2024 Formula 1 Pre-Season Testing, Day 1 Report

After yesterday’s filming day, the maiden outing for the team’s 2024 challenger, Esteban was first to take the wheel of the A524 on Day 1 of pre-season testing in the morning session before handing over to Pierre for the afternoon.

Tomorrow, on Day 2, Pierre will take driving duties in the morning with Esteban in the car in the afternoon session.

Today in numbers
Laps: 121 (Esteban 60, Pierre 61)
KM: 654km (Esteban 324, Pierre 330)
Tyres: C1 and C3
Ambient temperature: 24C High, 21C low
Circuit temperature: 40C high, 24C low

Esteban Ocon, AM session, P16, 1:34.677secs, 60 laps: “It was the first day of proper running with the new car and it was good to get 60 laps under our belt in the morning session. It was also nice to get out on track again and feel the sensation of driving after the winter break. We completed the intended programme and found things to work and improve on in the coming days. At this stage of the test, it’s about getting a decent feel of the car and for the overall balance. We will keep going and continue working hard for the remainder of the test. I’m back in the car tomorrow afternoon and already looking ahead and working hard with the team.”

Pierre Gasly, PM session, P5, 1:32.805secs, 61 laps: “It’s great to be back in the car to start the 2024 season. It’s been a positive day where we ran our programme accurately and completed all our intended laps. That is the most important thing about testing: to run reliably and complete plenty of laps. The initial feeling in the car is good but now it is important for us to dig into the data, do our analysis and continue to unlock performance. I’m back in the car tomorrow morning and I’m already looking forward to continuing that hard work.”