Sauber F1 Team stand-in driver Antonio Giovinazzi suffered a disappointing morning in Barcelona following a power unit issue, but was able to make the most of the afternoon session, completing a total of 67 laps.
Giovinazzi is currently taking Pascal Wehrlein’s place in the C36 as the German recovers from a back injury sustained last month at the Race of Champions in Miami.
The mechanics were able to change the engine in time for a pre-lunch installation lap before the Italian ran in the afternoon session without any further hiccups. He managed a personal best time of 1:24.617 min on soft tyres, securing ninth position on the time sheets, 3.657 seconds down on pacesetter Kimi Raikkonen.
“It was a positive day for me, despite the issues we had in the morning,” he said. “In the afternoon I was able to get up to speed running a good amount of laps.
“I want to thank the Sauber F1 Team again for this opportunity. Now I am looking forward to being back in the car tomorrow.”
Marcus Ericsson will return to the driving seat for the morning pre-season testing on day three before handing back over to Giovinazzi in the afternoon.
