SAKHIR, Bahrain — Ferrari driver Carlos Sainz finished the second morning of preseason testing in Bahrain at the top of the timesheets.
With just three days of track time before the first race on March 5, teams have already hit the midway point of preseason testing for the year.
Sainz’s fastest time was a 1:32.486 on the C3 compound tyre, improving on Max Verstappen’s best effort from the first day by 0.35 seconds.
The Ferrari driver completed 70 laps by the lunch break, after which he will hand the car over the teammate Charles Leclerc.
Williams’ Logan Sargeant was second fastest, just 0.063s off the Ferrari, but the American set his time on Pirelli’s softest compound — the C5 — which helps explain the rookie’s relatively high position on the timesheets.
Fernando Alonso, who was second fastest on the first day of testing, finished the morning third fastest for Aston Martin and 0.483s off Sainz.
The two-time champion will be at the wheel for the entire day due to Lance Stroll’s absence with a wrist injury and had completed 64 laps by the lunch break.
Red Bull’s Sergio Perez was seventh fastest overall, 1.265s off Ferrari, but was focused on completing a race simulation before the lunch break rather than lowering Verstappen’s benchmark time from Thursday.
The race simulation, which teams undertake to try to troubleshoot any underlying issues before the first race, appeared to go to plan, with Perez using the C3, C3 and C1 compounds over the 57-lap distance.
Lewis Hamilton was eighth fastest overall, 0.2s off Perez, as Mercedes focused on a series of relatively short runs on C3 tyres.
On a couple of occasions parts of bodywork broke off the Mercedes W14 over bumps around the Bahrain International Circuit, but Hamilton still managed to complete 72 laps before the lunch break.
His teammate George Russell, who will drive the car in the afternoon, said it might be “a bit of stretch” for Mercedes to be fighting for wins at the first race of the season, but reiterated comments from the team that the car was a good platform on which to build.
Friday morning test times
1. Carlos Sainz – Ferrari – 1:32.486 – 70 laps
2. Logan Sargeant – Williams – 1:32.549 – 74 laps
3. Fernando Alonso – Aston Martin – 1:32.969 – 64 laps
4. Zhou Guanyu – Alfa Romeo – 1:33.170 – 43 laps
5. Kevin Magnussen – Haas – 1:33.442 – 67 laps
6. Esteban Ocon – Alpine – 1:33.490 – 49 laps
7. Sergio Perez – Red Bull – 1:33.751 – 76 laps
8. Lewis Hamilton – Mercedes – 1:33.954 – 72 laps
9. Lando Norris – McLaren…
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