Paul Ricard Tests – Day 1 – Hamilton was unbeatable

Lewis Hamilton set the tone for the first day of testing at the Paul Ricard circuit, where all Formula 1 teams are present this week.

Hamilton is the only driver to have recorded a lap time under 66 seconds, posting a best time of 1:05.600 while completing the fewest number of laps.

With the aim of the Monaco Grand Prix, several new aerodynamic elements were unveiled today on some of the single-seaters.

The championship leader, Kimi Räikkönen, finished second but more than four-tenths of a second behind his rival from McLaren. Scuderia Ferrari worked on its nose for most of the day.

The Italian team stated that it would use its new nose in Monaco after skipping the race in Turkey.

BMW’s Robert Kubica took third place after 124 laps, followed by Mark Webber’s Red Bull in fourth position.

Sebastian Vettel finally tested the STR3 for the first time. The car, which featured a shark fin, is scheduled for the Monte Carlo race. Its use was delayed following an accident by Sébastien Bourdais during previous tests.

Vettel showed that this car was promising as he finished in fifth place ahead of Nico Rosberg, whose team, in this case, Williams, also introduced a new shark fin behind the cockpit.

Rosberg was the most active with no fewer than 154 laps to his name.

Alex Wurz is back in Formula 1 after his participation in the LMS last weekend at Spa. He was behind the wheel of a Honda, which tested a new version of its front wings that resemble Dumbo’s ears… The Japanese team is 7th this evening.

Toyota also introduced its new aerodynamic updates with a new rear wing tested by Timo Glock. He finishes in 8th place.

Tonio Liuzzi is also back behind the wheel of a Formula 1 car for the first time in weeks as the test driver for Force India. He set the ninth fastest time, ahead of the Renault driven by test driver Luca di Grassi.

Vettel and di Grassi caused the two red flags of the day, although Hamilton, Kubica, and Glock stopped at the end of the paddocks.

Results of Paul Ricard Private Tests – Day 1