F1 Bahrain test: Valtteri Bottas fastest on Day 2

Mercedes completed 143 laps of the Bahrain International Circuit on Wednesday, as the first in-season test of 2017 concluded in Bahrain. Valtteri Bottas was behind the wheel of the W08 EQ Power+ and ended the day top of the timesheets. He clocked a 1:31.280 on the superdoft compound Pirelli tyre late in the afternoon.

The programme focused on tyre and aerodynamic analysis, engine development evaluation and setup work to address issues with poor rear grip in Sunday’s race in Bahrain. A mechanical issue with the steering wheel caused Valtteri to stop on track just after 13:00.

“Today was very good”, Valtteri Bottas said. “We got so much running done, while we focused all-day on the long-run pace, which was a bit of a problem for us on Sunday compared to Ferrari. The team did some interesting tests to try and improve both the tyre life and the race pace. We have definitely got plenty to analyse tonight. I think I learned a few tricks today as well. To stay here in Bahrain for a test after two back to back races is tough, but the guys have done a great job over these two days of testing. Now we head home for a few days before the next race in Russia.”

Ferrari’s Sebastian Vettel was second in the standings, while Carlos Sainz (Toro Rosso) had the third best time.

“It would be nice to have done even more,” said Sebastian at the end of the day. “But today we had a few little problems in the morning, which is normal for testing and then, in the afternoon, we lost some time when there was an electrical black-out in our garage.” That’s not unheard of during testing, when so many sets of tyres are used that the tyre blankets can soak up quite a bit of energy. “In any case, driving this car is always a pleasure,” concluded Seb. “The times don’t mean much, given we don’t know what programmes the others are running.”

Sainz was pleased with his test: “I think we can be very happy with how this test went, both yesterday with Sean and today with Daniil and myself – to have two clean days and be able to test many parts was just what we needed. I’d like to thank the team and Renault, as it’s been very useful. Overall, I end a positive day with very good feelings and lots of things learned. I now look forward to the next race weekend in Russia!”

Day 2 results

Bahrain testing ✔️ We managed 143 laps today and finished P1. Most important, we learned a lot. Well done guys ??#VB77 #F1 @MercedesAMGF1 pic.twitter.com/8tf0KHh7XX

— Valtteri Bottas (@ValtteriBottas) 19 April 2017