SAKHIR: Renault-powered teams continued to face difficulties on the first day of the final pre-season test here on Thursday, while the cars powered by Mercedes engines maintained their grip at the front.
Force India led the timesheets through their driver Sergio Perez, who completed 105 laps, ahead of Valtteri Bottas, who did 128.
Nico Rosberg in one of the Mercedes complete 89, while McClaren’s new dirver Kevin Magnussen managed 109.
In contrast, the four Renault-powered cars complete a total of 146 laps between them, with defending champions Red Bull accounting for 39 of these.
Daniel Ricciardo started the day well for the Austrian-owned team, but had to stop later due to an exhaust problem.
“We still had a few issues today, but at least when the car was on track it was much more useful running and we made progress in the morning,” said Ricciardo. “It’s getting there.”
Unsurprisingly, given their lack of track time, the Renault-runners featured in the bottom half of the charts.
An exhaust issue also hampered Lotus after the new rule specifications caused damage to the surrounding area of the car. A technical failure, meanwhile, robbed Toro Rosso of track time.
Ferrari focused on preparing for the first race of the season but work was delayed in the morning because of a problem on the car. (Agencies)