F1 Test Barcelona 2018, Session 2 – Day 4: Raikkonen and Ferrari conclude proceedings in the lead

Ferrari closes the winter tests ahead of everyone, with Kimi Raikkonen author of the fastest lap - but not a record one, like Vettel's on Thursday -, 1:17.221, achieved with the hypersoft tyre. Behind him are Alonso's McLaren and Sainz's Renault. Then followed by Ricciardo, Grosjean, Bottas, Hartley, Ocon, Leclerc, Sirotkin, Hamilton and Stroll. After eight days on the track the Circus is finally ready to leave for Australia and kick off the F1 season 2018.

News – In the morning, Kimi Raikkonen set the pace on the hypersoft tire, thanks to a time of 1:17.221, a few thousandths slower than Vettel, who set the new track record on Thursday. With the supersoft compound, the second time went to Grosjean's Haas, which preceded Hartley's STR13, which in turn had the softest compound in the range. Ocon, Bottas, Sirotkin, Hamilton, Ricciardo and Leclerc complete the ranking. No time trial for Alonso, with the turbo knocked out and then forced to replace the power unit, and Sainz, stopped by a gearbox problem. Two red flags in the morning: one for McLaren and the other for Sauber leaving the track with Leclerc.

Although the lunch break is not official, activity on the track between 13.00pm and 14.00pm is kept to a minimum. When work resumed, Sirotkin was the first to relaunch himself, and finally Alonso was back on track too. Bottas follows them. With the ultrasofts the Spaniard set the tenth and therefore the seventh fastest time. Meanwhile Raikkonen and Hartley prepare for the race simulation. In the meantime, the Williams driver is the first to reach 100 laps. Alonso suddenly rockets to second place, but his time is then canceled due to the chicane cut at turn 14. Three hours before the end of the day, Raikkonen continues to lead the group ahead of Grosjean, Hartley, Ocon, Bottas, Sirotkin, Alonso , Hamilton, Ricciardo and Leclerc.

Leclerc returns to the track, with the soft tyre, after the long break following the morning's accident. The Monegasque, Hartley, Grosjean, Raikkonen and Ocon have meanwhile also reached 100 rounds. Stroll takes turns with Sirotkin at the helm of the Williams; soft tire for him, which follows Leclerc. Sauber and Mercedes, with Bottas, switch to the ultrasoft compound.

Sainz re-emerges from the pits with less than two hours left to go, and in the meantime Hartley and Raikkonen have concluded their respective race simulations. The Finn completed 5 stints, using the SS, M, M, HS, HS compounds in order. Sainz then switches to the supersofts, and takes ninth place. Bottas, back on track with the medium tyres, rocketed to third position, thanks to a time of 1:18.941. An hour before the checkered flag the situation changed slightly: Raikkonen, Grosjean, Bottas, Hartley, Ocon, Sirotkin, Alonso, Sainz, Hamilton, Leclerc, Ricciardo and Stroll.

Ricciardo switches to supersoft and outclasses Bottas in third place. Then he does even better, and goes up to second. But with two compounds ahead, Sainz took over the same position. The last minutes of the session saw a wild Alonso as the protagonist: with the pink compound the Spaniard flew up to second place, and for a moment he also placed himself at the top of the rankings, with an astonishing 1:16.720... But the cut of the chicane is unforgiving, time erased.

The winter tests end with Raikkonen's Ferrari ahead of McLaren and Renault.

F1 Barcelona Test 2018, Session 2 – Times, results and laps Day 4

1 Kimi Raikkonen Ferrari 1m17.221s – 157
2 Fernando Alonso McLaren/Renault 1m17.784s 0.563s 93
3 Carlos Sainz Renault 1m18.092s 0.871s 45
4 Daniel Ricciardo Red Bull/Renault 1m18.327s 1.106s 92
5 Romain Grosjean Haas/Ferrari 1m18.412s 1.191s 181
6 Valtteri Bottas Mercedes 1m18.825s 1.604s 104
7 Brendon Hartley Toro Rosso/Honda 1m18.949s 1.728s 156
8 Esteban Ocon Force India/Mercedes 1m18.967s 1.746s 163
9 Charles Leclerc Sauber/Ferrari 1m19.118s 1.897s 75
10 Sergey Sirotkin Williams/Mercedes 1m19.189s 1.968s 105
11 Lewis Hamilton Mercedes 1m19.464s 2.243s 97
12 Lance Stroll Williams/Mercedes 1m19.954s 2.733s 27