Formula 1

Formula 1 Testing – Looking Back at Pre-Season Testing in Bahrain 2024

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Credit: Simon Galloway / LAT Images

The 2024 FIA Formula 1 World Championship season is just around the corner, with the opening race of the year to take place next Saturday at the Bahrain International Circuit, and all twenty drivers were able to take to the same track last week for three days of testing.

The Checkered Flag looks over the three days in Bahrain to see who’s hot and who’s not going into the new season, and whether anyone has it in them to challenge Oracle Red Bull Racing and Max Verstappen for the titles.

Day 1 – Verstappen Leads the Way for Red Bull

Reigning World Drivers’ Champion set an ominous statement on the opening day of testing in Bahrain, with the Oracle Red Bull Racing driver ending the day more than a second clear of the field as everyone had their first running with their 2024 machinery.

Verstappen, the winner of nineteen of the twenty-two races in 2023, set a best time of 1:31.344 to pace the field, which saw eighteen of the twenty drivers have their first runs in their new cars.  Only Sergio Perez and Lewis Hamilton did not take part across the two sessions.

Lando Norris ended the day an encouraging second fastest for the McLaren F1 Team, with the Woking-based outfit aiming to start the 2024 season the way they ended 2023.  Norris’ 1:32.484 was a tenth ahead of Scuderia Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz Jr., while Daniel Ricciardo put his Visa CashApp RB into fourth.

Pierre Gasly was the only other driver to get into the 1:32’s for the BWT Alpine F1 Team, with the Frenchman ending fifth ahead of Aston Martin Aramco Formula 1 Team’s Lance Stroll.  Stroll will be happy to get some pre-season running in after missing testing altogether in 2023 after breaking bones in a cycling accident.

Charles Leclerc put the second Ferrari into seventh ahead of the second Aston Martin of Fernando Alonso, while the top ten was rounded out by McLaren’s Oscar Piastri and the Stake F1 Team Kick Sauber of Zhou Guanyu.

The only concern across the day was Alexander Albon stopping on track towards the end of the session, with his Williams Racing car stopping just after turn three after appearing to fail on the main straight.  Luckily the car was able to be recovered under local yellow flags rather than a red flag.

Pos.No.DriverNATTeamTime
11Max VerstappenNEDOracle Red Bull Racing1:31.344
24Lando NorrisGBRMcLaren F1 Team1:32.484
355Carlos Sainz Jr.ESPScuderia Ferrari1:32.584
43Daniel RicciardoAUSVisa CashApp RB1:32.599
510Pierre GaslyFRABWT Alpine F1 Team1:32.805
618Lance StrollCANAston Martin Aramco Formula 1 Team1:33.007
716Charles LeclercMONScuderia Ferrari1:33.247
814Fernando AlonsoESPAston Martin Aramco Formula 1 Team1:33.385
981Oscar PiastriAUSMcLaren F1 Team1:33.658
1024Zhou GuanyuCHNStake F1 Team Kick Sauber1:33.871
112Logan SargeantUSAWilliams Racing1:33.882
1263George RussellGBRMercedes-AMG Petronas Formula One Team1:34.109
1322Yuki TsunodaJPNVisa CashApp RB1:34.136
1477Valtteri BottasFINStake F1 Team Kick Sauber1:34.431
1523Alexander AlbonTHAWilliams Racing1:34.587
1631Esteban OconFRABWT Alpine F1 Team1:34.677
1720Kevin MagnussenDENMoneyGram Haas F1 Team1:35.692
1827Nico HülkenbergGERMoneyGram Haas F1 Team1:35.908
Max Verstappen was more than a second clear of the field on day one – Credit: Simon Galloway / LAT Images

Day 2 – Sainz Heads the Field for Ferrari

Ferrari ended day two of the test with the fastest time, although setting the time on the C4 Pirelli tyre, one that will not be used during the Grand Prix weekend, will be flattering to the Maranello-based team.

Sainz paced the field on Thursday, with the Spaniard setting a best time of 1:29.921, almost seven-tenths of a second ahead of Perez, the Mexican having his first taste of the Red Bull RB20 after seeing Verstappen take the reigns for the whole of day one.

The morning session was shortened after a drain cover was dislodged at turn eleven, with the debris from it run over by Sainz and by Hamilton, who was having his first taste of the new Mercedes-AMG Petronas Formula One Team’s W15.  Sainz’s floor was damaged and needed replacing before Leclerc took over the running for the afternoon session.

