despite his vocal distaste for these rules<\/a> \u2014 being a master at driving the car in a way that maximises energy recovery.<\/p>\nVerstappen was a trendsetter in what looks likely to become the new normal of bashing down to first gear at several corners in Bahrain \u2014 the Monaco hairpin is usually the only first-gear corner on the calendar \u2014 and so far he appears to be the only driver truly comfortable with that approach.<\/p>\n
That\u2019s perhaps because an F1 car typically gets skittish, with its rear axle getting loose, when it\u2019s forced into first gear at speed. Verstappen\u2019s magic is in controlling a flighty car. It\u2019s also what had him destroy so many of his previous teammates.<\/p>\n
That could be grim news for Isack Hadjar. While the car itself might have had all the flaws of previous years worked out of it, the engine might be effectively inserting them back in.<\/p>\n
You can\u2019t directly compare teammate laps during testing given they\u2019re never on track at the same time, but Hadjar was more than 0.8 seconds slower than Verstappen last week.<\/p>\n
You\u2019d think it would be heartening to see that gap close.<\/p>\n
‘Had to get away from it all’ Feeney | 07:34<\/p>\n
FERRARI<\/p>\n
Total mileage: 4322.1 kilometres (1st)<\/p>\n
Fastest Bahrain time: 1m 34.209s (Lewis Hamilton, day 3) (2nd)<\/p>\n
Objective: Validate its first big upgrade \u2014 and defend its engine design<\/p>\n
Ferrari\u2019s approach to the start of the season was to bring a basic version of its SF-26 to Barcelona and the first Bahrain test. It had two aims: to allow the team to focus on the power unit, and to verify the basic aerodynamic concept while a more mature, race-ready aero pack continued development in Maranello.<\/p>\n
That A-spec car will be replaced by a B-spec model this week, with the team set to bring a major upgrade to the final Bahrain test. The car that breaks cover this week will be the one that appears in Melbourne for the Australian Grand Prix.<\/p>\n
The team will also install a new power unit. Reports suggest the team has used only one power unit during both tests so far this season. That means it completed effectively 14 grand prix distances \u2014 and reports also suggest that the team noticed no significant performance degradation.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s been hard to get a good read on Ferrari. It\u2019s been solid and workmanlike without looking outstanding. But the trajectory has been positive, and if this week\u2019s upgrade continues that trend, the Italian team will start the season optimistic.<\/p>\n
Off the track, Ferrari is battling to avoid changes to the rules governing start procedures. McLaren describes it as a matter of safety, but Ferrari says it raised the issues months ago and was shut down, and it subsequently designed its engine to suit the rules. Given that design \u2014 believed to be a smaller turbocharger \u2014 will have come with performance trade-offs elsewhere, the team will be determined to retain its advantage in a meeting later today.<\/p>\n
History made in crash-ridden 12-hour | 01:19<\/p>\n
WILLIAMS<\/p>\n
Total mileage: 2283.9 kilometres (10th)<\/p>\n
Fastest Bahrain time: 1m 36.665s (Alex Albon, day 3) (8th)<\/p>\n
Objective: Complete some performance running<\/p>\n
Williams got exactly what it needed from the first test in Bahrain: a lot of kilometres \u2014 the equal most, in fact, with McLaren.<\/p>\n
It was enough to banish the embarrassment of missing Barcelona, though not enough to get the team\u2019s pre-season program back on track.<\/p>\n
There\u2019s no substitute for mileage and time, and Williams is three days of mileage behind and two weeks of analysis adrift.<\/p>\n
It means the workload for the final week of testing is immense.<\/p>\n
Reliability has been validated, but trackside observers suggest the car isn\u2019t looking as hooked up as its other presumed upper midfield rivals. That\u2019s likely at least partly because Williams has simply had less time to play with set-up.<\/p>\n
It must complete that work this week as well as doing some proper low-fuel performance running to understand where the car is ahead of Melbourne.<\/p>\n
Drivers walk away from two fiery crashes | 01:21<\/p>\n
RACING BULLS<\/p>\n
Total mileage: 3249.9 kilometres (7th)<\/p>\n
Fastest Bahrain time: 1m 36.808s (Liam Lawson, day 3) (9th)<\/p>\n
Objective: Understand the Red Bull power unit<\/p>\n
Racing Bulls\u2019s middling form during testing is perhaps the strongest argument against the idea that the Red Bull engine has a second in hand over the field. The car doesn\u2019t look rough enough on track to be that slow.<\/p>\n
Of course Racing Bulls isn\u2019t in the same ballpark as the senior Red Bull Racing team. That comes with the territory. But its best lap was more than two seconds slower, and the car appeared to have none of the strengths that we assume are at least partly derived from the engine.<\/p>\n
Given the assumption that this season, or at least the early parts of it, will be defined by power unit performance and how the car and driver can maximise its hybrid components, that leaves a significant gap in terms of what should be almost \u2018free\u2019 lap time \u2014 that is, performance that doesn\u2019t require new development.<\/p>\n
Racing Bulls is an interesting control car for the Red Bull Powertrains motor. This week will tell us more.<\/p>\n
Huge crash reigns chaos at Bathurst | 03:11<\/p>\n
ASTON MARTIN<\/p>\n
Total mileage: 1422.2 kilometres (11th)<\/p>\n
Fastest Bahrain time: 1m 38.165s (Lance Stroll, day 3) (11th)<\/p>\n
Objective: Generate some hope<\/p>\n
Aston Martin appeared braced for a tough first Bahrain test after arriving late to Barcelona, but the team doesn\u2019t appear to have thought things would be quite this bad.<\/p>\n
Slowest on track, including behind Cadillac. Fewest kilometres completed, putting it behind Williams, which turned up more than a day later to the pre-season.<\/p>\n
