Sebastian Vettel ended the first day of the second pre-season test in Barcelona fastest, narrowly edging out the Force India of Nico Hulkenberg.
The German duo managed times in the lower 1:23’s.
Lewis Hamilton came in third, just over three tenths off the lead pace, whilst the majority of the grid, 1st to 7th, were within a second of the RB8.
The Mercedes W03, on its public test debut, managed to finish the day sixth fastest with Michael Schumacher behind the wheel.
Lotus’s day was cut short after the team noticed an issue with the chassis, which will be returned to Enstone for tests and an alternative flown out for tomorrow.
Test times from Barcelona (Day 1):
| Pos | Driver | Team | Time | Gap | Laps |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 01. | S. Vettel | Red Bull | 1:23.265 | – | 79 |
| 02. | N. Hulkenberg | Force India | 1:23.440 | +0.175 | 97 |
| 03. | L. Hamilton | McLaren | 1:23.590 | +0.325 | 114 |
| 04. | D. Ricciardo | Toro Rosso | 1:23.618 | +0.353 | 76 |
| 05. | F. Alonso | Ferrari | 1:24.100 | +0.835 | 75 |
| 06. | M. Schumacher | Mercedes | 1:24.150 | +0.885 | 51 |
| 07. | S. Perez | Sauber | 1:24.219 | +0.954 | 66 |
| 08. | B. Senna | Williams | 1:25.711 | +2.446 | 97 |
| 09. | H. Kovalainen | Caterham | 1:26.035 | +2.770 | 31 |
| 10. | R. Grosjean | Lotus | 1:26.809 | +3.544 | 7 |
| 11. | C. Pic | Marussia | 1:28.026 | +4.761 | 121 |
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