Three world champions will bring F1 track action back into life on Thursday. Reigning title winner Lewis Hamilton, Ferrari's Kimi Raikkonen and 2009 world champion Jenson Button will be among those in action on day one, as the second of just three pre-Melbourne winter tests begins in Barcelona.
Red Bull, Williams, Toro Rosso, Lotus, Sauber and even the absent-in-Jerez Force India are also busily setting up at the Circuit de Catalunya. With its 2015 car delayed, Force India will be running with last year's VJM07, which will be driven not only by Nico Hulkenberg and Sergio Perez but also engine supplier Mercedes' reserve driver Pascal Wehrlein.
Close eyes will also be on the competitive Williams team, as female test driver Susie Wolff gets her first taste of the new FW37 on Thursday. And Lotus is going to give its new 2015 reserve, the reigning GP2 champion Jolyon Palmer, son of former F1 driver Jonathan, his first action of 2015 in the newly Mercedes-powered E23. He is scheduled to drive on Friday.
Rookie Felipe Nasr will open proceedings for Sauber, but the prominent colours of his backer Banco do Brasil on the new blue and yellow C34 might look slightly different in Barcelona.On its Twitter account, the Swiss team posted a video with the caption 'What if the C34 turned up in Barcelona like this?', before the car with new yellow flashes on the nose was revealed.
Red Bull's Daniil Kvyat is heading to Barcelona direct from Italy, where Autosprint reports the Russian has been testing the new Tony Kart machine at the Lonato circuit. "I sometimes like to do some karting for some training," he is quoted as saying. "I would love to have stayed for the race on Sunday, but I am testing in Barcelona and soon after that I will be in Australia," Kvyat added.
Also gearing up for Barcelona is the high-profile F1 rookie Max Verstappen, who will open Toro Rosso's four-day test. According to the Dutch newspaper De Telegraaf, he is playing down expectations for the Barcelona session, insisting that although "expectations are great, only in Melbourne must I be quick". "If I am seventh or eighth there, it will feel like a victory," the 17-year-old predicted. (GMM)
Champion trio to kick off Barcelona test action
- Published on 18 Feb 2015 11:43
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- By: Rob Veenstra
F1 News
Max Verstappen
Jenson Button
Daniil Kvyat
Lewis Hamilton
Felipe Nasr
Sergio Perez
Jolyon Palmer
Susie Wolff
Pascal Wehrlein
Sauber
Mercedes
Williams
Force India
Ferrari
Lotus F1
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Friday
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Friday
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Test calendar
Circuit de Catalunya - Winter testing
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Jan 26
I. Hadjar
- 1:18.159
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Jan 27
M. Verstappen
- 1:19.578
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Jan 28
A. Antonelli
- 1:17.362
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Jan 29
G. Russell
- 1:16.445
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Jan 30
L. Hamilton
- 1:16.348
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Bahrain International Circuit - Winter testing
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Feb 11
L. Norris
- 1:34.669
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Feb 12
C. Leclerc
- 1:34.273
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Feb 13
A. Antonelli
- 1:33.669
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Bahrain International Circuit - Winter testing
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Feb 18
G. Russell
- 1:33.459
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Feb 19
A. Antonelli
- 1:32.803
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Feb 20
C. Leclerc
- 1:31.992
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Formula 1 Calendar - 2026
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Spain
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Formula 1 Calendar - 2026
Date
Grand Prix & Circuit
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Spain
Circuit de Catalunya
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Bahrain
Bahrain International Circuit
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Bahrain
Bahrain International Circuit
6 - Mar 8
Australia
Albert Park
13 - Mar 15
27 - Mar 29
Japan
Circuit Suzuka
10 - Apr 12
Bahrain
Bahrain International Circuit
17 - Apr 19
Saudi Arabia
Jeddah Street Circuit
1 - May 3
United States of America
Miami International Autodrome
22 - May 24
Canada
Gilles Villeneuve
5 - Jun 7
Monaco
Monte Carlo
12 - Jun 14
Spain
Circuit de Catalunya
26 - Jun 28
Austria
Red Bull Ring
3 - Jul 5
United Kingdom
Silverstone
17 - Jul 19
Belgium
Spa-Francorchamps
24 - Jul 26
Hungary
Hungaroring
21 - Aug 23
Netherlands
Circuit Zandvoort
Driver profile
- Team Red Bull Racing
- Points 3,557
- Podiums 131
- Grand Prix 245
- Country NL
- Date of b. Sep 30 1997 (28)
- Place of b. Hasselt (Belgie), NL
- Weight 70 kg
- Length 1.8 m
- 842,913 comments on Red Bull Racing
983 members have this team as their favourite
Tweets about Max Verstappen
Team profile
- Team name Sauber
- Base - Switzerland
- Gabriel Bortoleto
- Kimi Räikkönen 7
- Felipe Massa 8
- Marcus Ericsson 9
- Nico Hülkenberg 11
- Felipe Nasr 12
- Esteban Gutierrez 12
- Felipe Massa 12
- Felipe Massa 12
- Kamui Kobayashi 14
- Sergio Perez 15
- Charles Leclerc 16
- Kamui Kobayashi 16
- Sergio Perez 17
- Kimi Räikkönen 17
- Esteban Gutierrez 21
- Kamui Kobayashi 23
- Guanyu Zhou 24
- Nico Hülkenberg 27
- Antonio Giovinazzi 36
- Valtteri Bottas 77
- Pascal Wehrlein 94
- Adrian Sutil 99
- 115,816 comments on Sauber
- 5 members have this team as their favourite
- Tweets about Sauber
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