F1 News, Reports and Race Results

Ferrari and Vettel top the time sheets mid-day!

Ferrari's new SF70H and Sebastian Vettel outpaced Mercedes and Valtteri Bottas as teams broke for lunch time on day 1 of pre-season testing in Barcelona.

The two men traded places at the top of the time sheets all morning with Bottas raking in 79 laps, while Vettel clocked in at 62 laps.

It's worth noting however that the Mercedes driver accomplished two long runs on soft tyres at one point, while Vettel stuck to the medium compound, edging out the Finn with a 1:22.791, the only sub-22 lap of the day so far.

Sergio Perez has been a consistent runner so far, but running a shorter distance compared to the men up front, with 39 laps put on the new Force India, the fastest of which was done on a set of soft tyres.

Red Bull's new RB13 was sidelined after just four laps with a sensor problem, while McLaren was hit by a more serious oil system issue which  prevented Fernando Alonso from acheiving anything more than an installation lap. The MCL32 was expected however to be back out on track this afternoon.

Haas' Kevin Magnussen was the first driver to hit the barriers in 2017 following a mishap which damaged the VF-17's front wing.

Track action will resume at 14:00 local time

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Phillip van Osten

Motor racing was a backdrop from the outset in Phillip van Osten's life. Born in Southern California, Phillip grew up with the sights and sounds of fast cars thanks to his father, Dick van Osten, an editor and writer for Auto Speed and Sport and Motor Trend. Phillip's passion for racing grew even more when his family moved to Europe and he became acquainted with the extraordinary world of Grand Prix racing. He was an early contributor to the monthly French F1i Magazine, often providing a historic or business perspective on Formula 1's affairs. In 2012, he co-authored along with fellow journalist Pierre Van Vliet the English-language adaptation of a limited edition book devoted to the great Belgian driver Jacky Ickx. He also authored "The American Legacy in Formula 1", a book which recounts the trials and tribulations of American drivers in Grand Prix racing. Phillip is also a commentator for Belgian broadcaster Be.TV for the US Indycar series.

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