It started there third and final day of testing in Bahrain before the start of the championship, again on the Sakhir circuit, on 20 March.
The afternoon tests
15.30 – Leclerc sets the fastest lap, in 1’32 ” 415.
3 pm – In the afternoon, Red Bull starts again with great enthusiasm. Verstappen is the best time, ahead of team mate Perez. Then Zhou, Vettel and Leclerc’s Ferrari.
The morning tests
The cards begin to unfold, but the game is only just beginning. In the morning of the last day of testing the Formula 1 in Bahrain something can be glimpsed. Red Bull has introduced updates, to the bottom and sides, and as soon as Sergio Perez began to sink his foot a little, the results were also seen on the single lap and not only on the race simulations as in recent days. First time for the Mexican in 1’33 ” 105 with C4 tires: however, it is a time slower by more than four seconds compared to that of the 2021 pole obtained at Sakhir by Verstappen. However, as was the case with the other machines, the blue one also appeared quite difficult to control to the limit. Driving will be an interesting element of the first races, the driver’s skill could really make a difference. Ferrari marched at different rhythms, Sainz mounted the red tires without looking for time, postponing the confrontation with Red Bull. Flamed by small teams, they serve to squeeze their power units. The Chinese Zhou pushes the Alfa to second place with the Ferrari cavalry, Pierre Gasly third is the Honda-powered AlphaTauri. From McLaren, small interventions to solve brake problems. It went slightly better for Lando Norris (Daniel Ricciardo is isolated, positive at Covid, but he’s fine) but the performances remain far from expectations. Mercedes still suffers, Hamilton he ruled out that it was pre-tactic. The experimentation continued this morning too, the W13 is a difficult car to develop, the choice to try a completely different configuration compared to that of Barcelona is proving to be a gamble. Whether it will pay off in the long run is difficult to say now, but already other times the squadron that has won eight constructors’ titles in a row has shown a formidable ability to react in the past by overturning complicated starts and fierce opponents, including the Ferrari in 2018. For now it disappointsAlpine. The French team lacks performance and even reliability. It is not the ideal situation for the forty-year-old Fernando Alonso, who has returned to Formula 1 to win the World Championship. But there is no shortage of time to recover, the evolution of these ground effect cars will be long.
Test morning: 11am
Ferrari always in the top positions. In fact, at the moment the fastest lap is that of Perez on Red Bull followed by Gasly on the Alpha Taury who precedes Zhou on Alfa Romeo, Sainz on Ferrari Alonso on Alpine and Norris on McLaren (McLaren who has to do without his other driver , Ricciardo, found positive for Covid-19).
This is the ranking at 8.55:
1. Gasly, AlphaTauri, 1.34.865,
2. Zhou, Alfa Romeo, 1.35.136
3. Sainz, Ferrari, 1.35.222
4. Norris, McLaren, 1.35.504
5. Hamilton, Mercedes, 1m36.217
6. Latifi, Williams, 1m36.441
7. Stroll, Aston Martin, 1m38.417
8. Magnussen, Haas, 1m38.616
9. Alonso, Alpine, 1m39.391
As we said, Ferrari shone in these first two days of testing. «We are learning a lot about our car as well as about the tires that are still relatively undiscovered. The balance looks good and so far I have felt comfortable in the cockpit but we must not forget that for now, times do not matter and I think our rivals still have a lot of potential to show “he explained. Charles LeclercMonegasque driver of the Rossa.
March 12, 2022 (change March 12, 2022 | 15:45)
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