Abu Dhabi Tests – Day 2: Wehrlein and Mercedes finish on top, McLaren Honda has work to do

For the final day of private testing in 2014, Mercedes resumed its good habits by placing at the top of the timesheet, this time with Pascal Wehrlein, the young driver from DTM who was named third driver last September.

Behind him, Rafaelle Marciello in the Ferrari and Max Verstappen, the first of the drivers who will be on the starting grid in 2015. The Dutchman is ahead of Marcus Ericsson for Sauber, who completed a staggering 116 laps, the highest total of the day by far.

On the McLaren Honda side, after a morning without any attempt to hit the track, the team managed to send Stoffel Vandoorne out of the pits, but only for two laps, as the Belgian couldn’t complete his second attempt, just like yesterday. A situation that Eric Boullier, the racing director, described as frustrating, even though he emphasizes that it allowed them to learn to work together in the pits.

Five red flags were waved during the day, the most spectacular of which was for Daniel Ricciardo’s Red Bull, whose rear was on fire. With 88 laps completed up to that point, the Australian had a productive day, even though this mechanical issue prevented him from getting back behind the wheel during the last two hours of the day.

These tests also marked the end of the fruitful collaboration between the Enstone factory and Renault: next year, Lotus will be armed with a Mercedes engine. Esteban Ocon and Alex Lynn, on track for the team, recorded the last two times and a total of 86 laps.