02/26/2020
–
Share this article on:
–
02/26/2020
Minds were turned to the spread in Europe of the coronavirus rather than to the track on the first day of the 2nd and last F1 pre-season test session in Barcelona.
Alfa Romeo reserve driver Robert Kubica took an unrepresentative first place on the timesheet.
The Pole is the only one to have put on the softest tires and therefore the fastest on a lap. Dutch Max Verstappen (Red Bull), Mexican Sergio Pérez (Racing Point), Russian Daniil Kvyat and French Pierre Gasly (AlphaTauri) complete the top 5.
In the paddock, Ferrari, whose headquarters in Maranello are located in the areas of northern Italy affected by the Covid-19, had to answer questions. “Of course that concerns us, assured the main team Mattia Binotto. Part of the team postponed its flights in order to make sure that all concerns were answered correctly.”
“But there is no panic,” he added. “It’s just about making sure we get it right. We coordinate with F1 and the International Automobile Federation (FIA). The team is very careful and aware of the situation. “
La Scuderia had already announced on Monday that it had temporarily closed its museums in Maranello and Modena, restricted the access of its employees residing or having visited the affected municipalities, suspended visits from outside as well as non-essential business trips .
There remains the question of the post-test period, while air links are suspended and the temporary closure of certain borders envisaged.
“We do not know if (the members of the team present in Barcelona) will be able to return. If they return, we do not know if they will be able to travel to Australia” for the first Grand Prix of the season on the 15th March, sums up Pierre Gasly. For now, only the Chinese GP in Shanghai, originally scheduled for April 19, has been postponed to a date to be announced.
The first GP of Vietnam in Hanoi, whose track has just been completed, “will take place as planned” on April 5, again assured his boss Le Ngoc Chi. “We are of course monitoring the situation closely and will notify customers and the media if there is a change,” he said. Two competitions planned shortly before in the Vietnamese capital have been postponed: the March 29 marathon and an international badminton tournament qualifying for the Tokyo Olympics which was to be held from March 24 to 29.
Two days of testing are still on the program Thursday and Friday. After confirming last week that their single-seaters behaved as expected from the simulations carried out at the factory, the teams must now focus on the settings and performance.
ats, dpa
–
