F1 teams crank up mileage as times tumble

Formula 1 teams have been playing catch-up on lost mileage from yesterday’s washout due to the snow and rain as warmer weather returned to Circuit de Catalunya on the morning of the final day of the first pre-season test.

Despite thick fog starting the morning track action conditions steadily improved to provide more consistent running opportunities which saw times gradually come down as teams switched from wet to dry tyres.

The main focus for F1 teams was to gain some vital on-track mileage after Wednesday’s washout with every team producing lap counts into double figures.

McLaren’s Stoffel Vandoorne, who had been missing the most mileage at the first test, topped the lap charts with over 70 laps at 1pm followed by Marcus Ericsson in the Sauber. The one-hour lunch break was cancelled to provide more track time and at 1pm Valtteri Bottas topped the time for Mercedes with a best lap of 1m 25.945s – still over seven seconds off the best times seen earlier in the test.

Pierre Gasly has also continued to notch up the mileage for Toro Rosso Honda with almost a half-century of laps at the Spanish circuit.

Earlier in the day Ericsson caused a red flag stoppage after spinning into the gravel at turn two just over an hour into the day but after being recovered from the gravel trap by track officials his Alfa Romeo Sauber squad were able to produce a speedy turnaround to get the Swedish driver back on track.

Conditions continued to improve throughout the morning as the sun broke through the earlier thick fog to help produce a dry line on the track.

The final day of the first F1 pre-season test continues at Circuit de Catalunya with the track remaining open until 6pm local time.