What we didn’t learn from the F1 Bahrain pre-season test

Testing was held in uncommon situations, so will the outcomes be consultant? – Oleg Karpov

On Thursday night in Bahrain, just a few hours after Lando Norris’ spectacular long term, Andrea Stella was requested throughout his media briefing about whether or not McLaren will change its strategy to celebrating success this yr. Will it proceed to do staff photographs after podiums because it has accomplished prior to now, or will it solely do them after wins?

That McLaren will win races – and possibly quite a lot of them – is not even unsure after the Bahrain take a look at.

However Stella, being Stella, did not appear as satisfied because the media about McLaren’s type in relation to the competitors, citing the distinctive situations of this take a look at, with temperatures being extraordinarily low in comparison with what the groups normally face in Bahrain. And that, he steered, may very well be masking among the “conventional points” McLaren has confronted at this observe lately. Whereas we’re used to the McLaren boss enjoying down expectations, he is received a very good level. Any predictions concerning the pecking order at this stage are primarily based on three days of operating at one observe – and in circumstances that the groups will nearly actually not face once more this season, not even in Bahrain.

What the groups needed to cope with was a chilly observe, a really abrasive asphalt, and a structure that above all calls for good traction. Sure, McLaren actually regarded the strongest. And sure, it’s encouraging for the staff, which has beforehand struggled in Bahrain greater than at most different tracks on the calendar.

Nonetheless, we noticed final yr how the pecking order can fluctuate from one race to the subsequent, relying not solely on the structure itself but additionally on the smoothness of the tarmac, the temperature and even the depth and route of wind. So whereas a lot of the evaluation primarily based on what we noticed in Bahrain final week could also be spot on, it might not be relevant to what we’ll see in Melbourne, China and even Bahrain when F1 returns there in April.

Extra predictable, however testing points, so the place does Purple Bull actually stand? – Jake Boxall-Legge

“It may possibly’t be worse than final yr,” Max Verstappen said of his new RB21 chariot during pre-season testing. There was extra to it: he loved his first time with the automotive, which he famous was “a giant distinction” to 2024’s capricious RB20. But it surely’s not probably the most glowing evaluation: has his time working within the UK with Purple Bull added a brand new penchant for British understatement, or is it merely damning with faint reward?

We have probably not seen the total image from Purple Bull. Pre-season predictions swing from difficult McLaren from the get-go, to being nestled someplace within the battle with Ferrari and Mercedes – that being mentioned, we do not actually know the place Ferrari and Mercedes are both – whereas messaging can be blended from throughout the staff.

Max Verstappen, Purple Bull Racing

Photograph by: Sam Bagnall / Motorsport Pictures

Purple Bull’s adviser Helmut Marko acknowledged after the opening day that the RB21 is a way more predictable buyer, whereas retaining its delicate contact in utilizing the tyres, however points appeared to crop up as time elapsed within the Bahraini desert; a water strain difficulty enforced a pitlane lay-off on day two, and additional teething issues led technical director Pierre Wache to conclude it was “not as clean a take a look at as we anticipated”. The staff believes it could iron out the creases, but it surely does not fairly exude its traditional confidence heading into Melbourne.

Simply how prepared is Liam Lawson? – Ben Hunt

If there’s one phrase to sum up Liam Lawson’s pre-season F1 testing, it will in all probability be ‘underwhelming’ – however that’s not essentially a nasty factor. Sure, his tempo was missing in comparison with that of Purple Bull’s rivals, however the identical could be mentioned of his team-mate, Max Verstappen.

Purple Bull put this all the way down to plenty of elements however primarily that the day it determined to place Lawson within the automotive, it rained so it opted to modify its plan for high-speed runs to lengthy runs as an alternative to examine the automotive for common reliability over a race distance.

For Lawson’s half, he spoke about getting in control and his common consensus was that he was left feeling constructive heading into the primary race of the season. Purple Bull reported that whereas Lawson was not as fast as his team-mate, his suggestions not less than correlated with Verstappen’s they usually agree on the enhancements required with the automotive.

In the end, it’s too early to inform if the New Zealander is prepared, however as we all know too nicely, it’s all about constructing a relationship with Verstappen and protecting either side of the storage blissful.

The truth that Lawson is just not but placing Verstappen beneath strain, and that the 2 drivers are pushing in the identical route, bodes nicely for Lawson’s growth and may enable him the luxurious of some further time earlier than he finds his place within the staff beneath extra intense scrutiny.

How actual is Williams’ tempo in congested midfield battle? – Ronald Vording

On Friday night time, Williams was talked about as a constructive shock by many within the Bahrain paddock. Alex Albon and Carlos Sainz confirmed tempo over one lap, though everyone is aware of that lap instances don’t say a lot in winter testing. Gasoline hundreds and engine modes stay large unknowns, and subsequently the query stays: have been these glory runs to some extent or is Williams an actual contender for the title ‘better of the remainder’ behind the 4 prime groups?

Carlos Sainz, Williams

Photograph by: Zak Mauger / Motorsport Pictures

Extra necessary than flying laps are the lengthy runs. Williams ranked sixth in them with a median deficit of 0.80s per lap in comparison with McLaren. It’s promising and with 395 laps accomplished the take a look at has been productive as nicely. And nonetheless it stays tough to foretell if Williams can actually shock in 2025 or if it has merely proven a bit greater than a few of its rivals?

Precisely the alternative goes for Aston Martin. The Silverstone-based staff is listed as one of many greatest disappointments, however is the staff actually as dangerous because it regarded? Or did the situations – with a disturbed run plan and Lance Stroll feeling ailing – masks some potential of the AMR25? All these questions stay till Australia and make the F1 midfield for 2025 each extraordinarily exhausting to foretell.

Will Haas nonetheless possess its one-lap tempo? – Mark Mann-Bryans

An informal viewer of pre-season testing would have sometimes scanned the timing sheets all through the three days in Bahrain and, most probably, would have seen both Oliver Bearman or Esteban Ocon languishing in the direction of the underside.

The Haas technique for big elements of the take a look at was centered on lengthy runs and race tempo, one thing which echoes its strategy on the identical stage 12 months in the past.

A uncommon alternative for him to really put his foot down, Ocon was capable of put in a efficiency take a look at in the direction of the top of Friday and was a bit of over a second off the tempo, albeit having run sooner than those that in the end led the best way. Bearman, in the meantime, put a brand new spin on the concept of ‘eradicating the covers’ of a brand new automotive as his remaining run of the take a look at was truncated after his engine cowl fell off and landed on the observe as a visual crack additionally opened up alongside the aspect of his Haas.

All in all, Haas was not one of many groups to catch both the attention or the creativeness in Bahrain and it stays to be seen the place the US squad will slot into the pack heading to Melbourne – particularly contemplating Nico Hulkenberg certified fourth in Abu Dhabi (earlier than dropping down the grid as a result of penalties) so the squad does have lots to reside as much as.