F1 back in action with preseason tests underway in Barcelona

Hamilton’s dominant Mercedes team have won 32 of the last 38 races, and will head into the new season as the favourites to win a third consecutive driver-and-team title.

However, Grosjean did say his first impressions of the vehicle were “great” and expressed his optimism the failure would not badly disrupt the team’s programme.

Mercedes posted a video of Nico Rosberg driving the W07 at Silverstone on its YouTube page, though it’s more of a demonstration lap. The Briton was sixth fastest with a 1m26.

However, Hamilton completed 66 laps to Vettel’s 36 before the drivers were taken off the track for a lunch break. After that it was tested in the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya.

Vettel admitted he was slightly frustrated not to get more time on the track, but is confident the SF16-H is a significant improvement on last year’s vehicle. “It doesn’t feel any different”. It is better than being last but it is not really important.

“There are no negative points to the vehicle”, the Englishman was quoted as saying by Autosport.

It was an obvious relief for Eric Boullier, the racing director of McLaren, who presided over a devastatingly disappointing testing period for the team here past year.

Formula 1 newcomers Haas also tested their first race-car driven by Frenchman Romain Grosjean.

The auto ran reliably, completing about 80 laps, second best among the new cars after Mercedes. He was eighth fastest in the morning but only 10th in the afternoon. “These things take time”.

Rumours emerged during the first day of testing that experimental parts are to be fitted to the auto in tomorrow’s test session.

F1 in 2016 has officially begun with Ferrari giving an early tantalising glimpse of a potential head-to-head title fight with Mercedes on the opening day of Barcelona testing.

Mercedes has dominated the last two F1 seasons, and with no major regulation changes for 2016, it is expected to be a step ahead of the other teams yet again this year.

“When I joined the team there were a lot of people changing their positions and it was a hard time to have expectations”.

The new season starts on 20 March with the Australian Grand Prix in Melbourne.

Even lap times can not be trusted once the cars get going, with those teams who know they have a fast vehicle seeking to disguise the true extent by running on heavy fuel loads while others go light to set quick times and mask problems that might alarm potential sponsors.

Haas F1 will be making its Formula One debut in Barcelona this week, while Renault returns to the sport after taking over financially strapped Lotus.