- Abu Dhabi Test - Day One
Post-race testing gets underway in Abu Dhabi
The first day of the post-race test in Abu Dhabi got underway at the Yas Marina circuit on Tuesday, with McLaren expected to roll out its Honda-powered car for the first time in a proper session.
The running in Abu Dhabi is the last of four post-race tests this season and will see 10 teams in action for two days at the Yas Marina track. Nico Rosberg was back to work, just two days after he lost the title to Mercedes team-mate Lewis Hamilton, along with other regular race drivers Valtteri Bottas in the Williams and Kimi Raikkonen in the Ferrari. However, the majority of cars are being piloted by young or test drivers, with GP2 champion Jolyon Palmer setting the early pace with a time of 1:48.350.
After the first 90 minutes, the McLaren had yet to leave its garage as the team works hard to try to put mileage on the Honda engine before the winter ban on testing. The engine got its first shakedown in an interim car known as the MP4-29H/1X1 at a filming day in Silverstone earlier this month, but the Abu Dhabi test is the first time the power unit will run at a full test session. GP2 runner-up and McLaren young driver Stoffel Vandoorne will be at the wheel on both days.
The only drivers to set times during the opening 90 minutes of the session were Palmer, Will Stevens in the Caterham (1:50.464) - who made his race debut at the Abu Dhabi GP at the weekend - and Rosberg (2:20.396) who was running an aero rig on his car early in the session.
Marcus Ericsson is at the wheel of the Sauber, Carlos Sainz Jr is driving for Red Bull, Charles Pic for Lotus, and Max Verstappen for Toro Rosso. Verstappen caused a red flag after just 19 minutes when he went off at Turn 19 damaging the front of the car.
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