Max at work for Pirelli in RB14

Published on 27 November 2018 by Mike Motilall

The Formula 1-teams will be testing for Pirelli this Tuesday and Wednesday, F1's sole tyre supplier will be trying out different tyre compounds for 2019. It is mandatory for the teams to use the same car with which the raced last Sunday with in Abu Dhabi, in order to prevent that different parts for 2019 also gets tested.

Max Verstappen will get behind the wheel of the RB14 for the last time today, after which his new team mate Pierre Gasly will take over control from him of the Red Bull Racing-car. At Mercedes it is Bottas who will do the running, at Ferrari Vettel. Force India divides the day by having both Perez and Stroll get out on track. The same at Williams regarding Russel and Kubica. Furthermore we see Hulkenberg (Renault), Gelael (Toro Rosso), Fittipaldi (Haas), Norris (McLaren) and Raikkonen (Sauber).

For the Finn, who has said goodbye to Ferrari, it will be the first time in seventeen years that he will get back into action in a Sauber. The first morning session of the two-day off season testing runs smoothly: apart from the Haas coming to a halt, there are no incidents.

Mercedes, Toro Rosso and Force India are the teams that have done the most laps for Pirelli. Max does 34 laps before they take a break for lunch. The teams are totally controlled by the tyre supplier these two days; they also determine which compound is driven by which driver. Hence undermentioned lap times have no merit whatsoever.

Result Tuesday morning session 27 November, Pirelli off-season test, Abu Dhabi

 1 77 V. Bottas       Mercedes                  1:37.319  46   
 2 33 M. Verstappen   Red Bull Racing   +0.628  1:37.947  34   
 3 11 S. Perez        Force India       +0.657  1:37.976  43   
 4 05 S. Vettel       Ferrari           +1.110  1:38.429  17   
 5 27 N. Hulkenberg   Renault           +2.492  1:39.811  36   
 6 10 G. Russell      Williams          +3.109  1:40.428  29   
 7 38 S. Gelael       Toro Rosso        +3.116  1:40.435  45   
 8 47 L. Norris       McLaren           +3.197  1:40.516  38   
 9 07 K. Raikkonen    Sauber            +4.052  1:41.371  30 
10 10 P. Fittipaldi   Haas              +4.972  1:42.291  18