Once again it was Force India’s Sergio Perez atop the timing sheets on the second day of the final pre-season test in Bahrain.
The Mexican driver’s 1:35.570 was only marginally quicker than Fernando Alonso in second, with the pair racking up over 100 laps each.
Red Bull enjoyed a better day. Not only setting its most competitive time yet, but Daniel Ricciardo also lapped the Sakhir circuit 66 times without causing a red flag.
Felipe Massa continued Williams’ strong form in fourth, with McLaren’s Jenson Button and Marussia’s Jules Bianchi in fifth and sixth respectively.
Lewis Hamilton caused a red flag when his W05 stopped in the gravel. The car was undamaged and quickly returned to the track soon after. He did however end the day early thanks to a gearbox issue.
Further back was Lotus, which completed just 31 laps after yet another exhaust problem struck the team, causing the third of four red flags.
Marcus Ericsson brought out the final flag of the day when his Caterham stopped and returned to the pits covered in fire extinguisher foam.
Bahrain Testing Times (Friday):
| # | Driver | Team | Time | Gap | Laps |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | S. Perez | Force India | 1:35.570 | 108 | |
| 02 | F. Alonso | Ferrari | 1:35.634 | +0.064 | 122 |
| 03 | D. Ricciardo | Red Bull | 1:35.743 | +0.173 | 66 |
| 04 | F. Massa | Williams | 1:36.507 | +0.937 | 103 |
| 05 | J. Button | McLaren | 1:36.901 | +1.331 | 52 |
| 06 | J. Bianchi | Marussia | 1:38.092 | +2.522 | 75 |
| 07 | L. Hamilton | Mercedes | 1:39.041 | +3.471 | 89 |
| 08 | J-E. Vergne | Toro Rosso | 1:39.636 | +4.066 | 61 |
| 09 | E. Gutierrez | Sauber | 1:39.976 | +4.406 | 106 |
| 10 | P. Maldonado | Lotus | 1:41.613 | +6.043 | 31 |
| 11 | M. Ericsson | Caterham | 1:42.516 | +6.946 | 55 |
