Barcelona Tests 1 – Day 4: Hamilton Slips Through the Raindrops
For the last day of this first 2013 winter testing session held in Barcelona, it was Lewis Hamilton who showed the fastest pace. The Mercedes driver was able to tame the rain and red flags to top the timesheets.
This final day of testing for the week in Barcelona was eventful. Indeed, there were no fewer than eight interruptions due to various off-track excursions or stops on the track. In addition to these red flags, the rain also played a significant role, disrupting the teams’ schedules.
With the unfavorable weather and unsuitable conditions for testing, several teams decided to focus on pit stop practice, this was notably the case for Red Bull – even though Mark Webber also completed timed laps – and for Williams, with Valtteri Bottas and Pastor Maldonado not completing a single timed lap all day.
Despite the rain, the teams were still able to run quite regularly, with the most diligent driver on track being Esteban Gutiérrez, who completed 96 laps at the wheel of his Sauber. He was ahead of Jean-Eric Vergne (Toro Rosso) and Felipe Massa (Ferrari), both credited with 80 laps.
In terms of lap time, it was Lewis Hamilton who stood out late in the morning when the track began to dry following the morning showers. The Mercedes driver clocked a lap in 1:23.282 on Mediums. He was ahead of Button, who also set his time on Mediums, and Jean-Eric Vergne, whose Toro Rosso was fitted with Softs during his personal best time.
If you want to know in detail what happened today, you can relive the live coverage of this day.
Final ranking Barcelona 1 – Day 4
| No | Driver | Team | Time | Gap | Laps |
1 | Hamilton | Mercedes AMG F1 | 1:23.282 (mediums) | 52 | |
2 | Button | McLaren Mercedes | 1:23.633 (mediums) | +0.351 | 70 |
3 | Vergne | Scuderia Toro Rosso | 1:24.071 (softs) | +0.789 | 80 |
4 | Bianchi | Sahara Force India | 1:25.732 | +2.450 | 61 |
5 | Gutierrez | Sauber F1 Team | 1:26.239 | +2.957 | 96 |
6 | Van der Garde | Caterham F1 Team | 1:27.429 | +4.147 | 50 |
7 | Massa | Scuderia Ferrari | 1:27.553 | +4.271 | 80 |
8 | Webber | Red Bull Racing | 1:27.616 | +4.334 | 64 |
9 | Chilton | Marussia F1 Team | 1:29.902 | +6.620 | 51 |
10 | Grosjean | Lotus F1 Team | 1:34.800 | +11.518 | 41 |
11 | Bottas | Williams F1 Team | No time | 23 | |
12 | Maldonado | Williams F1 Team | No time | 13 |