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LIVE | 2020 Formula 1 Winter Testing Day 1: F1 is back on track!

19 February 2020 at 15:39
Last update 19 February 2020 at 15:39
  • Matt Gretton
  • Editor-in-Chief

We're back! For the first time in 81 days, all 10 F1 teams will be in the same location as preparations for the 2020 Formula 1 season heat up. Winter testing has started and we'll get our first proper glimpse of the 2020 cars. We'll have all the important updates in our liveblog below! Will Mercedes be doing their usual sandbagging? Will Ferrari continue their strong pre-season form? Will we get any signs that Aston Martin Red Bull Racing have closed the gap? 

Both Valtteri Bottas and Lewis Hamilton will take turns in the brand new Mercedes car. While Sebastian Vettel and Max Verstappen get a day to themselves in Barcelona while Charles Leclerc and Alex Albon will have to wait until they get their first chance this decade. 

Around the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya, Carlos Sainz, Daniil Kvyat, Antonio Giovinazzi, Kevin Magnussen will all be in action alongside test driver Robert Kubica. Both Racing Point and Williams drivers will get a chance with their new cars. 

A short winter (liveblog below)

The 2019 season actually dipped into December, a rare event for Formula 1. Coming off the back of a 21 stop tour around the world and heading into a record-breaking 22 events, the winter break would seem like a welcome rest for the drivers, mechanics and team members. But that probably hasn't been the case. 

Despite extremely limited regulation changes, development and analysis inside the factory continues to take place. And, of course, the 2021 rule and regulation overhaul will be getting some care and attention from all teams. 

Shorter winter testing 

With 22 races in the schedule (though that looks in doubt now due to the postponed Chinese Grand Prix), F1 teams agreed to reduce the number of test days to help with the workload. Therefore we will only have six days of winter testing in 2020. 

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