Mobil 1™ MEGA Racing has successfully completed their first test day of 2019 at Phillip Island yesterday, with the Team drawing a number of positives from the day.

It was the first time both Mobil 1 MEGA Racing machines were on track for 2019, with eight hours of running completed in the first of the three permitted test days of the year.

Overcast conditions greeted the team when pit exit was declared open at 9am, with the majority of fast times being set in the first hour.

Both cars had an extensive testing programme to work through, as the engineers put into place what they had been evaluating over the summer break, as well as working with, and gaining a greater understanding of the new Supercars regulations.

New for this year is the requirement to run linear springs on dampers, with twin spring being banned for 2019, as well as an all-new Electronic Control System (ECU) for the engine which was run across the field for the first time.

James Courtney and Scott Pye did the bulk of the laps in their respective cars, but in another positive for the team, Jack Perkins and Warren Luff were able to get some solid seat time in throughout the day, all the more important now that Bathurst is the first endurance race of the season come October.

Tyre bank, and the availability of good condition tyres proved to be a challenge, but both cars were locked into the top six for 95 per cent of the day, as the Team continued to work through its programme.

While the day is much more important than a single lap time, in the final 10 minutes some cars were able to put new tyres on for a one lap flyer.

James Courtney was one of those, but had to abort the lap due to a huge amount of dirt pushed onto the track in front of him, finishing with the ninth fastest time.

Scott Pye didn’t head out on new tyres, with his time set earlier in the day the sixth fastest time.

Overall, it was a really positive day on both sides of the garage, as the Team continued the development process, and gained further positive direction with both cars.

Now we head to Adelaide in just over a week to tackle the first event of the year and start our 2019 season off on the right foot.

Mathew Nilsson - Co-Team Principal, Mobil 1™ MEGA Racing

“Overall yesterday was a positive day.

“Going in, we had an extensive programme to work through, and we achieved a lot.

“Everyone has been working so hard over the summer break, so we had a lot of elements to evaluate throughout the day. Our team did a fantastic job getting through what we needed to look at.

“The driver feedback was positive, and it was great to have Jack and Warren in the car to turn some laps as well.

“There is a real positive energy around the place at the moment which is great to see. Our focus is solely on continue to get our cars back where they belong.

“As a team, we are really looking forward to getting to Adelaide and kickstarting our season.”