BARCELONA: Three-time Formula One world champion Lewis Hamilton continued his ominous form on day two of pre-season testing as he set the fastest time and most laps in the new Mercedes W08 on Tuesday morning.
Hamilton bettered his best time from Monday in 1min 20.983sec to set the fastest time at the Circuit de Catalunya since 2013.
Radical new rules for the 2017 season mean F1 cars are wider and more powerful than their predecessors.
Hamilton will give way to new teammate Valtteri Bottas for the afternoon session.
Kimi Raikkonen was second fastest but nearly two seconds off Hamilton’s time in his first outing in the Ferrari SF70.
Frenchman Esteban Ocon was third fastest for Force India.
Meantime, Formula One team Sauber has named Tatiana Calderon of Colombia as a development driver.
The 23-year-old Calderon started racing karts when she was 9 and competed in the GP3 series last season.
Sauber says she will continue to compete in GP3 in addition to acting as a development driver for the F1 team. Team principal Monisha Kaltenborn says: “We have the opportunities and facilities to provide Tatiana a professional platform on which she can further develop her knowledge and skills in racing.”
Sauber’s race drivers this season are Marcus Ericsson and Pascal Wehrlein.
Antonio Giovinazzi, however, is substituting for Wehrlein as he recovers from a back injury during this week’s preseason testing near Barcelona.
Hamilton goes even faster in new Mercedes
Hamilton goes even faster in new Mercedes
Dubai Basketball produce dramatic comeback win over Real Madrid
- The 93-85 victory at Coca-Cola Arena secured back-to-back EuroLeague home wins in the span of 48 hours
DUBAI: Dubai Basketball delivered another unforgettable night at Coca-Cola Arena, defeating Real Madrid 93-85 to secure back-to-back EuroLeague home wins in the span of 48 hours.
In front of a fired-up 7,000-strong home crowd, Dubai once again turned the arena into one of the most difficult venues in the competition, overpowering one of the most decorated teams in European basketball through sheer energy.
The night did not start easily for the home side. Real Madrid imposed themselves early, opening up a lead and testing Dubai’s resilience. But as the game wore on, the atmosphere inside Coca-Cola Arena began to shift. Defensive stops sparked momentum, the crowd found its voice, and Dubai surged back into the contest with renewed intensity.
Dubai flipped the game late in the third quarter, igniting the arena with a relentless run that changed the tone of the night. From there, the home side never looked back. Defensive pressure, composed execution and confidence on both ends allowed Dubai to close out the game in style, holding Real Madrid scoreless from the field for long stretches of the final quarter.
Dubai’s first signing of the new season, Dzanan Musa, led the charge against his former club with a standout performance, while McKinley Wright, Filip Petrusev and Dwayne Bacon delivered key moments at crucial stages. Dubai’s latest signing, Bruno Caboclo, made an impact on both ends, which lifted the team during the comeback, and Aleksa Avramovic controlled the tempo as Dubai powered to another statement win.
Head Coach Jurica Golemac praised both the team’s mentality and the role of the home crowd, saying, “It was an extremely tense game. The last 15 minutes, we found our rhythm and the fans gave us this extra push. Against one of the best teams in the EuroLeague, to finish like this shows our character. We believe we can beat anybody.”
The victory marks another milestone in Dubai Basketball’s debut EuroLeague season, reinforcing Coca-Cola Arena’s growing reputation as one of the toughest home courts in the league.
As the season enters its decisive phase, belief continues to build — on the court, in the stands, and across the city — with Dubai Basketball firmly in the fight for the post-regular season phase.
