F1: Rosberg puts Mercedes clear out front on day 2

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Nico Rosberg set the fastest lap of Barcelona Formula 1 testing so far on day two of the final test, while McLaren finally got some good mileage on the board.

World champion team Mercedes fitted soft tires to its car for the first time in pre-season testing late in the afternoon and Rosberg produced a 1m22.792s. That lap was 0.7s quicker than the previous best, set by Williams' Felipe Massa on the same tire on Thursday, and 1.2s clear of Valtteri Bottas in the Williams who was his nearest challenger today.

Rosberg was also one of six drivers to complete 100 laps or more on a day when teams spent much of their time focusing on long runs and race simulations.

Despite a late stoppage out on track, which brought out the red flag, McLaren and Jenson Button had comfortably their most successful day of testing this year. Button clocked up 101 laps – nearly half the total McLaren has achieved in nine previous days of testing combined -– before coming to a stop between Turns 7 and 8.

Meanwhile, the new Force India appeared in public for the first time just before midday and proved to be very reliable. Nico Hulkenberg completed 73 laps, finishing six seconds off the pace and bottom of the timing screens, but the team said reliability is its focus having missed so much testing.

Sauber's Felipe Nasr, who was quickest in the morning after a soft tire run, ended the day third fastest, with Ferrari's Sebastian Vettel fourth, having completed several long runs and 138 laps.

Button was fifth, 2.8s off the pace, with Lotus' Pastor Maldonado, who stopped at the pit entry towards the end of the day, sixth.

Toro Rosso's Max Verstappen was seventh, but an electrical problem forced the team to stop running with around an hour to go.

Daniil Kvyat, who caused the first red flag of the day when he stopped at the first corner during the afternoon session, was eighth quickest for Red Bull.

DAY TWO TIMES

Originally on Autosport.com