Day two of testing in Barcelona was a good day for Red Bull Racing.
Not only did Daniel Ricciardo complete the most laps of the day, pounding around the Catalunya track to complete 143 laps [413.5miles], but the Australian also set the fastest time of the day.
His time of 1minute 24.574s edged out the Ferrari of Kimi Raikkonen by 0.010s and was also a tenth quicker than the Williams of Felipe Massa.
?It was good, We wanted to get a day with 100-plus laps on the board and we did that and more today. It was very solid. We also got through some pit stop practice and some good long runs, which is very positive. Ricciardo told formula1.com at the end of the session.
?I know it?s just testing but it is encouraging seeing us on top or at least in that front group. Obviously you have no idea what everyone is doing, but it is encouraging. The car feels good. It has similar characteristics to RB10 in terms of how the chassis feels but that?s a good thing, as I think we had a pretty good car last year. All in all a really good day?s work.?
It was also a better day for Mercedes, who have been struggling not with the reliability of their car but their drivers.
Both two-time Formula One World Champion Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg have been struggling with their health during this test.
Rosberg has been struggling with a neck problem, which appears to have been aggravated by trialling a new seating position. Whilst Hamilton has struggled with a virus.
Both drivers shared the responsibility of testing on Friday with Hamilton completing 89 laps and Rosberg completing 66.
2014 GP2 Champion Jolyon Palmer also enjoyed a good day of testing completing 77 laps of Lotus.
?Today went well, We racked up a lot of laps and I got a good feel for the car. It was very slippery first thing with the cold track, it was certainly very difficult with the hard tyres combined with the low temperatures!
?Through the day there was a good mix of conditions and set-ups to work with. There was a lot to take on board with the different settings for the car and the different programmes we were running, so it?s been a pretty steep learning curve. It?s been a very positive start for me and I hope my work has benefited the team. I loved being in the car and I can?t wait to get back out on track!?
Unofficial Friday testing times from Barcelona:
1. Daniel Ricciardo, Red Bull, 1m 24.574s
2. Kimi Raikkonen, Ferrari, 1m 24.584s
3. Felipe Massa, Williams, 1m 24.672s
4. Sergio Perez, Force India, 1m 24.702s
5. Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes, 1m 24.923s
6. Nico Rosberg, Mercedes, 1m 25.556s
7. Fernando Alonso, McLaren, 1m 25.961s
8. Jolyon Palmer, Lotus, 1m 26.280s
9. Marcus Ericsson, Sauber, 1m 27.334s
10. Carlos Sainz Jr, Toro Rosso, 1m 28.945s
Red Bull on top on day two in Barcelona
