The Sauber F1 Team YouTube channel is known and loved for educational videos about Formula One and exceptional fan engagement. “This transaction also secures the continuation of the brand Sauber in Formula One and will open opportunities to further grow the engineering activities of the group.”. This page was last edited on 27 January 2021, at 19:42. On the chassis side, Sauber managed to benefit from the advances in the 2016 power unit by Ferrari, having an imapct on the design of the monocoque of the car. [106] The race ended with a 1–2 finish for Mercedes with Nico Rosberg taking victory from Lewis Hamilton in second. The first 'turbo era' of Formula One ended with the 1988 season. [122] The next race in Russia featured a number of incidents on the first lap with Vettel and Kvyat getting involved. [160] Hamilton won the race ahead of Rosberg for the third time in as many races, with Max Verstappen completing the podium. [1], There were a few revisions to the calendar from the previous season. [39], The driver line-ups saw a couple of changes prior to the 2016 season and three more while the season was underway. “As a Swiss company, we are very pleased with having secured the future of a Swiss presence in a highly specialized and innovative industry,” said Picci. [128] As a result, Lewis Hamilton inherited the lead and went on to win the race, his first of the season. The Sauber F1 Team is a Swiss Formula One team. Round 1 is in Australia and is also our first ever race in Formula 1! Lotus's participation in the 2016 season was in question pending the resolution of a High Court case brought against the team by HM Revenue and Customs over unpaid PAYE tax. [113] However, in the week before the race weekend, the sport's Strategy Working Group over-ruled the teams in order to keep the elimination style for 2016. Hamilton established an early lead, while Rosberg and Verstappen fought over second place. The former formally ended their nine-year partnership with engine supplier Renault at the end of the 2015 season,[29] with the team citing the lack of performance from the Renault Energy-F1 2015 engine as a leading factor in the change. [21][N 2] The team used power units supplied by Ferrari and a chassis developed by Dallara. [27][28], Both Red Bull Racing and Scuderia Toro Rosso underwent changes regarding their power unit supply. [94], For the second year in a row, Hamilton decided not to exercise his option of switching his car number to 1, as was his prerogative as reigning World Champion, and would instead race with his career number 44. Published on Dec 20, 2016. [70] The Indian Grand Prix was removed from the calendar after the 2013 race, following a dispute over taxation. Esteban Gutierrez testing the … Sauber – Worst livery on the grid! [154] Ricciardo raced Max Verstappen for the lead when Hamilton's retirement triggered a Virtual Safety Car, prompting Red Bull to pit both drivers at the same time. [136] Rosberg was ultimately penalised for the radio call, having ten seconds added to his race time, which demoted him to third behind Verstappen. The Sauber Formula 1 team has existed in many guises since it first joined the grand prix grid with the sleek, jet-black and very quick C12 in 1993. Romain Grosjean left Lotus at the end of the 2015 season. [153] On fresher tyres, Ricciardo was able to withstand pressure from Verstappen to win his first race since the 2014 Belgian Grand Prix. [153] Nico Rosberg was turned around by Sebastian Vettel in a first corner accident that eliminated Vettel and forced Rosberg to work his way up through the field. [44] Palmer had previously made regular free practice appearances with the team when it was known as Lotus in 2015. But, in this case, it’s just dull, dull, dull! Kvyat hit Vettel twice forcing him to retire. Find out more about the team and our partners. For sponsorship purposes, these engines were rebadged as "TAG Heuer". [90] Following a series of controversial penalties at the British and Hungarian Grands Prix and extended debate over the application of the rules, however, the FIA relaxed the restrictions on radio-communication which were introduced at the start of the season; starting with the German Grand Prix, applying them to the formation lap only. [112] Following the widespread criticism of the new qualifying format, the teams voted to abandon it and revert to the system used in 2015. Despite the acquisition and the retirement of team founder Peter Sauber, the team continued to use the Sauber identity. [75], Cars were required to be designed with a separate wastegate for exhaust gases to pass through in a bid to increase the noise of the cars following criticism since the introduction of the 2014 generation of engines. Free and simple registration required to view this content, © 2003-2021 Formula One World Championship