F1 testing: Wet conditions lead to Isack Hadjar crash as Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen return to action

Formula 1's second day of pre-season testing got off to an unsteady start, with rain interrupting running and a late crash bringing the afternoon session to an out-of-the-blue halt in Barcelona. The arrival of wet weather halfway through the day at Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya restricted track time and forced teams to change plans as they started to gather important data ahead of the new season.

However, the major names made their returns, even under tough conditions. Hamilton, meanwhile, was in Ferrari colours for the first time in earnest, while reigning world champ Max Verstappen was out for Red Bull too. However, the headline moment came late in the session when Red Bull junior Isack Hadjar crashed heavily, cutting short an already disrupted test day.

Isack Hadjar crash disrupts Red Bull running

Declining conditions early in the afternoon had only left crews with the option of running wet rubber or staying in, with rain now having arrived shortly after midday and only continuing to deteriorate as the afternoon wore on. Max Verstappen had completed a brief run before the weather or pre-rain conditions changed for the worse, and he was able to briefly get in the mix before a tip into the gravel ended the session briefly due to the need for recovery.


A further change of hands saw Isack Hadjar take to the wheel of the Red Bull later in the session, but he lost the car through the final corner. The Frenchman was driving to his first Q1 time when he slid off the circuit and crashed into the barriers, damaging the rear of the car and bringing Red Bull's run to an early end. Luckily, Hadjar emerged unscathed, but the incident curtailed the team's programme for the day.

Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen return to the track

Though an opener dominated by the weather, the return of Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen was always going to be the focal point. Hamilton was able to complete his first proper long run with Ferrari machinery, which will provide the team with some good baseline data as they continue to adapt to the new technical regulations. The seven-time world champion completed a consistent amount of laps, and with the track wet, was more focused on race-long pace rather than out-and-out pace.

Verstappen was even more limited on track, but was also competitive ahead of the rain ramping up in pace. After Hadjar's crash, Red Bull decided to take it easy for the rest of the day, with car preservation taking precedence over lap times.


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