11:35 AM ET MONTMELO, Spain — Claire Williams understands how bad it looks that her team missed the opening two and a half days of testing for the 2019 season. Williams faces a difficult start to the year after missing the first two days of testing, but it is a team used to fighting against
Formula 1
12:36 PM ET ESPN staff MONTMELO, Spain — Charles Leclerc kept Ferrari at the top of the timesheets in pre-season testing after a solid start to his first day with the team. His fastest time was a 1:18.247, roughly a tenth of a second slower than Sebastian Vettel’s best effort on the opening day. Both
9:19 AM ET MONTMELO, Spain — Sebastian Vettel has no doubts new Ferrari teammate Charles Leclerc can immediately challenge for the Formula One world championship in 2019. Highly-rated youngster Leclerc has replaced Kimi Raikkonen at the Italian team, which arrives at a new season without two former world champions at the helm for the first
11:58 AM ET MONTMELO, Spain — Mercedes boss Toto Wolff fears Brexit will be “the mother of all messes” and hurt the seven Formula One teams based in the U.K., strengthening Ferrari in the process. Britain is due to leave the European Union on March 29, although its parliament is yet to agree to the
2:35 PM ET MONTMELO, Spain — The first rule of testing is not to read too much into the headline times. Even so, the paddock couldn’t help but sit up and take notice when Sebastian Vettel set a 1:18.161 on the first morning at the Circuit de Catalunya. To give that time some historical context,
3:55 AM ET ESPN staff With Red Bull and Alfa Romeo launching their 2019 liveries on the morning of winter testing, we now know what this year’s grid will look like colour-wise. Ferrari has joined Red Bull in introducing a new matte finish, while Haas and Williams both opted for a radical new look thanks
4:12 AM ET Maurice Hamilton Close • Veteran F1 journalist, covering the sport since 1977• Motor racing correspondent for the Observer for 20 years• Has written several books and covered F1 for BBC Radio 5 Live The problem facing F1 teams at this time of year is managing the expectation of enthusiastic sponsors. The reality of deals done
7:40 AM ET ESPN staff MONTMELO, Spain — Williams has delayed its 2019 debut to Wednesday after confirming its new car is unlikely to be ready in time for the second day of this week’s test at the Circuit de Catalunya near Barcelona. Originally the team planned to complete a 100km shakedown in Spain on
11:00 AM ET ESPN staff The new matte paintwork on Ferrari’s 2019 car was used for technical reasons rather than cosmetic, according to team principal Mattia Binotto. Although Ferrari rarely deviates from an all red livery, the new SF90 is distinctive because of its matte finish. The team presented the car at its factory in
4:40 AM ET ESPN staff Williams will miss the opening day of pre-season testing on Monday because its new car will not be ready in time. The British team launched its livery last Monday at an event at its factory in Grove, but the car presented was a 2018 Williams with a 2019-spec front wing