Limited. Well, I’ll go as far as saying it’s one of the worst liveries ever! Sauber Ferrari; Toro Rosso Ferrari; Williams Mercedes; 2016 Constructor Standings: Sauber Ferrari Grand Prix Date PTS; Australia: 20 Mar 2016: 0: Bahrain: 03 Apr 2016: 0: China: 17 Apr 2016: 0: Russia: ... F1® Corporate Site; Refer a Friend North America; Refer a Friend Europe; Become an Affiliate [151] Ricciardo made late efforts to catch Rosberg from 27 seconds behind, but could not quite catch him, finishing 0.6 seconds behind at the chequered flag. 2018: Alfa Romeo Sauber F1 Team Sauber C37: Ferrari 1.6 V6 Turbo P: 21 – – – In July 2016 Longbow Finance, a Swiss investment company, bought Sauber Motorsport gaining complete ownership. [62], The following twenty-one Grands Prix took place in 2016. While the initial plans would have given manufacturers fifteen tokens for the season, the number was raised to thirty-two, the same number as 2014, in order to allow struggling manufacturers such as Renault and Honda to improve their development. However, the event was discontinued in 2014, and was omitted from the calendar for the third consecutive season in 2016. First it was a hardy perennial midfield independent, then falling under the majority ownership of BMW before struggling to rebuild after the German manufacturer pulled out. In the event that two or more drivers or constructors achieved the same best result an equal number of times, their next-best result would be used, and so on. [102][103] The second four days of testing also saw the teams examine a proposed feature for driver head protection, dubbed the "halo". The three-period format first introduced in 2006 was retained, but with a progressive "knock-out" style of elimination. [81] Pirelli further changed their approach to tyre supply in 2016, bringing three dry compounds to races instead of two. The following teams and drivers took part in the 2016 Formula One World Championship. Nico Rosberg won his only World Drivers' Championship title in the final race of the season. Sergio Pérez Mendoza (Spanish: [ˈseɾxjo ˈpeɾes] (); born 26 January 1990), nicknamed "Checo", is a Mexican racing driver who races in Formula One for Red Bull Racing, having previously driven for Sauber, McLaren, Force India and Racing Point.He won his first Formula One Grand Prix at the 2020 Sakhir Grand Prix, breaking the record for the number of starts before a race win at 190. [109] Due to the huge amount of debris caused by the accident the race was red flagged, with the cars subsequently lining up in the pitlane. [161], Going into the final round at Abu Dhabi, Rosberg led Hamilton by twelve points. [142] However, Hamilton remained pessimistic about his position as championship leader, as with nine races left in the season, he was anticipating grid penalties for exceeding his engine allocation. Catacombs & Futebol - 2016 Monaco Grand Prix - Sauber F1 Team É do Brasil! [82][83] Pirelli assigns two "choice" compounds, and a third set (the softest available regardless of Pirelli's selection) are given to teams reaching Q3. It featured the 67th Formula One World Championship, a motor racing championship for Formula One cars which is recognised by the sport's governing body, the FIA, as the highest class of competition for open-wheel racing cars. [138], Following penalties for Rosberg and Button for unauthorised pit-to-car communications in the previous races, the FIA repealed all regulations for the next round in Germany. [3] The calendar similarly expanded, with the return of the German Grand Prix. [108] On lap 16, whilst attempting to overtake Esteban Gutiérrez in the new Haas F1 car at turn three, Fernando Alonso crashed at high speed into the outside barrier before barrel-rolling and landing upside-down against the barrier. 2016: Sauber F1 Team C35: Ferrari 061 1.6 V6 t: P: AUS: BHR: CHN: RUS: ESP: MON: … [89], The stewards' powers to monitor pit-to-car communications were broadened for the 2016 season, with race control able to monitor the radio feeds for each driver in real time and consult with engineering advisors to further monitor the content in a bid to crack down on driver coaching and the use of coded messages. [132] Hamilton reduced the deficit to Rosberg to a single point at the next round in Great Britain, where difficult conditions saw the drivers contend with a drying circuit and varying grip levels. Red Bull Racing decided to pit Daniel Ricciardo from second to prevent coming under threat from Hamilton. The driver line-ups saw a couple of changes prior to the 2016 season and three more while the season was underway. [45] Despite originally having signed a contract with Lotus for 2016,[46] Pastor Maldonado announced he would not be driving for Renault after his sponsors were unable to fulfil their contractual obligations to the team. For the video game based on the 2016 