Kimi Raikkonen has finished off the first week of pre-season testing on top after setting a lap time of 1 minute 20.872. It's the second day of the week that the number 7 Ferrari has ended up top of the time sheets.
The track was artificially irrigated before the start of the session, which limited running as teams were reluctant to get out and risk damaging their cars. However the track eventually dried up and drivers emerged again.
Red Bull were second fastest today at the hands of Max Verstappen, and he was followed by Jolyon Palmer, who only set 39 laps. The Brit took over the car from team mate Nico Hulkenberg in the afternoon but took a while to get going due to some issues.
Romain Grosjean was fourth, and was the only man to break the 100 lap barrier, racking up 118! He was just ahead of the Sauber of Antonio Giovinazzi.
Sergio Perez was sixth, setting a respectable 82 laps, while a better day from McLaren saw them complete 67 laps, with their best time placing Stoffel Vandoorne in seventh.
Valtteri Bottas was ninth in the Mercedes, while Hulkenberg got 51 laps in in the morning session, placing him tenth. Toro Rosso had a woeful day, failing to set a lap time at all. The team had to change a power unit due to a persistent issue.
Lewis Hamilton also failed to set any laps. He was scheduled to drive the W08 in the morning session but couldn't leave the garage due to an electrical problem. Williams didn't participate as a result of Lance Stroll's crash yesterday.
Fergal Walsh
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Bahrain International Circuit - Winter testing
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Login to replymclarenfan1968
Posts: 1,027
Good reliability for Ferrari again, me thinks yesterday's stoppage for Vettel was a deliberate fuel run-out simulation to test the limits of engine tuning on how they can manage fuel hungry races in the future. Unless ofcourse another reason was reported to the press.