Sauber concentrating on their new brake by wire system in Bahrain

(Sauber F1 Team)

 

The second day of testing is underway in Bahrain today and while a number of team's are working on their reliability the Sauber F1 Team are concentrating on working on their new brake by wire system which is brand new for the 2014 Formula One season.

 

The new rear braking system was brought in due to the heavier Energy Recovery System and this means that under braking driver's need to apply more pressure on the brakes in order to effectively charge the new ERS unit and Kinetic Energy Recovery System.

 

Adrian Sutil, who joins the Swiss team following a year at Sahara Force India has admitted that driver's have to change their style of driving for this season. The German spun his car during testing yesterday.

 

Sutil also confirmed that the team have being carrying out initial set up work of their new C33 however they are not yet 100%.

 

Sutil's team-mate, Esteban Gutierrez took over driving duty for the Swiss based team today and is currently in 8th place just behind Toro Rosso's Jean Eric Vergne but ahead of Romain Grosjean who completing his second day of testing for the Lotus F1 Team in their new E22.

 

©Ben Johnston 2014

Mercedes making progress

(Mercedes AMG F1 Team)

 

Lewis Hamilton has stated that he is really proud wit the work that his team are doing. The Brit was back behind the wheel of the W05 at the Sakhir circuit in Bahrain yesterday where he completed 74 lap's and although he had a minor brake issue he was happy with the progress that the Brackley based squad have made.

 

During the first test in Jerez Mercedes completed the most amount of mileage and Nico Rosberg became the first driver to complete a full race simulation on the final day of the Jerez test.

 

Hamilton also confirmed that the team are still working on reliability of the W05. Nico Rosberg took over the driving duties this morning however, he stopped out on track with an undetermined problem.

 

With exactly three week's until the media day at the first race of the new season in Melbourne, Australia, team's are in a race against time to ensure that their cars are reliable and able to complete a full race distance.

 

At the moment, three Mercedes powered teams occupy the top four positions in Bahrain with Valtteri Bottas currently leading the way for the Williams F1 Team Mercedes powered FW36, Nico Hulkenberg is currently third for Sahara Force India while Kevin Magnussen is currently fourth for McLaren Mercedes.

 

Following his problems yesterday reigning world champion Sebastian Vettel currently leads the Renault powered team's in fifth place in his RB10, Jean Eric Vergne is currently 6th for Toro Rosso. Romain Grosjean is currently 9th for the Lotus F1 Team while Kamui Kobayashi is currently 11th for the Caterham F1 Team.

©Ben Johnston 2014

Renault and Lotus extend their partnership into 2014 and beyond

 

(Renault Sport F1)

 

 

The Lotus F1 Team and Renualt Sport F1 confirmed this morning that the two parties have extended their partnership into 2014 and beyond. Speaking about the new agreement Renault Sport F1 president Jean-Michel Jalinier said:

 

'We are pleased to see our partnership officially confirmed as the E22 takes to the track for its first official test'

 

He went on to say that 'the relationship between Viry and Enstone has gone from strength to strength over the past few years'

 

Lotus F1 Team CEO Matthew Carter echoed Renault's sentiments by saying:

 

'Lotus F1 Team and Renault Sport F1 have enjoyed a successful partnership over these past few years and we look forward to continue to build on a relationship and collaboration in 2014 and beyond'.

 

Renault sold their F1 team to Gerard Lopez' Genii Capital Group in 2009 however, since then they have continued to be heavily involved with the team and the contract extension reaffirms Renault's commitment in helping the Enstone squad to challenge at the front of Formula One.

 

Since Genii took over the team the partnership has brought two victories and countless podium's and in the past two season's the team have finished in fourth place in Constructors championship.

©Ben Johnston 2014



Magnussen continues to impress for McLaren

(Glenn Dunbar LAT/McLaren Mercedes)

 

Kevin Magnussen continued the impressive start to his full time McLaren career as he finished the first day of the Bahrain test in 4th place and completed 81 lap's of the Sakhir circuit. The Danish driver's lap count was just one shy of Sauber's Adrian Sutil who completed 83 lap's, the most of any other driver on day one.

