Russell said he believed the times were “absolutely unrepresentative” of the true competitive picture, and that Ferrari and McLaren were in the best shape. The new rules have fundamentally changed the way the aerodynamics of F1 cars work. Russell said he expected to see “some changes” by the time of the final round of testing in Bahrain from 10-12 March. The list of best lap times for the week was relatively encouraging – there was just over a second between the fastest and seventh fastest teams, and McLaren and Ferrari looked close to the Mercedes and Red Bull. “The times are very close, which was one of the intentions of the new regulations,” said Ferrari chief Binotto. A number of drivers said it appeared to be easier to follow closer behind another car. And Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz said: “I did quite a bit of testing last year and it looked like they are suiting well the new generation of cars.

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