Formula One season, see. [79], Tyre supplier Pirelli introduced a fifth dry tyre compound known as "ultrasoft",[80] with the manufacturer stating that they would only be available on street circuits. [148] Hamilton dropped as low as fifth at the start, recovering to fourth in the opening laps and got ahead of the Ferraris of Vettel and Räikkönen by making one pit-stop less. [148] Vettel went on to finish third—his first podium finish in five races—with Räikkönen fourth as the team introduced upgrades to the type 061 power unit in the hopes of recovering second place in the World Constructors' Championship from Red Bull. [129] Valtteri Bottas finished third, his first podium of the season. † – Drivers did not finish the Grand Prix, but were classified as they completed more than 90% of the race distance. The Sauber C36 is a Formula One racing car designed and constructed by Sauber to compete during the 2017 FIA Formula One World Championship. [118], At the next Grand Prix in China, the elimination style qualifying format was permanently dropped in favour of the previous format used between 2006 and 2015. [93] The changes were introduced following the controversy which surrounded Max Verstappen qualifying for a superlicence at the age of sixteen after a single season competing in European Formula 3. :-) Felipe Nasr followed the invitation to play at the World Stars Football Match which was held for the 24th time this year. [125] The start of the race saw Hamilton and Rosberg collide, handing the lead to Daniel Ricciardo. “We are convinced that Longbow Finance S.A. is the perfect partner to again make the team competitive and successful in Formula One.”. [53][54], After suffering broken ribs and a pneumothorax injury as a result of an accident during the Australian Grand Prix, Fernando Alonso was ruled out of the Bahrain Grand Prix as a precaution after medical exams. Nico Rosberg won his first World Drivers' Championship, shortly before announcing his retirement from the sport. This website uses cookies to ensure you get the best experience on our website. Peter Sauber added: “I am very happy that my courageous investment to buy the team back, which I made six years ago, with the intention to secure the base in Hinwil and the place in Formula One has proved to be correct.”. [107] Sebastian Vettel and Ferrari finished on the last remaining step of the podium. [76] The procedure for issuing gearbox penalties was amended as well, so that penalties were applied in the order that they were awarded, bringing the system in line with the wider grid penalty system. [34], Marussia applied for their team name to be changed to Manor Racing, a request granted in January 2016. With nine wins and seven other podiums, Rosberg beat teammate and defending World Champion Lewis Hamilton by five points. [109] Gutiérrez ended up in the gravel trap with terminal rear tyre damage, and quickly went over to Alonso who managed to exit his cockpit unaided. [43], After having taken over the Lotus team, Renault introduced a new driver-line up. [79], The stewards were given greater powers in enforcing track limits, with drivers required to stay between the white lines marking the edges of the circuit, except in cases of driver error. Sauber has confirmed Felipe Nasr and Marcus Ericsson will again drive for the Formula 1 team in 2016. [25] Renault returned to Formula One as a full factory-supported team after they purchased Lotus from Genii Capital,[26] the venture capital firm they had originally sold the same team to in 2010, and supplied engines to up until the end of 2014. Romain Grosjean left Lotus at the end of the 2015 season. [1] In 2006, Formula One Management had signed a seven-year contract to run the Korean Grand Prix at the Korea International Circuit beginning in 2010. [73] From the Monaco race weekend onwards, the FIA allowed drivers to choose alternative helmet designs for one race weekend per season,[74] a practice previously prohibited as drivers were required to wear the same design to make them more recognisable to spectators and television audiences. [164] Hamilton went on to win the race, while Rosberg secured his maiden Drivers' Championship title with second place. [163] In the closing laps of the race, he slowed down in attempt to allow other drivers to catch and pass Rosberg, despite repeated instructions from Mercedes not to risk losing the race to Sebastian Vettel, who used pit strategy to bring himself into contention and was quickly catching up. [128] Hamilton then went on to win the Canadian Grand Prix despite losing the lead to Sebastian Vettel at the start, reclaiming the position with a one-stop strategy while Vettel and Ferrari committed to two stops. One of my favourite F1 liveries is the Williams from 1991/92/93, which was mostly blue, white and yellow. Gutiérrez returned to competition