Earlier than we shut the ebook on pre-season testing and shift our focus to the beginning of the 2024 Components 1 season, it’s time to take one closing have a look at what we noticed over three days at Bahrain Worldwide Circuit.
Once more, the same old warnings about studying an excessive amount of into pre-season testing apply. Groups are working totally different packages, utilizing totally different gasoline hundreds, and working at totally different engine ranges, so it’s onerous to gauge an excessive amount of from the occasions over three days of labor.
However forward of the 2024 season, it does appear to be some groups are beginning out on the entrance foot, and different have numerous work to do.
Listed below are the “winners and staff” from 2024 F1 pre-season testing.
Haas: Staff
Haas definitely had a plan coming into testing this season.
After tire degradation issued impeded all of them yr lengthy, most notably on Sundays after they demonstrated stable one-lap tempo throughout qualifying, the workforce used the primary two days of testing to concentrate on longer runs, race tempo, and to attempt to resolve their tire put on woes from a yr in the past.
The workforce believes they’re transferring in the precise course on that entrance.
“I feel it’s been one other stable day for us, specializing in race runs and high-fuel efficiency, addressing the identical points as yesterday. Our tire points from final yr are our important focus and it’s been very fascinating. I feel we’ve made some progress, and for certain there’s numerous work to do, however they’re entering into the precise course,” stated Kevin Magnussen after the second day of testing. “I’m unsure how briskly we’re, I’d be stunned if we’re in a really totally different place to final yr, however I feel we’re in barely higher situation on tires. It’s very onerous to conclude from working in a single set of circumstances, on one monitor. However for now, there are constructive indicators on the problems from final yr.”
On Friday, the workforce did change issues up, finishing their first qualifying run of the week. When the mud settled, Magnussen was in P16 and Nico Hülkenberg in P11.
Fixing their tire put on woes was atop the to-do checklist, and whereas they could have made some strides in that space, we won’t know for certain if Haas has solved that riddle till the racing begins for actual. Till then, they most likely nonetheless have some work to do.
Sauber: Staff
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For Sauber, maybe probably the most constructive signal got here late within the week, when the workforce bolted a set of C4 softs on the C44 for Zhou Guanyu, and he put in an amazing lap that noticed him in P3 when the checkered flag flew.
A promising signal for each the driving force, and a workforce hoping to enhance on their P9 end a season in the past. Albeit a promising signal thanks partially to a tire compound that can be unavailable subsequent week.
So, there may be work to be achieved, because the workforce readily admits.
“We had one other good day the place we targeted lots on our lengthy runs and managed to finish a second full race distance. We obtained by way of our programme and experimented with varied setups and configurations to attract our conclusions. It’s difficult to judge the total potential, particularly with a very new automobile, and we’ll proceed working and making strides over the following few days to be prepared for the upcoming weekend,” stated Zhou within the workforce’s post-testing report. “Nonetheless, the true efficiency and the way we rank in comparison with the opposite groups is but to be seen till the primary qualifying and race. We really feel good and can use the remaining days to study and discover margins for enchancment.”
VCARB: Winners
A yr in the past, Aston Martin delivered the largest shock throughout pre-season testing. The AMR23, their challenger for the 2024 marketing campaign, caught everybody’s eye throughout testing and helped the check start the yr on the entrance foot.
Might the RB01 be this yr’s shock package deal?
There are definitely some constructive indicators at VCARB this weekend. Daniel Ricciardo completed within the high 5 on each Wednesday and Thursday, and Yuki Tsunoda made his personal look within the high ten on Friday, with a high quality lap on a set of softs.
Each drivers expressed some optimism about preventing within the midfield following the three days.
“We’re aiming to struggle within the midfield group and we’ll attempt to profit from what we obtained. Total, it was a easy check, so I don’t assume we go away right here with any issues,” stated Ricciardo within the workforce’s post-testing report. “We made some positive aspects and know the place we’re, but when we need to make certain to struggle for Q3 and factors constantly, there’s definitely a bit extra we have to discover.”
