James Allen: Giovinazzi, who will be hoping to impress enough to earn himself a drive at one of Ferrari’s customer team for next season, put together an impressive test day. Registering 96 laps, the Italian lead the morning session with a 1m19.648s on the soft tyre, before making big jumps in lap time as the day went on. Equipped with supersofts later on, he lowered his own benchmark to a 1m16.887s. When comparing to the lap record set by Sebastian Vettel in FP3, he was 0.7s off the pace, albeit on a compound that was one step harder. With around two hours to go, Giovinazzi then set an unofficial lap record at the Hungaroring by setting a 1m15.648s on the hypersoft tyres, around half-a-second faster than Vettel’s best FP3 lap. This was set in similar track conditions to FP3, but this time on a tyre that was one step softer than Vettel’s. https://www.jamesallenonf1.com/2018/...-test-day-one/ GIOVINAZZI MARATHON MAN ferrari-media 96 laps and programme completed: “Driving the Ferrari is always special” Mogyorod, 31 July – Antonio Giovinazzi could have done with just a few more laps, partly to round it up to a hundred, or even 99, which is his favourite number and the one he had on the SF71H today, or maybe just because “driving a Ferrari is always special.” His running was cut short by a sudden and heavy downpour just as the team was preparing to send him out for his final run. However, on this first day of testing at the Hungaroring, the programme was successfully completed and Antonio’s second “rookie day,” after the one in which he took part in Barcelona, ended with a best lap of 1’15”648, set on the Hypersoft tyres and his lap total was 96. Antonio also ran with the Medium, Soft and Supersoft compounds. Tomorrow, Kimi Raikkonen gets behind the wheel for the final day.
My opinion? Gio gave Gasly a serious run for his money, they where neck and neck in GP2, GIO in his rookie season and Gasly into his 3rd. They had equal retirements, only 8 pts difference in Gasly's favour at the end. Gio was mighty impressive in his first F1 outing, having very limited time to get ready for qualifying or any race simulation running. Giovinazzi deserves a seat in F1. Grosjean? A failing journeyman at best IMO. Crashes too often, inconsistent. Quick on a good day. Another driver deserves a go now IMO. Leclerc is quick but needs another year before the big boy seat it seems. Now that he's properly on the radar, seems the pressure is getting to him a little and making more mistakes. I say put Leclerc in Grosjeans' Haas for a year, With Gio taking Leclerc's Sauber seat. I believe Ericsson still has his ride paid for by the Swedes that took over Sauber, but haven't followed that story very close, so who knows. IMO he has proven time and time again he's not fit to be in F1, now seriously beaten by a rookie. But since he has a deal in place (?), he'll stay... Alternatively, put Grosjean in that Sauber seat with Leclerc there, or Gio alongside Leclerc in Sauber if Haas decides to keep Grosjean.
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