After a week of car launches, it’s time to see the Formula 1 cars out on track for the first time as pre-season testing gets underway at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya. Join The Roar for live updates from 7:00pm (AEDT).
This is the first of six days’ worth of testing held across two tests, which is two days less than last year, owing to the longer season with 22 races on the calendar (including the now-postponed Chinese Grand Prix).
Some teams, like Red Bull, have given their cars a run on the track as part of their car launches but this week will provide them with their first real opportunity to fine-tune everything ready for the start of the season.
While pre-season testing doesn’t always provide conclusive evidence as to how the forthcoming season will go, it still gives us an idea of where we can expect teams to be in the championship.
Of course, everyone is looking to beat Mercedes, who come into a new decade having closed out the last with their sixth consecutive drivers-constructors championship double. Max Verstappen and Christian Horner have confidence that the lack of any significant changes to the regulations and a good Honda power unit put Red Bull as firm contenders for the championship this year.
Ferrari will also be seeking to put behind a terrible 2019, where both Sebastian Vettel and Charles Leclerc were beaten to third in the drivers’ standings by Verstappen. They must surely be aware that there were missed opportunities last year and will be hoping to improve this season as their quest for their first title in more than a decade continues.
With the weather set fair, it looks as if we will have an uninterrupted test week meaning that teams will be able to run their full programmes. Obviously, nobody can predict what these programmes areas that would give the game away, so we will have to wait and see what happens when the green light comes on at the end of the pitlane on Wednesday morning in Barcelona.
Join The Roar from 7:00pm (AEDT) for live updates as we get our first real taste of Formula 1 in 2020.
Micko
Roar Rookie
That doesn't sound good!
Joshua Kerr
Roar Guru
So that's the end of day one of Formula 1 pre-season testing for 2020. Mercedes are out front in terms of pace and Red Bull are out front in terms of mileage. There are a few questions I have after today which I hope will be answered by the end of the week: Why were Ferrari off the pace? Were they just focusing on race simulation? Is that actually how quick Racing Point can go? (Same for Alpha Tauri) Who is going to be fastest when we go onto the soft compound of tyre? Will it be Mercedes? Or can Red Bull and Ferrari find their pace? Coverage of day two gets underway just before 7pm AEDT tonight. Thanks for joining me and have a great day!
Joshua Kerr
Roar Guru
Here are the final standings at the end of day one of testing: 1: Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes): 1:16.976 (94 laps) 2: Valtteri Bottas (Mercedes): +0.337s (79 laps) 3: Sergio Perez (Racing Point): +0.399s (58 laps) 4: Max Verstappen (Red Bull): +0.540s (168 laps) 5: Daniil Kvyat (AlphaTauri): +0.722s (115 laps) 6: Carlos Sainz (McLaren): +0.866s (161 laps) 7: Daniel Ricciardo (Renault): +0.897s (54 laps) 8: Esteban Ocon (Renault): +1.028s (62 laps) 9: George Russell (Williams): +1.192s (73 laps) 10: Lance Stroll (Racing Point): +1.306s (50 laps) 11: Charles Leclerc (Ferrari): +1.313s (132 laps) 12: Nicholas Latifi (Williams): +1.406s (63 laps) 13: Robert Kubica (Alfa Romeo): +1.410s (59 laps) 14: Kevin Magnussen (Haas): +1.490s (103 laps) 15: Antonio Giovinazzi (Alfa Romeo): +3.120s (78 laps)
Joshua Kerr
Roar Guru
THAT'S THE CHEQUERED FLAG IN BARCELONA
Joshua Kerr
Roar Guru
We're into the final five minutes in Barcelona - a few cars just out running their final few laps but I'm not expecting any major changes to the timesheets. Verstappen will top the lap count - he's currently on his 166th lap.
Joshua Kerr
Roar Guru
Hamilton has quite a big lock up going into turn 10. Doesn't run off the track.
Joshua Kerr
Roar Guru
A pit stop for Leclerc probably not going as well as Ferrari would have liked - a little problem with the front right but there's plenty of time to iron out mistakes. 9 MINUTES TO GO
Joshua Kerr
Roar Guru
Ferrari news: Charles Leclerc will be in the car tomorrow morning while Sebastian Vettel will be in the car in the afternoon. I'll give you a full list of who's driving tomorrow in the build up to coverage of day 2.
Joshua Kerr
Roar Guru
I can tell you that Charles Leclerc and Daniil Kvyat are quietly going about their business. Leclerc has completed 124 laps; Kyvat has completed 109.
Joshua Kerr
Roar Guru
15 MINUTES TO GO The timesheet at the end of the day is coming your way at 4.00am AEDT.
Joshua Kerr
Roar Guru
Air temperature has now dropped to 13C with the track temperature at 17C. There are long shadows across the track as the local time is 5.40pm.
Joshua Kerr
Roar Guru
Leclerc's had a moment at turn 1 and has had to take to the escape route. Carries on without a problem.
Joshua Kerr
Roar Guru
Here's the lap count at 3.35am AEDT: Hamilton - 82 laps Verstappen - 161 laps Kvyat - 100 laps Sainz - 150 laps Ricciardo - 45 laps Stroll - 47 laps Leclerc - 116 laps Magnussen - 99 laps Giovinazzi - 63 laps Latifi - no data I'm afraid - the live timing does not like the driver who is in 12th place!
Joshua Kerr
Roar Guru
HALF AN HOUR TO GO
Joshua Kerr
Roar Guru
Tom Clarkson remarking in the commentary box that the lap times are so quick. And he's right - Hamilton's fastest lap is over a second quicker than Vettel's fastest lap this time last year on day one of testing.
Joshua Kerr
Roar Guru
Daniel Ricciardo going faster than his teammate - a 1:17.8 puts him seventh, a tenth ahead of Ocon and three hundredths behind Sainz. The Australian is on the hard compound tyre. Pushing hard with a lock-up at turn 10 and running over the outside kerb at the final corner.
Joshua Kerr
Roar Guru
Carlos Sainz has just set his personal best - a 1:17.8 puts him sixth, eight tenths of a second off Hamilton's fastest lap. Sainz has now done 145 laps!
Joshua Kerr
Roar Guru
Leclerc out on a high-fuel, long run on the mediums at the moment. Just set a 1:22. I think that could have been their strategy for the majority of today. Leclerc will explain more I'm sure in his press conference tonight. He's completed 114 laps today. (Verstappen leads out in front in terms of laps completed with 156; Sainz has completed 142 laps).
Joshua Kerr
Roar Guru
Team radio from Latifi now. He's been told that he needs to box because something needs to be sorted out with the brakes. Engineer sounded kind of panicky but I wouldn't read too much into that - I think it's just to make him sound clear and urgent.
Joshua Kerr
Roar Guru
I've only been doing this for the best part of eight hours but I've finally realised that the new Red Bull nose on the front wing reminds me of that of 2009...