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Search For Clues In Round Two Of F1 Testing

Search For Clues In Round Two Of F1 Testing

Formula One teams will have just four days of track running left to hone their cars for 2016's season-opening Australian GP next month when the second and final test begins at Barcelona.

Despite the new-for-2016 cars taking to the track for the first time just six days ago, the shortest pre-season in the sport's history means the second test at the Circuit de Catalunya on Tuesday represents the final chance to work through changes on track before the first practice session in Melbourne on 18 March.

Teams mainly focused on reliability and systems checks across the opening four days of running, but attention will turn to performance and full race simulations during week two - which should provide a more accurate glimpse at 2016's early pecking order.

The cars are also likely to be equipped with new development parts as they move closer to their final specification for the first race.

World champions Mercedes head into the test already looking in ominous form after they completed the equivalent of 10 Spanish GP race distances with their new seemingly bullet-proof W07 last week.

Lewis Hamilton, who has flown to Los Angeles between the tests, said he could not wait to "unleash" the car after Mercedes ran almost exclusively on the slower medium tyre.

After a wretched 2015, McLaren and engine partners Honda appeared to finally be on top of reliability too in the early stages of running, but problems with the MP4-31 over the final two days mean the partnership are again under pressure for the second test.

Ahead of only Manor in the mileage charts at the half-way point of testing, McLaren's running was curtailed by first a hydraulic leak in the power unit - which forced a change of engine - and then an unrelated coolant leak on Thursday.

"Over the course of the first four days in Barcelona we've done a good amount of running and already learned a lot about our package, which should stand us in good stead for next week," said McLaren director of engineering Matt Morris.

"We're definitely ahead of where we were last year in terms of system checks and integration, so at the second test we'll be able to focus more on race simulations and setup, as well as characterising our package's performance."

Honda are introducing revisions to their power unit for the second test, while Jenson Button tweeted there was a "lot of new stuff coming for test two" from McLaren.

Meanwhile, week one pacesetters Ferrari will aim to build on an eye-catching start to testing which saw their new SF16-H return the fastest laps on all but one of the four days.