after spending a season as Ferrari's test and reserve driver. Sauber F1 cars. [139] The race saw Jenson Button fall afoul of new restrictions on pit-to-car communications that demanded that any car with an issue serious enough to require the intervention of the team be pitted or retired. The 2016 FIA Formula One World Championship was the 70th season of the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA)'s Formula One motor racing. [76], The usage of the Virtual Safety Car system was expanded to practice sessions as well to avoid the unnecessary use of red flags and session stoppages. It was a turbulent time that led to th… [61] His race seat was filled by 2015 GP3 Series champion and Renault test driver Esteban Ocon, who made his Formula One debut with MRT at the Belgian Grand Prix. [144] He took advantage of first-lap contact between Vettel, Räikkönen and Verstappen to work his way through the field before a heavy accident involving Kevin Magnussen at Eau Rouge forced the race to be temporarily stopped. They lie 11th in the constructors’ standings, having so far failed to score a point in 2016. Daniil Kvyat and Max Verstappen traded places ahead of the Spanish Grand Prix, with Verstappen promoted to Red Bull Racing and Kvyat returning to Scuderia Toro Rosso. The 1.5-litre turbocharged engines were phased out in favour of naturally aspirated 3.5-litre engines. [126] The race also saw the youngest race winner as Max Verstappen won the Grand Prix, defending against Kimi Räikkönen after Red Bull committed Ricciardo to an additional pit stop. [31] Meanwhile, Scuderia Toro Rosso returned to using Ferrari power units, as they had done prior to the start of 2014, after Renault announced that they would no longer supply customer engines. [142] Rosberg's race was further complicated by a time penalty for an aggressive pass on Verstappen that forced the Red Bull driver wide. The colour combo (blue/yellow/white) isn’t bad at all. [50] Will Stevens and Roberto Merhi—who drove for the team when it competed as Marussia—were not retained by the team. [128] Ricciardo finished second ahead of Sergio Pérez. [138] Although race stewards confirmed that Rosberg had slowed, he nevertheless secured pole with his lap time. Several team changes took place before the season began. [124], Before the race in Spain, Daniil Kvyat and Max Verstappen swapped places with Kvyat going to Toro Rosso and Verstappen to Red Bull. 2016: Sauber F1 Team Sauber C35: Ferrari 1.6 V6 Turbo P: 21 – – – – – 2 10. Sauber will wait until the second winter test to introduce its 2016 Formula 1 car, Autosport understands, having adjusted plans due to the late change to the grand prix calendar A Sauber Motorsport AG é uma empresa suíça de engenharia automobilística.Foi fundada na década de 1970 (como PP Sauber AG) por Peter Sauber, que progrediu através de corrida de montanha e do Campeonato Mundial de Resistência até chegar à Fórmula 1 em 1993.Em 2019, após um acordo de patrocínio, a Sauber Motorsport AG renomeou sua equipe de Fórmula 1 para a Alfa Romeo Racing … [N 4], In the event of a tie, a count-back system was used as a tie-breaker, with a constructor's best result used to decide the standings. [84], The qualifying process was heavily revised two weeks before the season began. [134] Rosberg prevailed, but suffered a critical fault with his gearbox late in the race. [132] The two made contact as Hamilton tried to pass Rosberg on the final lap; Hamilton won the race, while Rosberg broke his front wing and finished fourth behind Verstappen and Räikkönen. This decision also allowed further development on parts that were initially planned to be closed off, including the upper and lower crankcase, valve drive, crankshaft, air-valve system and ancillaries drive. [143], With Mercedes opting to take a series of grid penalties to build up a stockpile of components, Hamilton was forced to start the next race in Belgium from the back of the grid. [40] He signed with the newly formed Haas F1 Team for 2016,[41][42] where he was joined by former Sauber driver Esteban Gutiérrez. The deal means Sauber remain under Swiss ownership, with Pascal Picci, President and CEO of Longbow Finance S.A., taking over from Peter Sauber as team Chairman. The standings are sorted by best result, rows are not related to the drivers. [76] Any driver who caused the start of a race to be aborted would have been required to start the race from pit lane at the restart. [162] Hamilton secured pole ahead of Rosberg and led from the start. [108] Teammate Kimi Räikkönen retired with a suspected turbo failure on lap 21. [67] The circuit had previously hosted the race in 2014 as part of their agreement with the Nürburgring to alternate between venues, with the Hockenheimring hosting the race every even-numbered year. [N 4], "F1 2016" redirects here. [130], Hamilton took pole position at the next round in Austria while Rosberg started sixth after a grid penalty. Teams and drivers took part in twenty-one Grands Prix—making for the longest season in the sport's history—starting in Australia on 20 March and finishing in Abu Dhabi on 27 November as they competed for the World Drivers' and World Constructors' championships. 