Alonso Tops F1's Return on Bahrain
Today’s big surprise was Fernando Alonso’s free practice 1 and 2 times. He finished FP1 in second place, just behind Perez. The Spaniard driver did a time of 1:33.196, less than half a second, .438 to be precise.
On the second practice session, he topped the table with a time of 1:30.907.
Aston Martin showed significant improvement during the test sessions that took place on the same circuit, just a week ago. The design of the car itself shows that the team has been working on a major overhaul to the chassis and suspension.
Keep in mind that the team struggled quite significantly during last season due to a change in the regulations that affected cars running with a pronounced rake; this is the elevation difference between the front and rear axis.
Hopefully this great momentum that Aston Martin has, can be carried onto Saturday’s qualifying session, and during Sunday’s Gran Prix.
The more teams we have fighting closely at the top, the better for the fans, and the excitement of the season.
Red Bull is looking strong
Keep in mind that big teams like Red Bull, Ferrari, or even Mercedes do not show all their strength during practice sessions. The time these teams really push the car to the limits is on the third qualifying session.
Come Saturday, we will know more or less how each team is looking ahead of the race.
Today Red Bull showed consistency. Perez and Verstappen are relatively close to each other in lap times and position on the table. The Dutch champion finished FP1 on third place and FP2 on second.
Perez on the other hand, finished FP1 first and FP2 in third.
Red Bull also showed consistency during the test session a week ago. Max ran a full day program with more than 150 laps. Perez also did a hefty day when his turn came.
The team has no reliability issues or spent too much time on boxes fixing things. They dedicated the full test to gathering significant amounts of data; they ran with a lot of sensors and hi-vis paint to see the aerodynamic flow on certain parts of the car.
Red Bull are favorites to win the Bahrain Gran Prix
Mercedes and Ferrari, on the prowl
Both teams had a discrete Friday. Their practice sessions were nothing to write home about. As mentioned before, these teams don’t show their true strength on a free practice session. We will have to wait until Sunday to see their real pace.
Their tests a week ago were satisfactory. Mercedes on one hand had some suspension issues that apparently, they have fixed, according to Russell.
Ferrari on the other hand suffered from high degradation during their race simulation program. We will have to see their pace come race day to evaluate their performance.
Leclerc also mentioned that the car is good on straights, and slower on corners, compared to last year’s car. Apparently, this configuration favors a driver like Carlos Sainz, his teammate. Ferrari is working on a front wing that will satisfy both drivers.
Sunday Funday
Race day will determine the true power of each team. We are in the final hours of speculation. Practice sessions serve fans only to see the cars on track. The keener eyes can read between the lines and analyze each stint and lap time.
Teams gather data and try to correct any issues before qualifying.
The race can be really exciting; we have been waiting for F1’s return for quite a while. At the moment every team at the top, and also Aston Martin, has a big chance of winning. The spectacle is guaranteed.
What are your thoughts of today’s Practice Session? Did Aston Martin surprise you with its pace? Let me know in the comments below.
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