Don't read much into preseason testing they always say? Throwing caution to the wind, after the first day of Formula 1 action at Circuit de Catalunya, it is safe to say that Ferrari have themselves a handy car in the SF90.
Sebastian Vettel topped the timing screens with a best lap time of 1:18.161 which he set during a flurry of hot laps just before the lunch break. Although he failed to go faster he did complete a mammoth 169 trouble-free laps, make that nearly three full race distances at the Spanish Grand Prix venue.
It was a good day for customer teams too with McLaren enjoying a return to form with Carlos Sainz surprising all with his best lap time of 1:18.558, four tenths off the best, but good enough for second on the timing screens at the end of a long day.
Sainz gets the award for the best overtake of the season thus far after he squeezed past Valtteri Bottas' Mercedes to ensure he was the first driver out on track this morning. He also did a useful 119 laps during the course of the day.
At one point Romain Grosjean looked set to make it a one-two for Ferrari powered cars, albeit one second down on Vettel's top time, but Sainz's late run dropped the Haas driver down to third with 65 laps on his chart.
Max Verstappen racked up 112 laps, only bettered by Vettel's tally, in his first run in anger at the wheel of the Red Bull powered by Honda. He was fourth quickest.
Five minutes into the season’s first green light, Kimi Raikkonen beached the Sauber C38 and brought out the first red flag as marshals returned the stricken but undamaged car to the pits.
The veteran Finn returned to complete 114 laps and finish fifth fastest, making it three Ferrari powered cars in the top five.
At the foot of the table Renault and Mercedes appeared to be keeping their powder dry (or were in some serious trouble) with Daniel Ricciardo slowest of all and 2.8 seconds off the top time, his teammate Nico Hulkenberg was only three-thousandths of a second faster in the morning stanza. The duo combined to cover 108 laps in the RS19.
The chaps in silver were also relatively subdued when it came to unleashing the beast with Valtteri Bottas fractionally faster than Lewis Hamilton in the sister car, but two seconds adrift of the top time. The pair did 150 laps in the W10.
The day was marred when Williams announced that they are forced to miss another day as their FW42 will not be ready until at least Wednesday.
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