Red Bull looked to be a class above the rest in pre-season testing, with Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez feeling instantly at home in the RB20. Some others also had a lot to smile about, but some were left wanting more time and more mileage before the start of the season. So, for the first time this season, we have selected four winners and four losers in three days of testing at the Bahrain International Circuit…
Winners: Red Bull
Red Bull was buzzing from the moment they unveiled their 2024 rival, the RB20, at their Milton Keynes base earlier this month, and their on-track antics during testing did nothing to dampen the overwhelming feeling of that the current world champions have built a monster. car for this season.
Verstappen and Perez managed 390 laps between them, placing them third on the mileage chart. When you dig deeper into the quality of that race, you'll find a machine that was faster in qualifying simulations by 0.28 seconds and 0.10 seconds ahead in the race.
This is just a test, of course, but Red Bull has likely barely scratched the surface with its dramatically different car, and could well stretch its legs as it learns more about how to extract maximum potential.
Losers: Alpine
Alpine attempted to downplay expectations at their launch, and that strategy continued throughout testing as they remained largely anonymous throughout the three days of racing.
Chief Bruno Famin said they completed their planned program; However, they only came in eighth on the mileage chart, logging 200 fewer kilometers compared to what they achieved last year.
Their race simulation pace wasn't too bad: the Enstone team fifth in qualifying, 0.06s per lap slower than Aston Martin, and although they came in a less impressive ninth in qualifying, one caveat is that they were the only team, apart from McLaren, not to test the soft tires.
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Winners: Ferrari
Ferrari was one of the big winners in pre-season testing, not because they set the pace on the final day of testing, but because they appear to have fixed the tire degradation issues that plagued them on a Grand Prix afternoon last year.
Both Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz said they felt much more confident pushing the car, which was much more predictable and docile compared to the Prancing Horse's predecessor.
While Ferrari tends to be strong in Bahrain anyway, they can take heart from their impressive race simulations (which put them as Red Bull's main rivals 0.1 seconds off the pace) while still retaining a decent turn of speed. in one lap (they were a match for Mercedes and 0.3s behind Red Bull.
Losers: Haas
It may seem harsh to put Haas in the loser category given the disruptive winter they suffered with team principal Guenther Steiner and technical director Simone Resta abandoning the operation and the fact that they topped the mileage charts in testing .
Yes, they will be happy to have logged more than 400 laps at the Bahrain International Circuit and to have achieved lap times that suggest they will not be left adrift, despite having diverted many resources to their Austin upgrade last year in place of the new car.
But the reality is that the team will likely struggle to get out of Q1 and fight for points in this weekend's season opener in the Bahrain desert.
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Winners: Mercedes
Technical director James Allison was optimistic once preseason testing concluded. Sure, Mercedes won't be happy until they get back to fighting for wins and championships, but given the world of pain they suffered in testing last year, their much improved situation is certainly something to write home about.
Lewis Hamilton and George Russell reported that the car was much more enjoyable to drive than last year's car (which Hamilton referred to as the 2022 machine's evil sister, as it was slow and unpredictable).
Most importantly, they feel they have a good foundation to work from and add performance to, and so while they know they are still a long way from challenging Red Bull consistently for wins, if they get the development right this year, They feel there is room to achieve it. in the fight.
Losers: Williams
When you change the concept as dramatically as Williams did over the winter, there will always be challenges when you put the car on the track, and that's what happened with a series of mechanical issues that cost the British team valuable mileage.
But they responded to each problem impressively, and by the final day, there were glimmers of hope that the new car was a step forward and should be competitive on a wider variety of circuits, rather than just the circuits that rewarded good speed. in a straight line. and low resistance.
Alex Albon's latest race simulation was pretty decent, compared to Fernando Alonso's in the Aston Martin, and that will give Williams hope that if they can understand their new machine quickly, this season could represent another step towards the end.
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Winners: RB
RB was one of the dark horses of pre-season testing, with Daniel Ricciardo placing the team in the top five on each of the final two days of racing. Yes, the times aren't worth reading, but his mileage was good: the 366 was just 24 laps behind the Red Bull, and both Ricciardo and Yuki Tsunoda ran virtually problem-free.
Boss Laurent Mekies and CEO Peter Bayer have taken steps to calm season expectations; The team's call to push development hard until the end of last year means we likely won't see a big step in terms of updates until mid-season.
However, the car they ended up with last year was very strong and, coupled with a Red Bull-spec front and rear (both last year's spec) that did wonders for the world champions in 2023, there is plenty chances of them fighting for the title. Sharp winger from early midfield gates.
Losers: Aston Martin
Aston Martin was reasonably happy with its efforts in pre-season testing, and finishing fourth in both our race simulation and qualifying spec calculations is by no means something to scoff at.
However, billionaire Lawrence Stroll's team has big ambitions, and after the mega step they took during the winter of last year, perhaps they hoped they had been a little closer to the goal than the evidence suggests.
However, we've only had three days of testing and with an aggressive development plan in the works and a car they hope will be more receptive to new parts, the best may be yet to come.
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