2015: Sauber F1 Team Sauber C34: Ferrari 1.6 V6 Turbo P: 19 – – – – – 36 8. They lie 11th in the constructors’ standings, … 2017: Sauber F1 Team Sauber C36: Ferrari 1.6 V6 Turbo P: 20 – – – – – 5 10. He signed with the newly formed Haas F1 Team for 2016, where he was joined by former Sauber driver Esteban Gutiérrez.Gutiérrez returned to competition after spending a season as Ferrari's test and reserve driver. [38], Sauber underwent a change in ownership in the week prior to the Hungarian Grand Prix, with the team being purchased by Longbow Finance. [59] Rio Haryanto lost his race seat after the German Grand Prix, when his sponsors were unable to meet their financial obligations to the team. [151] Rosberg decided to stay out because his lead over Ricciardo was not large enough to pit and stay ahead, but was able to hold on to first place to take the win. [96] The first pre-season team test was held a month later at the Circuit de Catalunya. [104], The season started with the Australian Grand Prix, and featured the newly introduced elimination-style qualifying format. Massive demand for engine suppliers and a constant influx of new teams saw car manufacturers like Subaru, Porsche and Lamborghini enter Formula One as engine suppliers and sometimes buying out existing teams. The car was driven by Marcus Ericsson and Pascal Wehrlein, who joined the team after Felipe Nasr left the team at the end of the 2016 season. [58] Red Bull explained the decision to swap their drivers as being made to relieve pressure on Kvyat following criticism for his role in a first-lap accident in the Russian Grand Prix, and to ease ongoing tension between Verstappen and teammate Carlos Sainz Jr. at Toro Rosso. [116] The Ferrari of Sebastian Vettel and the Renault of Jolyon Palmer retired before the race started with engine and hydraulics failures, respectively. [111], At the next race in Bahrain, Alonso was ruled out of taking part on medical grounds and was later revealed to have suffered broken ribs and a pneumothorax as a result of the previous race's collision, and was replaced by rookie Stoffel Vandoorne. Sauber hopes to introduce its first updates of the 2016 Formula 1 season by bringing new front and rear wings to one of the next three grands prix The race was moved from its previous home in Valencia to a brand-new street circuit in Baku, the capital of Azerbaijan. [133] A stewards' inquiry found that Rosberg had caused an avoidable collision, and handed him a ten-second penalty, though the race result was not affected. Sauber F1 Team Sauber C33: Ferrari 1.6 V6 Turbo P: 19 – – – – – 0 10. [159] Treacherous weather conditions saw the Brazilian Grand Prix subject to several race stoppages—most notably after Kimi Räikkönen crashed on the main straight—but when racing resumed, Mercedes took another 1–2 finish. In doing so, Rosberg followed the success of his father in 1982 and became the second son of a champion to become champion himself, a feat previously achieved by Damon Hill in 1996. [23][24] Dallara had last participated in Formula One as the chassis manufacturer for HRT in 2010. However, they have challengers in newcomers Haas and in Toro Rosso (the latter with old power units) as to who will be top Ferrari customer come November. [63][64][65][66] The German Grand Prix returned to the calendar as well, taking place at the Hockenheimring. [141] Hamilton further consolidated his championship lead, beating Rosberg off the line at the start; for his part, Rosberg was caught by the Red Bulls of Daniel Ricciardo and Max Verstappen and was unable to pass them. The compounds are made public two weeks before each event. [127] Helped by the race starting behind the safety car he held the lead for 33 laps, but was unable to convert it to a win after his team made a costly error during his pit-stop. [145] When the race resumed, Nico Rosberg led the race until the chequered flag, while Hamilton ultimately finished third after being unable to catch Daniel Ricciardo. [140] Button reported a brake issue—which was later revealed to be a faulty sensor—and was penalised for unauthorised assistance. Haas F1 Team, a team formed by NASCAR Sprint Cup Series team owner Gene Haas, joined the Formula One grid, becoming the first American team to compete since the unrelated Haas Lola team competed in 1986. The … In case of tie on points, a certain position is achieved determines the outcome. Also the Ferrari gearbox, which the team continued to use, came in a tighter