Mazepin puts Mercedes fastest on Day 2 of F1 test

Nikita Mazepin set the fastest time on the second and final day of Formula 1 testing in Barcelona on his track debut with Mercedes.

The 20-year-old Russian worked through a mixed program that saw him end the day 1.3 seconds faster than Alex Albon in the Toro Rosso.

Third fastest was Antonio Fuoco for Ferrari, his first experience of a current-spec F1 machine, at just over 1.5 seconds slower than Mazepin.

Mazepin spent the morning working through a series of long runs, before switching to short runs in the afternoon.

It saw him bank 128 laps over the course of the day, which saw a number of red flags as drivers stopped on track, though all were recovered without incident.

A total of 13 drivers were in action, Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) and Lance Stroll (Racing Point) performing tyre testing for Pirelli.

Leclerc set the fourth best time of the day, little more than half a tenth off Fuoco’s pace, with Kimi Raikkonen fifth best for Alfa Romeo.

Only five regular drivers took to the circuit, Albon, Leclerc, Raikkonen, Kevin Magnussen, and Stroll, with most teams giving track time to rookies.

Renault employed Jack Aitken, the Brit sixth fastest for Renault with 75 laps to his name.

Aside from the McLaren pair of Sergio Sette Camara and Oliver Turvey it was the fewest of any driver for the day.

Red Bull’s Dan Ticktum was only marginally better with a total of 79 laps, with Mazepin the busiest of all.

Pirelli made the most of its opportunity, recording 236 laps between Leclerc and Stroll as it already begins to look at developing its 2021 tyres.

Behind Magnussen was Nick Yelloly for Racing Point, Latifi for Williams, and Ticktum for Red Bull rounding out the ten.

Results: Formula 1 Barcelona testing, Day 2