The 2024 Formula 1 season is right around the corner, and pre-season testing at Bahrain gave us a glimpse at what to expect over the next 24 races.
The results of testing don’t mean a whole lot, with teams using different strategies to get a feel for their car for the new season. Some teams didn’t place focus on single lap pace, but rather on pace throughout a race stint.
Haas was running high fuel loads for much of testing, as they looked to solve their horrific tire wear that made their race pace the worst in F1. As a result, the team was not focused on single lap performance, but rather how their tires held up over a run.
Nico Hulkenberg, entering his second season driving for Haas, voiced optimism on this front.
“If I compare the car to last year, it does feel better and like we’ve made a step in the right direction.”
This sentiment was shared by Kevin Magnussen and new team principal Ayao Komatsu. However, the extent to which Haas has improved their race pace is yet to be seen.
Visa Cash App RB, formerly AlphaTauri, flashed an impressive amount of single lap pace. RB was on track to have the second fastest lap time on day two, until traffic got in the way. RB finished in the top five the following day.
Daniel Ricciardo has stressed the need to manage expectations, but early returns are promising. Reports of big midseason upgrades in the pipeline provide further optimism that RB could solidify themselves at the front of the midfield.
Last year featured a fascinating battle for second in the team standings. Mercedes and Ferrari were in the fight per usual, with a surprise appearance from Aston Martin. McLaren even managed to join the fight in the middle of the season. Four teams, each with different paths to get there, battled for that second spot.
In the end, Mercedes took the spot. But if testing has taught us anything, 2023 was only the first chapter to this battle.
Ferrari has shown some impressive race pace throughout testing, making some believe they have the edge for now. This would be quite the turnaround for Ferrari, considering race pace was their undoing against Mercedes last season.
Lewis Hamilton and George Russell both said the Mercedes W15 felt better than its predecessor. The team focused primarily on race pace throughout testing, but still managed to be top three on the timesheets the last two days. Mercedes is confident they have a much better platform to build from compared to the W13 and W14.
McLaren and Aston Martin both seem to have maintained their place in the fight for second, but to what extent is unknown. Despite early optimism for Ferrari and Mercedes, a clear ranking of the four teams won’t be known until after the first race.
Any questions about whether Red Bull was right to radically develop their already dominant car seem to have been dashed. The Red Bull has dominated in both single lap and race pace throughout testing.
All teams are in agreement that Red Bull is ahead. But just how far ahead are they? The answer to that will play a huge role in how the 2024 F1 season transpires.
Testing is over, now all focus is on race one. The Bahrain Grand Prix will kick things off next Saturday.
Image courtesy of F1.com
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