 

Magnussen has shown great pace so far during his brief time as the new race driver at the Woking based team. He was fastest of all on his first day testing for McLaren in Jerez and was fourth fastest on his second day in Jerez. So far over the course of the three day's that he has been in the car Magnussen has completed a staggering 242 lap's.

 

The Danish driver will increase his lap tally as he will continue to drive the MP-29 on Thursday before handing over to Jenson Button who will conclude the test for the Woking based team.

 

It was busy day for the McLaren team as not only was it the opening day of the second winter test in Bahrain but it was also the first day at the track for Eric Boullier, the team's new Racing Director.

 

 

(Andrew Ferraro LAT-McLaren Mercedes - First day trackside for Eric Boullier in his new role at McLaren)

 

©Ben Johnston 2014





No quick fix for Red Bull as Vettel suffers fresh problems with the RB10 on day one in Bahrain

(Bernard Asset Renault Sport F1)

 



Reigning world champion Sebastian Vettel has stated that there is no quick fix for his team as they suffered from a fresh problem with their new RB10 on the opening day of the second winter test at the Bahrain International Circuit.

 

The German failed to get out on track this morning and when he eventually did get up and running he could only many 14 lap's before his car came to a halt with smoke coming out the back of his car. The team ended the first test in Jerez early to find a solution to the initial problem that they had. The team have insisted that significant improvements have been made since Jerez, however the reigning world champions have conceded that they are playing catch up.

 

Vettel has said that the new car seems ok but that that hey need to get more running in the car. The German will once again drive for the team tomorrow before handing over to Daniel Ricciardo on Friday.

 

Vettel also said that the issues that the team have been experiencing so far are not totally unexpected and that is why they go testing.

 

The team have refused to elaborate on what the new problem is but are hopeful that they will make progress when testing resumes tomorrow.

©Ben Johnston 2014

Hulkenberg fastest as the sun sets on the first day of testing in Bahrain

(Sahara Force India F1 Team via Twitter)

 

Nico Hulkenberg set the fastest time on the opening day of the second winter test at the Bahrain International Circuit. The German's fastest time was a 1m 36.880. Hof e finished the day just ahead of Ferrari's Fernando Alonso while Mercedes AMG's Lewis Hamilton was third fastest.

 

McLaren's Kevin Magnussen was fourth fastest after topping the time sheets this morning. It was a big day for the Woking based outfit as their new Racing Director, Eric Boullier made his debut in the McLaren garage after moving to the team from Lotus at the end of January.

 

Red Bull Racing's Sebastian Vettel finished the day in 5th place having sat out the morning session as his mechanics and Renualt engineers worked on the on the car. He came out of the garage in the RB10 and after just 14 lap's the car came to a halt. The team will be hoping to solve the issues that they have before the car hits the track again tomorrow.

 

Behind Vettel was Sauber's Adrian Sutil who stopped out on track this morning but recovered from that incident to finish the session in 6th place.

 

Caterham test driver Robin Frijns was 7th for the Leafield based team with Toro Rosso's Daniil Kvyat in 8th place.

 

The Lotus F1 Team debuted their new car today with Romain Grosjean behind the wheel of the new E22. He finished the day at the bottom of the timesheets.

 

Testing continues tomorrow.

 

 

©Ben Johnston 2014



Red Bull continue to struggle

(Renault Sport F1)

 

The Formula One team's are currently taking part in the first day of the second winter session at the Bahrain International Circuit. For the Red Bull Racing team who only completed 21 lap's during the opening test in Jerez at the end of January continued to struggle this morning as reigning world champion Sebastian Vettel failed to set a time in this morning's session.

 

Vettel eventually got out on track after the unofficial lunch break however, he could only manage 14 lap's before his RB10 ground to a halt.

 

There are just under 20 minute's left today and Vettel is currently the leading Renault powered car in fifth place. Caterham, Toro Rosso and the Lotus F1 Team are currently 6th, 7th and 8th respectively. Romain Grosjean debuted the new E22 this morning however, the Frenchman is currently 7.9 seconds behind current pacesetter Nico Hulkenberg in the Sahara Force India VJM07.

©Ben Johnston 2014