Limited running for Max on final morning of pre-season testing

Published on 01 March 2019 by Stefan Meens

On the morning of the final day of pre-season testing, Max Verstappen did not complete as many laps as he will have hoped for. Despite being on track a lot in the opening part of the session, the Aston Martin Red Bull Racing driver managed only 29 laps of the Circuit de Barcelona Catalunya. Sebastian Vettel was quickest in his Ferrari, setting the fastest lap of the pre-season thus far (1:16.221). Haas’ Romain Grosjean was the most productive driver with 73 laps to his name.

At the start of the session, we see the usual flurry of cars out on circuit for their installation laps. Max Verstappen fans have to wait a bit longer; after spending most of the night repairing the RB15 – after Pierre Gasly’s crash on Thursday – Max’ mechanics manage to get the car ready and the Dutchman hits the tarmac 30 minutes into the session.

An installation lap is soon followed by a longer stint and at the halfway mark of the session, Max has completed 29 with a fastest effort of a 1:17.7 on the yellow side-walled C3 Pirelli compound. From then onwards, the RB15 remains in the pits.

There was only one red-flag during Friday morning. Ten minutes before the lunch break, Kimi Raikkonen parks his Alfa Romeo at the exit of turn two. As the recovery process takes longer than the remaining time on the clock, the session ends under a red flag.

Pre-Season Test 2 - Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya – Friday 1 March 2019