• First Bahrain Test - Day One

Bahrain testing gets underway

ESPN Staff
February 19, 2014 « Williams announces Petrobras deal | New Lotus E22 breaks cover in Bahrain »
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The second pre-season test got underway in Bahrain on Wednesday morning, with all 11 teams present to rack up more mileage on their 2014 cars. The green light did not come on at 9:00 as planned, meaning several drivers had to wait patiently in their garages for the first 30 minutes before circuit organisers gave the all clear.

The spotlight this week is on engine supplier Renault, which struggled for reliability at the first test in Jerez and has been working on a fix for its V6 turbo power unit ever since. Reigning champions Red Bull also have a point to prove after Renault issues and bodywork packaging problems limited the RB10 to just 21 laps at Jerez.

Since Jerez, the new Lotus has been on track for the first time, completing a 100km filming day using an updated Renault engine. Wednesady was the Lotus E22's first public outing after the team had to skip the opening test to continue to work on the car at its factory last month.

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For the likes of Mercedes and Ferrari, which both completed healthy mileages at Jerez, Bahrain will be an opportunity to focus on extracting performance from their new cars. The warmer temperatures will also present an opportunity to test the cooling requirements of the new power units, with the first stage of engine homologation set at the end of the month. So far the Ferrari appears to have the lowest heat rejection figures, but other crucial parameters such as fuel efficiency need to be understood ahead of the start of the season.

A shift towards performance testing will also give the teams a chance to analyse Pirelli's latest offering of tyres. Thirty sets of tyres per team are on offer over the four days plus one extra set of medium tyres to test tyre behaviour without warming blankets, which will be banned in 2015. However, a dusty circuit early on Day One means track conditions may take some time to reach their optimum.

Day One driver line-up:
Red Bull: Sebastian Vettel
Ferrari: Fernando Alonso
Mercedes: Lewis Hamilton
Lotus: Romain Grosjean
McLaren: Kevin Magnussen
Toro Rosso: Daniil Kvyat
Force India: Nico Hulkenberg
Sauber: Adrian Sutil
Williams: Felipe Massa
Marussia: Jules Bianchi
Caterham: Robin Frijns

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