Local hero Fernando Alonso topped the timesheets on day three of this
week's pre-season test at the Circuit de Catalunya in Barcelona on
Thursday.
The Spaniard - behind the wheel of Ferrari’s new F138 for a third
consecutive day - set his best time on a short run in the morning session
with soft-compound tyres.
Sauber’s Nico Hulkenberg clocked the second-quickest time of the day, with
Romain Grosjean third fastest in the Lotus E21.
More to follow
Unofficial Thursday test times from Barcelona:
1. Fernando Alonso, Ferrari, 1:21.875, 97 laps
2. Nico Hulkenberg, Sauber, 1:22.160, 91 laps
3. Romain Grosjean, Lotus, 1:22.188, 119 laps
4. Nico Rosberg, Mercedes, 1:22.611, 108 laps
5. Pastor Maldonado, Williams, 1:22.675, 79 laps
6. Valtteri Bottas, Williams, 1:22.826, 68 laps
7. Jenson Button, McLaren, 1:22.840, 71 laps
8. Adrian Sutil, Force India, 1:22.877, 78 laps
9. Mark Webber, Red Bull, 1:23.024, 108 laps
10. Jean-Eric Vergne, Toro Rosso, 1:23.366, 106 laps
11. Max Chilton, Marussia, 1:25.690, 58 laps
12. Giedo van der Garde, Caterham, 1:26.177, 83 laps

Troubles session so far today at the lunch mark, 5 red flags, wet conditions.

• 1. Hamilton / Mercedes1:23.282
• 2. Button / McLaren1:23.633
• 3. Vergne / Toro Rosso1:24.071
• 4. Bianchi / Force India1:25.732
• 5. Gutierrez / Sauber1:26.239
• 6. van der Garde / Caterham1:27.429
• 7. Massa / Ferrari1:27.553
• 8. Webber / Red Bull1:27.616
• 9. Chilton / Marussia1:29.902
• 10. Grosjean / Lotus1:34.800

So...are we going to create a new thread for this season? Or are we keeping this one?

I think Zuv will make a new thread, he's currently moving though I believe.

Cool, I just said it because it'd be easier to follow than this one.

Damn, almost time for the new season. That was quick.

If Zuv is not available anyone else interested in managing this?

I would volunteer but I already know managing it would be extremely difficult during the year due to work related traveling.

Lewis Hamilton set the pace for Mercedes as the second pre-season test of 2013 drew to a close in Barcelona amid damp conditions on Friday.

The 2008 world champion’s best time around the Circuit de Catalunya was set on slick tyres during a brief break between rain showers.

The second- and third-quickest lap times of the day - posted by McLaren’s Jenson Button and Toro Rosso’s Jean-Eric Vergne - were also set during this period.

More to follow.

Unofficial Friday test times from Barcelona:
1. Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes, 1:23.282, 52 laps
2. Jenson Button, McLaren, 1:23.633, 70 laps
3. Jean-Eric Vergne, Toro Rosso, 1:24.071, 80 laps
4. Jules Bianchi, Force India, 1:25.732, 96 laps
5. Esteban Gutierrez, Sauber, 1:26.239, 61 laps
6. Giedo van der Garde, Caterham, 1:27.429, 50 laps
7. Felipe Massa, Ferrari, 1:27.563, 80 laps
8. Mark Webber, Red Bull, 1:27.616, 64 laps
9. Max Chilton, Marussia, 1:29.902, 51 laps
10. Romain Grosjean, Lotus, 1:34.800, 41 laps
11. Valtteri Bottas, Williams, No time, 23 laps
12. Pastor Maldonado, Williams, No time, 13 laps

Lap times and number confirm how abysmal this session was.

I was following the BBC live blog and it pretty much confirmed that the session was pretty much a write-off, lap times confirm that.

Hey, at least they got to try out the Wet and Inter tyers though, right?

True, there's some value in testing wet's and inters, there's bound to be rain in the season. :)

Not sure how I feel about the new pirelli's in general, can't say I'm a fan of tires that go ultra fast for 3 laps and suddenly hit rock bottom by lap number 6, doesn't seem like a clever design direction to me for the sport.

Last test line-up starts next Thursday, hopefully Force India will have made a decision by then, seems awful late to pick a driver to me.

Alright then popickers is there anyone still around,i have finally bought a new laptop but I still won't have proper internet until march 7th when BT finally sort their shite out so I won't be doing anything proper until then as it is so slow otherwise

but if you want to play then you know what to do anyway and anyone else is welcome we will be doing the same thing just with a different point system and your DNF can be the same as someone else this time and maybe enforce the old rule nearer the end

I urge you to sign up to gridbids.com and play that game as I will and it is miles better than what we play here,me pjams and wick did it last year in a vgchartz group so take a look at it as it is really good gridbids.com

alright I will sort this out soon and put up a table if any of us are still around I have been in the wilderness for a few weeks

looking forward to qualy in Melbourne as I have not seen anything,i hope it is on the BBC as I have no skystream this year just the BBC for me now