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LIVE | 2020 Formula 1 Winter Testing Week 2: Will Ferrari bounce back?

26 February 2020 at 12:19
Last update 26 February 2020 at 12:19
  • Matt Gretton
  • Editor-in-Chief

We're back! It's the start of the second week in Barcelona meaning all things Formula 1 start to get a lot more serious as we edge closer and closer to the Australian Grand Prix. We'll have all the important updates in our liveblog below! Will Mercedes showcase some more innovations? Will Ferrari bounce back from a quiet week in pre-season? Will we get any more signs that Aston Martin Red Bull Racing have closed the gap? 

Morning Recap

Robert Kubica topped the timesheets for Alfa Romeo Racing in this morning's session. Pierre Gasly had a mixed morning for Alpha Tauri - spending most of it in the garage with a loose pipe issue and only getting back to the circuit with an hour to go - but when he got back, he managed to put a time in worthy of the P2 spot. Likewise with Alex Albon, who had a suspension issue in his RB16, and he returned to the circuit the same time as Gasly, and managed to go third with a respectable time.

Williams also had issues, with Nicholas Latifi having to pull over due to yet another engine problem, similar to what we saw in the first test for the British team. This is something that will definitely be of extreme concern for the side, who have been no stranger to these sorts of issues over recent years. 

Read all about this morning's session HERE.

A short winter (liveblog below)

The 2019 season actually dipped into December, a rare event for Formula 1. Coming off the back of a 21 stop tour around the world and heading into a record-breaking 22 events, the winter break would seem like a welcome rest for the drivers, mechanics and team members. But that probably hasn't been the case. 

Despite extremely limited regulation changes, development and analysis inside the factory continue to take place. And, of course, the 2021 rule and regulation overhaul will be getting some care and attention from all teams. 

Last week 

Mercedes, for example, don't seem to be sand-bagging like they usually do - it's actually Aston Martin Red Bull Racing and Ferrari who seem to be playing their cards close to the chest this year, not revealing their true pace just yet. The same goes for McLaren, with Carlos Sainz being over two seconds off the pace.

Racing Point and Alfa Romeo also seem to have made some gains over the winter, with the RP20 looking very similar to last year's Mercedes W10. Alfa Romeo are not only high up on the timesheets, they have also driven the third-most laps out of any team between their three drivers.

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