#AusGP: Preview– Friday

Mystery solved (kind of)

What’s the most heard sentence in pre-season testing?
“Only in Melbourne we’ll know where we stand!”

Well, here we are (after FP2)!

P4 Pierre Gasly
P5 Sebastian Vettel
P6 Kimi                         Standing strong and steady on both feet
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P15 Antonio                 Bit wobbly, gaining confidence
P16 Sergio Perez
P17 Alexander Albon

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Weather: FP1: sunny and dry, 20-22°C air, 32-43°C track; FP2: sunny and dry, 22°C air, 40-45°C track

Alfa Romeo Racing had a constructive start to the first Grand Prix weekend of 2019. Kimi Räikkönen and Antonio Giovinazzi set out to focus on mechanical set-up work in the first free practice at the renowned Melbourne Grand Prix Circuit.

The team continued with further set-up work in FP2, completing a qualifying performance run and long-runs on various tyre compounds during the session. Both drivers reported feeling comfortable with the car and confident of the team’s potential.

Eager to fight for ambitious results in round one of this year’s championship, the team will review the drivers’ feedback and the data collected throughout the day to set their targets for tomorrow’s FP3 and qualifying.

Kimi Räikkönen (car number 7):
Alfa Romeo Racing C38 (Chassis 02/Ferrari)
1st practice: 6th / 1:24.816 min (18 laps) / 2nd practice: 6th / 1:23.572 (40 laps)
“We have a solid day of work behind us, there were no big issues. We still have some set-up work to do to improve the car, but overall it felt quite good. I look forward to qualifying tomorrow, behind the top teams anything is possible.”

Antonio Giovinazzi (car number 99):
Alfa Romeo Racing C38 (Chassis 03/Ferrari)
1st practice: 11th / 1:25.166 min (23 laps) / 2nd practice: 15th / 1:24.293 (37 laps)
“Overall, the day was positive. The car felt good and I am happy with our performance, especially regarding the long-runs. I am excited to have started my first full race weekend and look forward to being back on track tomorrow.”