12/07/2016
NEWS STORY
The second in-season test of 2016 gets underway at Silverstone today.
With Sauber opting to miss the test, citing "cost effectiveness", the ten remaining teams are in action.
However, the rules which limit full race drivers in favour of upcoming talent mean that only four F1 'regulars' are on duty today and another four tomorrow.
Mercedes will have Esteban Ocon and Pascal Wehrlein at its disposal however, while the Frenchman will assume regular testing duties in the F1 W07, Wehrlein will be at the wheel of the 2014 W05 fitted with 2017 development prototype tyres - in terms of construction and compound - but in current 2016 dimensions.
A number of different types of tyre are scheduled to be tested with Wehrlein today, trying out various potential concepts for 2017, with a similar schedule planned tomorrow. This will be a 'blind' test, so the team and driver will not know exactly what it is they are testing.
Elsewhere, each team has made individual tyre choices in accordance with the development programmes they wish to carry out, within their testing allocation.
The medium and soft tyres have been mostly chosen in order of preference, with a few teams selecting the hard as well.
It is unlikely the supersoft and ultrasoft will be seen as they are not especially suited to this track. In total (excepting the 2017 prototypes) the teams present at Silverstone have nominated 312 sets and 1248 tyres for the two days.
Ferrari gives Charles Leclerc his second outing in five days, the Monegasque youngster, currently leading the GP3 championship, having run in FP1 with Haas last Friday. Tomorrow, Kimi Raikkonen takes over.
Williams, which like Ferrari had a Silverstone weekend to forget, has Alex Lynn on duty today, the Briton handing over to Valtteri Bottas tomorrow.
Pierre Gasly, who scored his maiden GP2 win on Saturday is in action on both days of the test for Red Bull, the Frenchman currently third in the (GP2) standings, is looked on as a possible replacement should Helmut Marko opt to make changes at Toro Rosso.
Nikita Mazepin is one of several drivers making their F1 debut over the course of the test, the Russian scheduled to drive both days for Force India.
With test and reserve driver Esteban Ocon back at his spiritual home (Mercedes), Renault will have Sergey Sirotkin on duty today and Jolyon Palmer tomorrow.
Fresh from his eighth-place finish at the weekend, his second successive finish in that position, Carlos Sainz is back in the Toro Rosso cockpit today before handing over to Brazilian, Sergio Sette Camara, another youngster making his F1 debut.
Fernando Alonso gets things underway for McLaren before handing over to possible 2017 teammate Stoffel Vandoorne.
Whilst Rio Haryanto drivees the Manor today, tomorrow Jordan King, winner of Sunday's GP2 sprint race here, gets his opportunity to shine, the Briton looking for a 2017 seat.
Finally, Hass sees another rookie debut as American Santino Ferrucci gets both days in the VF-16. The youngster, from Woodbury, Connecticut, is currently 14th in the GP3 championship.
Check out our Tuesday gallery, here.