Gallery: F2's 18-inch tyre era begins in Bahrain
Formula 2 pre-season testing got underway on Sunday in Bahrain, showcasing the championship's new look 18-inch Pirelli tyres.
Photo by: Joe Portlock / Motorsport Images
Sunday morning's opening test session provided a first glimpse of the Formula 1 feeder series' familiar Dallara F2 2018s fitted with their new wheels, which are set to be adopted by F1 in 2021, as well as a slew of new liveries for the 2020 campaign.
Louis Deletraz, who has moved to the Charouz squad for the new season, set the pace with a best lap of 1m45.583s, edging out former Carlin teammate Nobuharu Matsushita - now driving for MP Motorsport - by a scant 0.025s.
Third-fastest was Jehan Daruvala (Carlin), the newest recruit to the Red Bull junior scheme, followed by Brazilian pair Pedro Piquet (Charouz) and Felipe Drugovich (MP).
Ex-Williams F1 racer Sergey Sirotkin, deputising for the absent Christian Lundgaard at ART Grand Prix, was seventh-fastest, sandwiched by DAMS pair Sean Gelael and Dan Ticktum.
See below for a selection of images from the first morning of running during the test, which spans three days and also features FIA Formula 3 on-track action.
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