These are the last construction sites of the Formula 1 teams
The Formula 1 tests in Barcelona and Bahrain are history. Next weekend is the start of the season in the premier class. There is currently no clear favorite as all ten teams are still working on different construction sites. An overview:
Williams
The FW44 provided spectacular images in Bahrain. Not because of the lap times, here Williams was at the bottom of the field with Nicholas Latifis and Alex Albons 1:35 times. But rather because the car suddenly caught fire on day two and even a tire exploded. Team boss Jost Capito later dismissed it. It was just “a small mistake” that has nothing to do with the design of the car. However, performance should be a concern.
Alfa Romeo
After numerous technical defects and hardly collected kilometers in the first test, Alfa Romeo was not spared minor difficulties in Bahrain either. New driver Valtteri Bottas was happy that a step forward was taken in terms of performance. But: “My biggest concern at the moment is to drive a complete race distance,” explained the Finn with reference to the failures.
McLaren
Good times in Barcelona, several problems in Bahrain: Daniel Ricciardo was unable to test due to a corona infection, so Lando Norris had to collect kilometers on his own. The MCL36 struggled with braking problems because of the heat. Racing simulations were hardly possible. “The test definitely didn’t go according to plan,” explained team manager Andreas Seidl. There should be more upgrades before the start of the season.
Alpine
Solid, that’s how you could describe Alpine’s test days in Bahrain. Esteban Ocon and Fernando Alonso diligently completed lap after lap and were able to complete all programs. The latter even moved up to 4th place in the best times on Saturday with a 1:32:698. Later, the Spaniard mainly criticized the lack of grip of the A522. In the week before the start of the season there could also be updates with new parts.
Mercedes
There was little to see of the “monstrous” performance that the W13 is said to have achieved in the simulator with the new aero update that was used in Bahrain, according to “Corriere dello Sport”. At least: The porpoising could be reduced, chassis and engine showed reliability. But the speed is still missing. Lewis Hamilton believes that Mercedes will not be fighting for victories just yet.
AlphaTauri
After smooth tests in Barcelona, Bahrain hardly caused any problems for the AT03 of Yuki Tsunoda and Pierre Gasly. The Frenchman even set the fastest time on the first day. Overall, the two drivers placed themselves in the midfield. In the conclusion, Gasly complained about “problems with the balance”, but was confident. AlphaTauri seems well prepared.
Aston-Martin
Things didn’t go according to plan for the British racing team in either Spain or Bahrain. Rear midfield times suggest the AMR22 isn’t where the Brits would like it to be. Sebastian Vettel increasingly complained about the behavior in slow corners. There is also a big question mark over the performance of the German.
haas
Title sponsor Uralkali gone, regular driver Nikita Mazepin gone, delayed entry into Bahrain due to freight problems, but Haas should still be in a good mood. Because Mick Schumacher secured the second best time on the last day of testing and the “old” newcomer, Kevin Magnussen, also impressed with the best time the day before. It is still unclear whether minor defects that plagued Haas could be eliminated in the long term.
Ferrari
The Scuderia came out of the two winter tests without any major problems. No team completed as many laps (788). The bouncing of the car was also quickly fixed. Carlos Sainz and Charles Leclerc impressed with their pace in both qualifying and long run mode. “We’re not the favourites,” but team boss Mattia Binotto quickly pushed the intended role away. Nevertheless: the F1-75 should only be about fine tuning.
red bull
Thanks to extensive upgrades with a view to balance, Red Bull have pushed themselves a little into the role of favorites in Bahrain. The understeer that caused problems in Barcelona has been eliminated, the RB18 convinces both in the long run and on fast laps, of which Max Verstappen secured the best (1:31.720). Porpoising is hardly an issue at RB anymore. However, the high weight of the RB18 continues to cause concern.