Hamilton was able to finish third overall on the day ahead of countryman Norris, while Ricciardo continued Visa CashApp RB’s good form with fifth.  Leclerc ended sixth ahead of Stroll and Alpine’s Esteban Ocon, with the top ten rounded out by Stake F1 Team Kick Sauber’s Valtteri Bottas in ninth and Piastri in tenth.

Pos.No.DriverNATTeamTime
154Carlos Sainz Jr.ESPScuderia Ferrari1:29.921
211Sergio PerezMEXOracle Red Bull Racing1:30.679
344Lewis HamiltonGBRMercedes-AMG Petronas Formula One Team1:31.066
44Lando NorrisGBRMcLaren F1 Team1:31.256
53Daniel RicciardoAUSVisa CashApp RB1:31.361
616Charles LeclercMONScuderia Ferrari1:31.750
718Lance StrollCANAston Martin Aramco Formula 1 Team1:32.029
831Esteban OconFRABWT Alpine F1 Team1:32.061
977Valtteri BottasFINStake F1 Team Kick Sauber1:32.227
1081Oscar PiastriAUSMcLaren F1 Team1:32.328
112Logan SargeantUSAWilliams Racing1:32.578
1214Fernando AlonsoESPAston Martin Aramco Formula 1 Team1:33.053
1324Zhou GuanyuCHNStake F1 Team Kick Sauber1:33.715
1410Pierre GaslyFRABWT Alpine F1 Team1:33.804
1520Kevin MagnussenDENMoneyGram Haas F1 Team1:36.611
1627Nico HülkenbergGERMoneyGram Haas F1 Team1:37.509
1722Yuki TsunodaJPNVisa CashApp RB1:38.074
Carlos Sainz Jr. set the fastest time overall on day two on the C4 tyre – Credit: Steven Tee / LAT Images

Day 3 – Leclerc Concludes Test as Ferrari Leads Mercedes

Leclerc ensured Ferrari maintained their position at the top of the time sheets on the third and final day of the test, although his C4 tyre run was not as quick as his team-mate had been on day two.

The Monegasque racer’s best time of 1:30.322 was just 0.046 seconds clear of Mercedes’ George Russell, while just three-tenths of a second back was the Stake of Zhou, the Chinese driver showing there is some pace in the C44 heading into the new season.

Verstappen, who sat out day two after pacing day one, ended fourth fastest for Red Bull but was more focused on longer runs rather than outright performance, while Yuki Tsunoda in the sister Visa CashApp RB team ended fifth.

Albon concluded the day with the sixth fastest time for Williams ahead of McLaren’s Piastri, while Alonso, Sainz and Perez rounded out the top ten.

For the first time across the three days, the MoneyGram Haas F1 Team appeared to do some performance runs, with Nico Hülkenberg ending just outside the top ten, just ahead of Hamilton, Stroll and Norris.

There was another stoppage for drain repairs during the morning session, with plans now being worked on ahead of the Grand Prix to prevent a repeat.

Pos.No.DriverNATTeamTime
116Charles LeclercMONScuderia Ferrari1:30.322
263George RussellGBRMercedes-AMG Petronas Formula One Team1:30.368
324Zhou GuanyuCHNStake F1 Team Kick Sauber1:30.647
41Max VerstappenNEDOracle Red Bull Racing1:30.755
522Yuki TsunodaJPNVisa CashApp RB1:30.775
623Alexander AlbonTHAWilliams Racing1:30.984
781Oscar PiastriAUSMcLaren F1 Team1:31.030
814Fernando AlonsoESPAston Martin Aramco Formula 1 Team1:31.159
955Carlos Sainz Jr.ESPScuderia Ferrari1:31.247
1011Sergio PerezMEXOracle Red Bull Racing1:31.483
1127Nico HülkenbergGERMoneyGram Haas F1 Team1:31.686
1244Lewis HamiltonGBRMercedes-AMG Petronas Formula One Team1:31.999
1318Lance StrollCANAston Martin Aramco Formula 1 Team1:32.038
144Lando NorrisGBRMcLaren F1 Team1:32.108
1510Pierre GaslyFRABWT Alpine F1 Team1:32.149
1627Kevin MagnussenDENMoneyGram Haas F1 Team1:33.053
1731Esteban OconFRABWT Alpine F1 Team1:33.079
1877Valtteri BottasFINStake F1 Team Kick Sauber1:33.528
193Daniel RicciardoAUSVisa CashApp RB1:37.015
Charles Leclerc ended the final day on top in Bahrain – Credit: Simon Galloway / LAT Images
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Long time motorsport fanatic, covering Formula 1 and the occassional other series. Feel free to give him a follow on Twitter at @Paul11MSport.
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