F1 Barcelona test, day 1: top start for Vettel in the morning

And 'the Ferrari di Sebastian Vettel to inaugurate the morning of testing at Montmelo, with the new one SF16-H to act as a pacesetter in front of the Mercedes of Lewis Hamilton – leader in the number of laps, 66 – and to Williams by Valtteri Bottas.
All eleven teams registered for the 2016 World they ran without complications and set a time on medium tyre, after the first outings on intermediate tires due to the very damp Spanish track in the early hours of the day.
The teams concentrated on the set-up of the cars, aerodynamic testing and work with the tyres, as well as checking that all the components were working properly.
The tests will resume at 14.00 pm and conclude at 18.00 pm.

News – The morning in Barcelona begins with the official presentations of the single-seaters involved in the 1 F2016 World Championship. Some have already been revealed last week, while for others it is the day of their official debut, directly in the pit lane.
When the traffic lights come on, the Montmelò track is decidedly damp and the riders make their entry on intermediate tyres. World champion Lewis Hamilton is the first to break ranks, immediately followed by Renault, Williams and Red Bull. After the first 15 minutes only Haas, Manor, Force India and Sauber have yet to leave the pits.
This is the line up of the drivers involved in the first day of testing: Mercedes, Lewis Hamilton –
Ferrari, Sebastian Vettel – Williams: Valtteri Bottas – Red Bull: Daniel Ricciardo – Renault, Jolyon Palmer – Force India, Alfonso Celis Jr – McLaren, Jenson Button – Toro Rosso, Carlos Sainz – Haas, Romain Grosjean – Sauber, Marcus Ericsson – Manor , Pascal Wehrlein.

The first time of the day arrives almost thirty minutes from the start and belongs to Daniel Ricciardo, the fastest in 1:40.746, followed by Hamilton's Mercedes. Third time for Sainz's Toro Rosso. Forty-five minutes from the start Ricciardo lowers the best time recorded so far and thus drops to 1:39.021, adjusted immediately afterwards to 1:38.188.
Shortly after the end of the first hour, Haas entered the F1 World Championship for the first time, led by Romain Grosjean.

Bottas was the first to switch to slick tires and immediately took the lead, lapping in 1:35.719. Behind him Ricciardo, who improved to 1:37.610. Hamilton and Sainz follow.
After the first hour and a half, the Manor finally makes its debut on the track and leaves the pits with Wehrlein at the wheel. At mid-morning only Force India had yet to leave the pits.
Palmer's Renault then takes the lead with a time of 1:35.395. Time immediately adjusted to 1:33.389.
Almost three hours after the start, Force India makes its official debut with the Celis tester. Now all the teams from the 2016 World Championship have touched the asphalt, with the exception of Sauber, which will take to the track with the 2015 single-seater in these tests. Only five drivers stopped the clock, precisely in this order: Hamilton, Sainz, Palmer, Bottas and Ricciardo.

Sauber finally leaves the garage when Sebastian Vettel takes the lead on the track in 1:26.283, immediately adjusted to 1:26.187. Vettel, Hamilton and Sainz, who lead the standings, achieved the best times on the medium compound.
Ericsson set his first time, 1:29.375, placing fifth behind Button, who lapped in 1:28.734: the first time today also for the Briton.
With just over an hour and a half left before the break, Vettel leads the standings followed by Hamilton, Sainz, Ericsson, Button, Palmer, Bottas and Ricciardo. But here the British driver from Mercedes steals first place from the German driver from Ferrari, lapping in 1:25.409. Bottas' Williams takes third place in 1:27.037, and Grosjean joins the timed group with the seventh fastest time.

Even the sun decided to make its appearance in Barcelona and all the riders switched to the medium compound. Sebastian Vettel improves his time to 1:25.921, set with a set of unbranded Pirellis. Ninth and first time of the day for Celis' Force India. Hamilton continues to lead the group, also in terms of laps completed, followed by Vettel, Bottas, Sainz, Ericsson, Button, Grosjean, Celis, Palmer and Ricciardo.

Just under an hour before the break, Vettel took the lead in 1:25.206, overtaking Hamilton's Mercedes by two tenths. Button climbs to fourth place but Sainz immediately overtakes him.
Just past 12pm, only Vettel, Sainz and Grosjean were lapping on the track, when suddenly the red flag waved. The Frenchman's Haas returns to the pits without the front wing, while on the track the marshals are busy removing debris at the end of the main straight.

At the restart Hamilton leads the way followed by Vettel and Sainz. After switching to the medium compound, Ricciardo achieved the fourth fastest time, 1:26.709, which was immediately adjusted to 1:26.704.
Fifteen minutes from the checkered flag Vettel drops to 1:24.939.
A few minutes from the end the first time of the day also arrives for Wehrlein's Manor, which closes the ranking with a time of 1:35.637.

Checkered flag, the first morning of testing ends with the best time of Sebastian Vettel, followed by Hamilton and Bottas.

Barcelona F1 Test 2016 – Times, results and laps Day 1, morning
1 Sebastian Vettel Ferrari 1’24″939 36
2 Lewis Hamilton Mercedes 1’25″409 66
3 Valtteri Bottas Williams 1’26″091 43
4 Daniel Ricciardo Red Bull 1’26″704 20
5 Carlos Sainz Toro Rosso 1’27″180 35
6 Jenson Button McLaren 1’27″691 35
7 Marcus Ericsson Sauber 1’28″165 36
8 Romain Grosjean Haas 1’28″399 13
9 Alfonso Celis Force India 1’29″406 21
10 Jolyon Palmer Renault 1’31″351 15
11 Pascal Wehrlein Manor 1’35″455 08