The final 2018 F1 in-season test will take place at Hungaroring over the next two days before the teams officially bid goodbye for the summer break.
The test not only gives a chance for the teams to check what went wrong during the first half of the 2018 season, but crucially it allows then to run some new parts which they want to co-relate it with on-track performance before introducing them.
Some of the parts brought is for the second half, while a lot are for the 2019 season ahead. Since they have only handful of tests to run those, it becomes a crucial learning process, much like the pre-season Barcelona tests.
In fact, Hungary is the last test this season with the next one scheduled after the end of the 2018 season at Yas Marina Circuit in Abu Dhabi. As per the rule, the teams get to field young drivers across the testing days in Barcelona and Hungary.
And so the Hungary test will see the likes of Lando Norris, Jake Dennis, Nikita Mazepin, Antonio Giovinazzi, Nicholas Latifi and George Russell in action among the young drivers alongside their F1 peers.
All nine teams will take the track across the two days even Force India apart from Haas F1 Team. The American outfit pulled out of the testing as it felt it had nothing new to run and instead will choose to analyse and prepare within the factory boundaries.
Along with the teams, even Pirelli will have the Toro Rosso car for them to run the 2019 compounds as they prepare for the new season.
Testing line-up – Day 1, July 31 and Day 2, August 1:
Mercedes: George Russell (both days)
Ferrari: Antonio Giovinazzi (Day 1) and Kimi Raikkonen (Day 2)
Red Bull Racing: Daniel Ricciardo (Day 1) and Jake Dennis (Day 2)
Renault: Nico Hulkenberg (Day 1), Artem Markelov (Day 2)
Force India: Nicholas Latifi (Day 1) and Nikita Mazepin (Day 2)
McLaren: Lando Norris (both days)
Toro Rosso: Brendon Hartley (Day 1 & Day 2 AM) and Pierre Gasly (Day 2 PM)
Sauber: Marcus Ericsson (Day 1) and Antonio Giovinazzi (Day 2)
Williams: Oliver Rowland (Day 1) and Robert Kubica (Day 2)
