Test Barcelona – Sebastian “in race mode”

On his last day of testing, Vettel completes a trouble-free GP simulation
Montmelò, 8 March –Winter testing has now ended for Seb Vettel. The next time he meets up with the SF71H will be in Melbourne, for free practice at the Australian Grand Prix. The final day of testing for the German champion was given over to a programme that included set-up and tyre evaluation with different fuel loads, the classic race weekend simulation that signs off winter testing for every driver. By the end of the day, Seb had completed no fewer than 188 laps (equivalent to over 875 kilometres,) in all conditions, including a false start test, with other cars on track. His best lap was a 1’17”182, set on the new Hypersoft tyres that are making their debut this season.
“The times on these test days don’t mean much,” repeated Sebastian. “The important thing is that the SF71H has proved to be very strong, allowing us to run all day without any significant problems. We are still working on some things for the first race and it’s not really possible to make any predictions based on the performance of the other teams, because everyone is running a different programme. However, I’m happy for the guys in the team.”
It was cloudy and chilly this morning at the Catalunya circuit and then a bit milder in the afternoon, with an average temperature of 15 degrees (28 track temperature) with a few gusts of wind. Tomorrow, Kimi Raikkonen will round off testing with a similar programme to his team-mate.