Verstappen and Ricciardo aim for more running in Barcelona

Daniel Ricciardo and Max Verstappen will be keen to get more mileage ahead of F1's season opener in the final test before the first Grand Prix of the year.
By The Newsroom
Published 5th Mar 2018, 15:39 BST
Updated 5th Mar 2018, 16:44 BST
Max Verstappen behind the wheel of the RB14Max Verstappen behind the wheel of the RB14
Max Verstappen behind the wheel of the RB14

The Red Bull Racing duo completed just 209 laps of Barcelona in the opening test - only two teams put in fewer laps of the Spanish circuit.

While Ricciardo set the fifth fastest time of the test last week, his time was set on the morning of day one. The rest of the four-day test saw weather interruptions and mechanical issues for Verstappen limit their running.

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However, the pair remain confident of the RB14's pace despite the lack of competitive running.

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Daniel Ricciardo set the fifth fastest time last weekDaniel Ricciardo set the fifth fastest time last week
Daniel Ricciardo set the fifth fastest time last week

“It’s hard to get anything working with tyres in these temperatures,” said Ricciardo. “When the temperature is there it’s good, but when it’s cold there really isn’t any grip!

“It’s nice to see yourself at the top of the timesheets but in two-degree temperatures you really can’t learn anything!”

A minor fuel leak curtailed Vertappen’s running on Tuesday and he was limited to 67 laps of the circuit, but he was positive about the potential of the RB14 ahead of the first race in Australia at the end of the month.

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“My first feeling of the car is positive,” said the Dutchman. “Of course it’s early days but the initial feeling is good. In the end I don’t think we lost too much ground in the morning as the track seemed in pretty poor condition early on.

Verstappen had to be rescued from the gravel trap on ThursdayVerstappen had to be rescued from the gravel trap on Thursday
Verstappen had to be rescued from the gravel trap on Thursday

“It wasn’t ideal but we had to check through everything and it took a while. In the afternoon we completed quite a bit of what we wanted to, we tested a few things on the car.

“It was pretty cold and so it’s difficult to switch on the tyres. Basically when you go out of the pits it’s flat out to keep the temperatures up and lap by lap you’re going faster, it’s that cold.

“We had a couple of little hiccups (on Thursday) and then in the afternoon I had a little moment where I went into the gravel, tried to the reverse but it got stuck. However, I’m quite happy with the car so far, and maybe the second week will show a bit more how we compare against our rivals. I certainly hope it’s a bit sunnier next week.”

Ricciardo and Verstappen will alternate again in the final test, with the Australian kicking things off today (Tuesday).

Related topics:DutchmanMax VerstappenBarcelonaAustralia