Formula One: Bottas sets fastest time of opening test week

MONTMELO, SPAIN (AFP) - Valtteri Bottas in a Mercedes clocked the fastest time of the week as the opening session of pre-season Formula One testing ended on Friday (Feb 21).

Bottas, the 2019 runner-up to six-time champion and teammate Lewis Hamilton, timed 1min 15.732sec off a total of 65 laps.

Hamilton, who had been fastest on Wednesday's opening day, was second on Friday, also dipping below the 1min 17sec mark.

The second session of pre-season testing takes place at the same Montmelo circuit from Wednesday-Friday next week ahead of the 2020 world championship opener at Melbourne on March 15.

- Valtteri Bottas (FIN/Mercedes) 1:15.732 (65 laps),
- Lewis Hamilton (GBR/Mercedes) 1:16.516 (73),
- Esteban Ocon (FRA/Renault) 1:17.102 (76),
- Lance Stroll (CAN/Racing Point) 1:17.338 (116),
- Daniil Kvyat (RUS/Alpha Tauri-Honda) 1:17.427 (62),
- Antonio Giovinazzi (ITA/Alfa Romeo Racing-Ferrari) 1:17.469 (152),
- Daniel Ricciardo (AUS/Renault) 1:17.574,
- Max Verstappen (NED/Red Bull-Honda) 1:17.636 (86),
- Pierre Gasly (FRA/Alpha Tauri-Honda) 1:17.783 (59),
- Alexander Albon (THA/Red Bull-Honda) 1:18.154 (83),
- Carlos Sainz (ESP/McLaren-Renault) 1:18.274 (76),
- Romain Grosjean (FRA/Haas-Ferrari) 1:18.380 (48),
- Sebastian Vettel (GER/Ferrari) 1:18.384 (100),
- Lando Norris (GBR/McLaren-Renault) 1:18.454 (49),
- Nicholas Latifi (CAN/Williams-Mercedes) 1:19.004 (72),
- Kevin Magnussen (DEN/Haas-Ferrari) 1:19.709 (4)