• Mercedes set the fastest times in Montmeló, using soft tires for the first time.
• Sauber ran 2,500 km for the four testing days, McLaren, couldn’t reach one third of such run.

Final tests took place in Barcelona at Montmeló Circuit, before the 2015 season began in Melbourne. The last three program pre-campaign session, began on Thursday, February 26, without the Force India VJM08 attendance, which was on his way to Spain, to arrive during the day. The racetrack was fastest than last week and Felipe Massa, set the best time of the day (1m23.500s) with the Williams FW37, almost 6 tenths less than the fastest lap of the second training series, which ended on February 22.

For the first time all teams ran the track together on the second day, with the 2015 specification cars, Nico Hülkenberg used the VJM08 for a couple of laps during the morning session, although it had been recently assembled. That Friday Mercedes’ Directors decided to place soft tires in Nico Rosberg’s car, it was the first time the German cars used this tires during the pre-season- the German easily broke the 83 seconds, setting a 1m22.792s time and then going back to his long-distance runs, giving 106 laps in the day, no other driver could get closer to him for less than 1.2 seconds from his time. It was a demonstration of the huge potential of the Hybrid W06 for the 2015 season. As for the McLaren-Honda MP4-30 It was finally a smoothly day for Jenson Button giving101 laps in Montmeló, though he finished almost three seconds from Mercedes.

On February 28, the third testing day, was the chance for the Champion Lewis Hamilton to probe how adjusted he is to the Mercedes and was the fastest in the day with a (1m23.022s) time followed in fourth place by Massa and the Finnish Kimi Raikkonen on his SF15-T Ferrari. On the other hand, the German Nico Hülkenberg finished testing with his Force India getting over 150 laps, showing that this car is a strong competitor on reliability with other race cars. Danish tester, Kevin Magnussen used the McLaren during 39 laps, since Fernando Alonso continues indisposed after his accident last week on this same track, even his participation on the 2015 Australia Championship Opening is doubtful.

Pre-season closed on Sunday, March 1 with long-distance runs of the majority of the teams, but Pastor Maldonado’s Lotus E23 didn’t manage to complete the afternoon session, when crashing in the curve 4 when the Venezuelan made a few classic mistakes such as braking late and ending on the barrier, although without personal damages. This time Valtteri Bottas, on the Williams, was the fastest time of the day setting (1m23.063s), but Felipe Nasr’s Sauber C34 stood out, giving 159 laps, and being the only one on finishing 300 laps in a 4-day session. The Mexican Sergio Pérez finished some laps smoothly and finished his only day in the pre-season with his new car, giving 130 laps to the circuit and setting the best time of 1m25.113s.

Overall, teams with Mercedes motor, ran almost 7,000 kilometers in this 4-day session and it is not surprising that the fastest four have been the brand official cars and the Williams, with Ferrari setting a third competitive place in speed and in reliability for both, the official cars and the Motorized Sauber by Maranello. As for Renault, it improved in reliability, but its propulsion speed is low and Honda had its best testing session, but he ran just over 500 kilometers by each 4-day session, in contrast Felipe Nasr, solo, ran much more than that on the final testing day.

So, it is all set for the first practice at the Street Circuit in Alberta Park, Melbourne, to open the 2015 Australia Grand Prix season on March 13.

Photos: Teams