Racing Bulls 'in a much better place' after productive Barcelona F1 test

Racing Bulls driver Liam Lawson says the team is in a much better position after three days of productive pre-season testing in Barcelona, having completed over 1,200 kilometers of running with its new VCARB 03. The team ticked a major reliability box while gathering crucial data ahead of the official Bahrain test.

Why it matters:

For a team like Racing Bulls, formerly AlphaTauri, maximizing track time during limited pre-season running is critical to understanding a new car's baseline and potential. A smooth test with strong mileage builds a foundation for development and can reveal early performance trends before the competitive season begins.

The details:

• The team ran on Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday as part of F1's revised pre-season shakedown format, accumulating 1267km (787 miles) of running.
• Liam Lawson completed 88 laps on Monday and a further 64 on Thursday morning, while rookie Arvid Lindblad logged 120 laps on Wednesday.
• Despite causing two red flags during the test, the team reported strong reliability, which Lawson described as a "box ticked."
• The focus was on continuous learning and improvement, with the team planning to analyze morning data to inform an afternoon testing program.

What's next:

The team now has nearly two weeks to analyze all the data collected in Barcelona before the first official pre-season test in Bahrain from February 11-13. This period will be crucial for understanding the car's true competitive position relative to rivals, which Lawson noted remains "quite unknown."