Which racing stable will be in pole position at the end of this week at the start of the new Formula 1 season? Red Bull, Ferrari and Mercedes also shrugged off the favorites role after the three days of testing in Bahrain, one more convincing than the other. 5 lessons after the last practice rounds for the real thing.
1. Mercedes sows doubt
Faced with thunder, Lewis Hamilton stepped into the press room on Saturday after his final practice session in Bahrain. The seven-time world champion complained about Mercedes’ F1 car, which would be difficult to drive.
However, Mercedes had still firmly surprised its competitors at the start of the test days in Bahrain. The silver arrows attracted all the attention with very slim sidepods, a radical update compared to the testing days in Barcelona.
The sidepods are the air scoops that provide cooling for the engine. It is a challenge for the engineers to limit the air resistance of the sidepods as much as possible, without compromising the engine cooling.
“It’s innovative what they’ve done. It’s very different from what we and the others have,” Red Bull team principal Christian Horner admitted. “But whether it is also a winning concept, time will tell.”
After three days Lewis Hamilton knew enough. “At the moment I don’t think we will fight for the win,” the Briton grumbled. “I think everyone can see that we are not the fastest at the moment.”
But did Lewis Hamilton also have a reason to complain? With 384 laps in the desert, Mercedes was the most productive team in Bahrain, without encountering major technical problems.
Yet it is striking that Hamilton – with 103 pole positions one of the best drivers ever to clock a fast lap – is not even in the top 10 of fastest laps in Bahrain. His teammate George Russell had to settle for the 5th fastest time.
The Mercedes W13 also seemed to bounce up and down on the long straights. The problem of porpoising, where the downforce disappears and the car shoots up, has not yet been solved.
“We are aware that there is still a lot of work to be done. Challenges that we will not solve in a week,” concluded Hamilton. Although that is always to be taken with a grain of salt at Mercedes.
Last season, Red Bull made a strong impression in Bahrain, while Mercedes struggled with balance problems. But the first win of the season went to… Lewis Hamilton.
2. Red Bull and Verstappen make statement
Max Verstappen did not allow himself to be thrown in the eye. The world champion has heard the story that “Mercedes is not a favourite”.
“If they do win the first race, they will say, ‘We turned it around completely in a week. I have to thank the team and the engineers,” Verstappen imitated his British rival.
The Dutchman made much less effort to play hide and seek in Bahrain. Red Bull completed the test days without any problems and even came up with a thorough upgrade of its RB 18 on the final day.
A solid improvement, Verstappen seemed to want to emphasize on the final day. With the soft tires mounted on his car he improved the fastest time of the test days twice.
The cheers of the mechanics and the broad smile on the face of Helmut Marko, advisor at Red Bull, spoke volumes.
Afterwards, Verstappen went one step further by stating that he had not even given “everything”. “But no one has driven full throttle,” he added.
So on Saturday we will only really have an answer after the qualifications.
3. Ferrari can’t hide
Will we have a battle between Verstappen and Hamilton, just like last year? No, it sounded almost unanimous in the pit lane in Bahrain. There seems to be a third dog – or rather, a prancing stallion – at play.
Ferrari already made an excellent impression in Barcelona and confirmation followed in Bahrain: the Italians did a great job in Maranello in the winter. Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz consistently clocked fast laps.
With a brand new engine under the hood, the red cars raced around the Bahrain International Circuit. Verstappen and Hamilton also had to admit that Ferrari has clearly taken a step forward.
The Scuderia is one of the most successful teams in F1 history, but has been waiting for a new world title since 2008. Is 2022 their year? Sainz and Leclerc immediately waved off that pressure. “We don’t have that much confidence yet. I really don’t know where everyone stands yet,” Sainz said.
But for the other F1 drivers it is clear where Ferrari stands: among the top teams.
4. The Resurrection of Haas
McLaren struggled with technical problems in Bahrain, Alfa Romeo had made clear progress compared to Barcelona and AlphaTauri and Aston Martin also made a good impression.
But no one really seemed to care about Haas, last season’s kid. The American racing stable had therefore started the season with great difficulty. Due to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, it lost its main sponsor Uralkali and set aside Nikita Mazepin.
To make matters worse, cargo to Bahrain had been delayed, leaving them jobless in the morning on the first day of testing. Bad luck seemed to continue to haunt Haas.
But there was also good news: first it brought Kevin Magnussen back to the old nest. In addition, Haas was allowed to make up for his lost morning on Friday and Saturday.
And Haas grabbed that opportunity with both hands: Magnussen set the fastest time on Friday and Mick Schumacher had to tolerate only Verstappen on the final day. The German, who completed 85 laps, was barely 5 tenths slower.
Admittedly, Haas was allowed to take the extra rounds in cooler and more favorable conditions, but it still looks a lot more combative than in 2021.
5. The F1 drivers mainly want to race
The FIA introduced the new rules mainly to get more exciting races again, where it should be possible to drive close to each other again. In Barcelona there were already encouraging signs that the FIA has succeeded in its aim and this was confirmed in Bahrain.
“You still lose downforce when you drive behind another car, but it has become more predictable,” said Verstappen. “You used to lose grip, now you can control the car better.”
And several drivers have also tested this in Bahrain. Verstappen and Sainz already fought a duel and Alonso and Stroll also brought some action to the track. That promises for next weekend.
