TRACKSIDE IMPRESSIONS

Following the first three days of pre-season testing, Mercedes is looking serene at the top of the pack with its W11, closely followed by Red Bull and then, surprisingly, Racing Point and not Ferrari.

Ferrari, which caused the second red flag of the test, is not looking particularly competitive, either on outright pace or on long runs, although it’s clear that the team hasn’t turned the wick up just yet. Charles Leclerc, who had to stand in for Sebastian Vettel, ended up languishing in 11th place on day one. The car looks unremarkable compared to those of other teams, maybe because of the matt paint job, but also in the architecture. Following an engine change on day three, Vettel completed a 10-lap run on Pirelli C2 tyres (with C1 the hardest), which looked decidedly sad with a lot of graining even on the