Testing – Barcelona Day 4: Alfa Romeo and Kubica on top
Robert Kubica set the fastest time on the fourth day of winter testing in Barcelona.
Although the Pole is no longer a regular driver, it didn’t stop him from keeping the top spot on the timesheet with a 1:16.942.
Even though the Alfa Romeo reserve driver is still over a second behind the time set last week by Valtteri Bottas in his Mercedes, he was able to make the most of his C5 tires (the softest tire compound).
Moreover, the nine new drivers in the afternoon focused on long stints and race simulations, which allowed him to retain his position.
Substitute for his teammate for the afternoon session, Max Verstappen was the fastest driver, reaching second place in the overall standings with a lap time of 1:17.347.
With 20 minutes remaining, Sergio Perez completed a lap in 1:17.428, just a tenth behind Verstappen on the same C3 tire compound (the soft tires from the 2019 Spanish GP).
Albon takes sixth place with very little running. The Red Bull, like the AlphaTauri, stayed in the garage for a good part of the morning (suspension problem). It didn’t have much more luck during the afternoon. Indeed, Verstappen spun at turn 10, which caused his car to come to a stop.
At the same time, Daniil Kvyat stopped his vehicle at turn 9, which resulted in a red flag.
meaning the end of the tests. The Russian was able to complete a quick lap before stopping at the side of the track, which was enough to secure fourth place in the overall standings.
Pierre Gasly is right behind his teammate with a time of 1:17.540, although he only completed 25 laps during the morning session.
In terms of laps, Lewis Hamilton completed 89 laps during the morning. Valtteri Bottas brought the total number of laps to 179 for the day, finishing ninth in the standings.
Grosjean is the driver who completed the most laps during the day with 107 laps. The Frenchman is the only driver to have participated in the tests both in the morning and the afternoon.
Latifi, who caused the second red flag of the morning, revealed that his Williams had suffered from an oil system issue.
Results of the 3rd day of winter testing in Barcelona:
N° | Driver | Team | Times | Gap | Laps |
1 | Kubica | Alfa Romeo Racing | 1:16.942 | 53 | |
2 | Verstappen | Aston Martin Red Bull Racing | 1:17.347 | +0.405 | 84 |
3 | Perez | SportPesa Racing Point F1 Team | 1:17.428 | +0.486 | 84 |
4 | Kvyat | Scuderia AlphaTauri Honda | 1:17.456 | +0.514 | 61 |
5 | Gasly | Scuderia AlphaTauri Honda | 1:17.540 | +0.598 | 25 |
6 | Albon | Aston Martin Red Bull Racing | 1:17.550 | +0.608 | 29 |
7 | Hamilton | Mercedes AMG Petronas Motorsport | 1:17.562 | +0.620 | 89 |
8 | Stroll | SportPesa Racing Point F1 Team | 1:17.787 | +0.845 | 43 |
9 | Bottas | Mercedes AMG Petronas Motorsport | 1:18.100 | +1.158 | 90 |
10 | Vettel | Scuderia Ferrari Mission Winnow | 1:18.113 | +1.171 | 84 |
11 | Ricciardo | Renault F1 Team | 1:18.214 | +1.272 | 53 |
12 | Sainz Jr. | McLaren F1 Team | 1:18.221 | +1.279 | 46 |
13 | Leclerc | Scuderia Ferrari Mission Winnow | 1:18.244 | +1.302 | 80 |
14 | Latifi | ROKiT Williams Racing | 1:18.300 | +1.358 | 48 |
15 | Russell | ROKiT Williams Racing | 1:18.535 | +1.593 | 59 |
16 | Grosjean | Haas F1 Team | 1:18.670 | +1.728 | 107 |
17 | Norris | McLaren F1 Team | 1:18.826 | +1.884 | 57 |
18 | Räikkönen | Alfa Romeo Racing | 1:19.515 | +2.573 | 51 |
19 | Ocon | Renault F1 Team | 1:21.542 | +4.600 | 74 |