Red Bull troubles continueposted in F130 | 01 | 2014
RED BULL'S TROUBLED build-up to the new Formula One season continued this morning when Daniel Ricciardo was forced to park his smoking car on his opening lap at Jerez.
Three days into the first official pre-season test, and the Red Bull has only managed to complete 11 laps in Spain. In contrast, over the opening two days of the first test last year, it racked up 174 laps.
Red Bull's problems stem from issues with the car's new battery system which supplements the Renault engine. It left world champ Sebastian Vettel (pictured) frustrated after his opening two days in the car.
But concerningly, this morning's problems came despite Renault pledging that they had cured the glitch by working through the night.
Related: Vettel edges out Webber in Brazil
It's clear, at this early stage of the pre-season, that the Renault engine is having serious problems with its energy storage battery.
And those issues mean it's already lagging behind the other manufacturers: by close of play on Wednesday, Mercedes had completed 115 laps with its teams, Ferrari managed 56, with Renault doing just 11.
"I honestly expected there to be more laps on the board right now," Renault's engine chief Rob White admitted, "but without real up close knowledge of what has been going on in the garage I don't know what has been happening.
"It is kind of a no brainer, but the pace has to ramp up substantially over the coming days and week."
At lunch on the third day of testing, Jenson Button's Mercedes-powered McLaren was fastest, having clocked 1min 25.030secs, 0.465s ahead of Fernando Alonso's Ferrari. Lewis Hamilton was third for Mercedes, with a 1:25.973s.
Related: Eric Boullier confirmed at McLaren
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Jim McGill