“I felt the automobile has made step ahead in comparison with final yr, so I’m proud of it to this point. The stability has improved, and particularly the entrance felt robust. We nonetheless have to seek out extra with the rear, nevertheless it’s transferring in the precise course,” added Tsunoda. “I accomplished many laps over the past couple of days and it was expertise that allowed us to gather good knowledge and assist discover the restrict of the automobile. Trying on the timesheet, we’re not final, nevertheless it’s tough to know the place we’re in comparison with the remainder of the sector, so I’m excited to begin racing once more subsequent week.”
Actually some work stays, however it’s onerous to not really feel constructive about the place VCARB is heading into the beginning of the season.
Williams: Staff
Williams introduced an aggressive new design to the monitor with the FW46, the primary idea designed beneath the watchful eyes of Group Principal James Vowles.
Whereas there have been some promising moments — corresponding to a run from Alexander Albon on the softs that noticed him end P6 on Friday — there stays work to be achieved. That course of truly started over the primary two days of testing, as famous by Albon within the workforce’s post-testing report.
“I do assume we struggled a little bit bit with the automobile throughout day one and two with simply how totally different it’s, struggling to rebalance it, however we made some huge headway in making the automobile extra driveable. With the altering automobile traits, we shifted a few of our historic issues to totally different areas.” described Albon. “Nonetheless, we’ve been in a position to repair a few of these, however, sadly, within the course of, we’ve picked up a number of issues we didn’t like. Regardless of this, we did a little bit of a radical set-up right this moment and this labored out for the higher.”
And whereas the workforce might have taken a step ahead this season, Albon notes they aren’t alone.
“ the remainder of the grid, the midfield has closed up lots with everybody making an enormous bounce from final yr, so it’s all fairly equal all through the sector,” added Albon. “This yr goes to be all concerning the tremendous particulars and potential tracks that higher swimsuit others, so there are going to be a number of fascinating battles.”
A season in the past everybody knew what tracks would favor the FW45, and the place they might wrestle. It was a side to their season that Albon mentioned at size in the course of the launch of the FW46. The FW45 was robust on the straights, however struggled within the corners. To that finish, take this comparability of Albon’s finest lap from testing final yr, and his finest lap on Friday, from F1-Tempo:
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Final yr’s lap within the FW45 is in blue, with this yr’s lap with the FW46 is in white. As you would possibly count on, the FW45 was stronger on straights, however pay attention to how the FW46 was stronger in slower corners, like by way of Turns 1, 2, and three, in addition to by way of the extra technical second sector.
If the FW46 actually has taken a step ahead on this division, it might be yr for Williams. However we might want to see that when it counts to know for certain.
Alpine: Staff
A yr in the past, Alpine endured an influence deficiency to the remainder of the sector. It obtained to the purpose that the workforce appealed to the FIA for a reprieve from the facility unit freeze, stating they had been round 15 bhp right down to the most effective groups on the grid.
That was denied and the workforce languished in sixth, nicely sufficient forward of Williams to not be threatened from behind, however too far behind Aston Martin and McLaren to maneuver up the desk.
Whereas there may be cause to imagine the workforce has taken a step ahead with the A524 — each Esteban Ocon and Pierre Gasly posted improved occasions over final season’s testing periods, with the usual cautionary caveats in place — the workforce nonetheless believes a “difficult” begin to the yr awaits.
Aston Martin: Staff
A yr in the past Aston Martin was one of many best groups to categorise popping out of pre-season testing.
That reality would possibly make them one of many hardest to categorise this yr.
A part of it may be their focus for the 2024 season. As we noticed final yr with the AMR23, they began on the entrance foot, however then struggled with mid-season growth. The outcome? A robust begin to the season gave technique to a mid-year swoon, that noticed McLaren finally catch them for P4 within the Constructors’ Championship.
On condition that, the workforce is concentrated on “growth” within the yr forward.
Nonetheless, the workforce believes they’ve taken a step ahead with this yr’s challenger, “The AMR24 is a step ahead from final yr and we simply should see how huge of a step ahead towards all people else. We’ll know extra subsequent week after qualifying,” stated veteran driver Fernando Alonso following the three days of testing. “It was good to get plenty of laps on the board over the three days and I really feel match and able to go for the beginning of the brand new season.”
