Vettel smashes track record

FERRARI'S Sebastian Vettel wrapped up the penultimate day of Formula One’s pre-season testing in impressive style by setting an unofficial track record at the Circuit de Catalunya on Thursday.

The four-times world champion lapped with a best time of one minute 17.182 seconds, on the new hypersoft tyres, and more than a second quicker than anyone else in a dry session with few problems.

The time eclipsed the previous best, since the Barcelona circuit was reconfigured in 2007, of 1:18.047 set on Wednesday by Red Bull’s Australian Daniel Ricciardo. Times in testing are not recognised as records.

General expectations are for a tighter battle at the front this season, with Mercedes seen as being still ahead but not by much.

All the teams did more than 100 laps, with Vettel also completing a race simulation and doing 188 — the most of any driver and one more than Red Bull’s Dutch youngster Max Verstappen.

The German, runner-up last season to Britain's Lewis Hamilton, is scheduled to hand over to team-mate Kimi Raikkonen for the final day of testing before the teams head to Australia for the opening race on March 25.

Hamilton and team-mate Valtteri Bottas shared the Mercedes, with the reigning champion completing 84 laps and the Finn adding 97 to the tally.