package, enabling a more aerodynamic rear end of the bodywork. [156], With the championship leaving Asia for the Americas, Hamilton gradually started to erode Rosberg's championship lead. [165], Five days after winning the title, Rosberg announced his immediate retirement from the sport at the FIA Prize Giving Ceremony in Vienna. Jolyon Palmer, the 2014 GP2 Series champion, made his race debut in Melbourne. Formula One sponsorship liveries have been used since the late 1960s, replacing national colours. Featured Columnist February 16, 2016 Comments. The Sauber F1 2016 car will also be running Ferrari’s new innovative power unit, which could prove to be handy. [129] Rosberg won the returning European Grand Prix with his second grand slam of the season and of his career, ahead of Sebastian Vettel and Sergio Pérez, while Hamilton finished fifth after struggling with a software issue that limited his engine's ability to harvest energy. [94][95] The new points system was retroactively applied, with all results for all eligible drivers automatically qualifying for superlicence points. [2] Renault returned to the sport as a constructor after a four-year absence following their takeover of Lotus prior to the start of the season. In this series I'll show you the difference between each car of 2017 and 2016. [126], At the next round in Monaco, Ricciardo took the first pole position of his career. [155] Meanwhile, Hamilton suffered a poor start, slipping from second on the grid to eighth by the end of the first lap. A Sauber Motorsport AG, vagy egyszerűen Sauber egy svájci sport szervezet, amelyet a svájci Peter Sauber alapított 1970-ben.Kezdetben sportautóversenyeken vettek részt, és 1993-tól 2018-ig szerepeltek a Forma-1-ben. [158] The final amended results saw Ricciardo finish third, ahead of Verstappen and Vettel. Founded in 1970 by Peter Sauber, the team entered F1 in 1993, and experienced a moderate amount of success (but no wins) before being sold to BMW after the 2005 season and being renamed BMW Sauber for 2006, winning a race in 2008.After 2009, BMW decided to end its involvement in the sport, and sold the team back to Peter Sauber. The former was paired up with the Japanese Grand Prix in October, reverting to the time of year it was held in 1999–2000,[1] while the latter was brought forward from its October date to May, becoming the fourth round of the season. [131] The two drivers followed opposing strategies to be first and second after the pit stops, with Hamilton on the preferred racing tyre gradually catching Rosberg. [134], Lewis Hamilton took the championship lead from Nico Rosberg at the next round in Hungary, leading another Mercedes 1–2 finish to gain a six-point lead in the Drivers' Championship standings. This is the official F1 Site of Alfa Romeo Racing. [146] Further down the order, Verstappen was subject to increasing criticism over his driving tactics after being caught in several incidents with Räikkönen and Sergio Pérez, while Esteban Ocon finished sixteenth on debut for MRT. Ferrari finished third overall, a further seventy points behind.[4]. Felipe Nasr – Sauber (-5 from 2015) Times were hard at Sauber through much of 2016, with financial issues limiting any real progress in the early part of the year. [10][32] The team used the type 060 power unit used by Ferrari teams in 2015[33] after Ferrari received approval from the World Motor Sport Council to supply year-old engines. Antonio Giovinazzi drove the car in Wehrlein's place after a pre-season injury saw Wehrlein withdraw from the … The F1 W07 Hybrid - the car with which Mercedes will defend their drivers' and constructors' championship double in 2016 - features a number of 'mini revolutions' over its all-conquering predecessor, according to the Silver Arrows. [37] The team underwent a management reshuffle following the resignation of team principal John Booth and sporting director Graeme Lowdon. Teams competed with tyres supplied by Pirelli. World Constructors' Championship standings. [154], Rosberg further extended his championship lead to thirty-three points in Japan, starting the race from pole and winning it. Monisha Kaltenborn, who is to continue as team principal and CEO, commented: “We are very pleased that by reaching an agreement with Longbow Finance S.A., we can secure the future of Sauber at the pinnacle of motorsport. [155] The result secured Mercedes's third consecutive World Constructors' Championship title. [152], Mercedes's streak of ten consecutive wins came to an end in Malaysia. [97] Ferrari ended the two tests with the best time set overall on the newly introduced ultra-soft tyres, while Mercedes covered the most distance in testing, almost 5,000 km (3,100 mi). [11] A pre-season tyre test was held at Circuit Paul Ricard in France in January, conducted by Pirelli to evaluate their wet weather tyres.