulation for the second successive day, this time with Felipe Nasr.

Ferrari topped the lap charts with 143 as Sebastian Vettel. While Vettel’s former teams Red Bull ground to a halt at Turn One after a hydraulic sensor alert and Torro Rosso had reliability issues.

RESULTS

1. Nico Rosberg(Mercedes) 1:22.792 (106 laps)
2. Valtteri Bottas(Williams) 1:23.995 (90)
3. Felipe Nasr(Sauber) 1:24.071 (141 laps)
4. Sebastian Vettel(Ferrari) 1:25.339 (143)
5. Jenson Button(McLaren) 1:25.590 (101)
6. Pastor Maldonado(Lotus) 1:26.705 (140)
7. Max Verstappen(Toro Rosso) 1:26.766 (139)
8. Daniil Kvyat(Red Bull) 1:26.965 (84)
9. Nico Hulkenberg(Force India) 1:28.412 (77)