Nonetheless, for Aston Martin it’s not a lot how they begin that we need to see, however how they end.
McLaren: Winners
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This designation may be a matter of perspective as nicely.
A yr in the past, there have been worrying indicators throughout McLaren. The workforce wrapped up testing speaking about how rapidly they’ll carry upgrades to the MCL60, and McLaren actually started the yr on the again foot. They skilled reliability points with the MCL60 within the season-opening race — which required Lando Norris to pit reasonably steadily to make it to the checkered flag — and the had simply 17 factors of their account after the primary eight races.
Now they’re wildly forward of the place they had been a calendar yr in the past.
After all, there’s a hole between them and the highest of the sector, and a few work stays.
We’re positively fairly a piece behind Ferrari and fairly a piece behind Pink Bull – I feel they’re clearly a great distance forward,” stated Norris after testing. “Other than that, I feel we’re nonetheless not in a foul place, we’re most likely simply round that subsequent pack, however these two groups positively appear to have an honest benefit over everybody else.”
However given what they endured in pre-season testing a yr in the past, this season’s efficiency appears like a win.
Ferrari: Winners
Within the eyes of many, Ferrari was “Group Two” popping out of pre-season testing.
Maybe with good cause.
The workforce’s one-lap tempo was robust, which is one thing now we have grown to count on with Ferrari over time. However there have been additionally very constructive indicators with their race tempo, maybe an indication that their “tire consuming” methods of the previous few years might be behind them. As discovered by the tremendous people at The Race, each Carlos Sainz Jr. and Sergio Pérez put collectively some race simulation runs on Thursday.
And over these runs, the Ferrari got here out forward.
Once more, the usual caveats about testing occasions, gasoline hundreds, and the like apply. But it surely does appear that the Scuderia have one thing cooking with the SF-24.
Mercedes: Winners
Much like McLaren, the temper round Mercedes is miles forward of the place they had been a yr in the past.
The workforce started the yr with an analogous configuration to the W14 as they did with their 2022 challenger, the W13. That meant the “zeropod” design — that the workforce finally scrapped mid-season a yr in the past — was featured throughout pre-season testing in 2023.
To listen to the workforce describe the place they’re now, they’re miles forward of the place they had been a yr in the past.
“We’ve had a stable three days right here in Bahrain. We managed to get by way of all of our deliberate programme, regardless of the stoppages,” stated George Russell within the workforce’s media report. “The automobile has been dealing with nicely and correlates to the sensation we had on the simulator forward of coming right here. We’ve obtained an excellent base to construct from.
“We’re conscious that there’s much more lap time to seek out. We knew that will be the case forward of the check, and Pink Bull are trying very robust as soon as once more. However, I’m assured that we’re in a significantly better place than we had been 12 months in the past. The workforce at Brackley and Brixworth have achieved an excellent job to get us into this place and with a automobile that may be a step in the precise course. We now have to concentrate on firstly getting probably the most out of the package deal now we have and secondly, including extra downforce and making an attempt to shut that hole.”
“We’ve had three helpful days right here in Bahrain and managed to make good progress understanding the W15. In comparison with final yr’s automobile, the suggestions from the drivers could be very totally different and extra constructive, which is encouraging,” added Andrew Shovlin, the workforce’s Trackside Engineering Director. “The workforce has labored onerous to iron out the dealing with flaws that had been integral to the W14, and it’s nice that we appear to have put plenty of these issues behind us.”
Whether or not that interprets into wins stays to be seen, however they appear stronger than a yr in the past.
“It’s by no means simple to make predictions on tempo from testing, as all groups are fairly efficient at hiding their tempo after they need to. It’s clear that we’re in a significantly better place than 12 months in the past although,” added Shovlin. “We’ve obtained a busy few days forward now making our closing preparations for the season-opener, and we’re already trying ahead to the race weekend and the season forward.”
Pink Bull: Winners
Right here we go once more.