Lance Stroll reckons the car could be four seconds \u2014 an epoch \u2014 off the pace. Fernando Alonso has already suggested that the Honda motor is the weak link in the package \u2014 and it wouldn\u2019t be the first time he\u2019s been there.<\/p>\n
Aston Martin was always less likely to get away with a late arrival to testing than Williams. The Williams team has been stable year on year, but there\u2019s significant change at Aston Martin, with a new power unit supplier, new in-house components and a new internal structure.<\/p>\n
It would be surprising if there wasn\u2019t a significant improvement in the situation this week, even if it doesn\u2019t revolutionise the outlook. But if things look just as bad as they did last week, Aston Martin will be in for a long few months at a minimum.<\/p>\n
Massive crash shakes Bathurst 12 hour | 00:23<\/p>\n
HAAS<\/p>\n
Total mileage: 3931.6 kilometres (3rd)<\/p>\n
Fastest Bahrain time: 1m 35.394s (Oliver Bearman, day 2) (5th)<\/p>\n
Objective: Consolidate top-of-the-midfield expectations<\/p>\n
Haas under team boss Ayao Komatsu has taken a consistently low-key approach to testing, racking up the kilometres without worrying much about ultimate performance. An engineer by trade, Komatsu figures the deeper the team\u2019s understanding of its car, the more responsive it\u2019ll be able to be during the season.<\/p>\n
On track the car has looked dependable, with several trackside observers suggesting it leads the midfield. After finishing eighth but in a tight battle for sixth in last year\u2019s championship, that would be a satisfying consolidation.<\/p>\n
But it\u2019s worth remembering that Haas was in pretty much exactly this situation this time last year and struggled badly at the first race.<\/p>\n
The team was just one lap short of equalling the mileage record in last year\u2019s pre-season but suffered a painfully slow double Q1 knockout in Melbourne \u2014 although the team rebounded strongly in the subsequent rounds.<\/p>\n
Haas looks good so far, but avoiding that same pitfall will be the real marker of success.<\/p>\n
Audi on fire after HUGE Bathurst crash | 00:55<\/p>\n
\ufeffAUDI<\/p>\n
Total mileage: 3042.1 kilometres (8th)<\/p>\n
Fastest Bahrain time: 1m 36.291s (Nico H\u00fclkenberg, day 3) (7th)<\/p>\n
Objective: Find consistency with its new car-engine package<\/p>\n
Although we shouldn\u2019t forget that the Sauber team is a long-time F1 minnow, the newness of the Audi team is really in the power unit.<\/p>\n
After a predictably patchy start in Barcelona, the team easily surpassed 100 laps a day in Bahrain and generally looked better put together \u2014 important especially given it brought a dramatically different aerodynamic package to the test.<\/p>\n
But running still hasn\u2019t been completely smooth, and the success of the Red Bull Powertrains maiden engine has raised the bar for first-time power unit manufacturers. The fact Red Bull built its engine division from the ground up for Formula 1 could be considered an advantage, but it looks like an early defeat considering Audi\u2019s status as an automotive and motorsport giant.<\/p>\n
The team\u2019s baseline is good enough to expect Audi to be able to move forwards, but it needs to make some steps forward this week.<\/p>\n
Bizzare Merc spin leaves Mostert hanging | 00:44<\/p>\n
ALPINE<\/p>\n
Total mileage: 3286.8 kilometres (5th)<\/p>\n
Fastest Bahrain time: 1m 35.806s (Franco Colapinto, day 3) (6th)<\/p>\n
Objective: Run reliably to catch Haas<\/p>\n
Alpine appears to have made a considerable step forward from last year\u2019s abysmal last-place championship finish, but team boss Flavio Briatore set the season objective to be in a position to snipe for occasional podiums, which at the moment seems a step beyond the French-owned squad\u2019s standing.<\/p>\n
After two tests, Alpine would be sixth in line at most, behind the frontrunning teams and Haas, for a spot on the rostrum.<\/p>\n
But it\u2019s unclear how much that perception is being coloured by a relatively unreliable Bahrain test. In Barcelona the Mercedes-powered car looked rock-solid; in Barcelona it failed to crack 100 laps on two of the three days.<\/p>\n
Given we\u2019ve come to expect the midfield to be extremely tight, it would be disappointing to see the French team start the year on the back foot after starting the pre-season so well. A good final test can get things back on track.<\/p>\n
McLaren crashes out in Bathurst 12 hour | 00:33<\/p>\n
CADILLAC<\/p>\n
Total mileage: 2495.6 kilometres (9th)<\/p>\n
Fastest Bahrain time: 1m 36.824s (Valtteri Bottas, day 2) (10th)<\/p>\n
Objective: Continue building confidence<\/p>\n
Cadillac has been one of the pleasant surprises of the pre-season. Some expected the new American-owned squad to really struggle to the point that it might not qualify for some races, but from what we\u2019ve seen so far, the General Motors team looks like a very competent lower midfield operation.<\/p>\n
That sounds like a backhanded compliment, but it really isn\u2019t \u2014 it shouldn\u2019t be underestimated how difficult it is to start a Formula 1 team from scratch, especially in what might be the sport\u2019s most complex regulatory era.<\/p>\n
On track the car looks unspectacular, but it also doesn\u2019t appear to have any fatal flaws. Reliability has also been reasonably good, even if it\u2019s racked up the fewest laps of any team to have completed all six testing days so far.<\/p>\n
The team feels like its first car is a good foundation on which to build performance this year. Better understating the Ferrari motor, ironing out the final kinks and bracing for Melbourne is the team\u2019s goal this week.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Just three days of testing remain before the first practice session at the season-opening Australian Grand Prix. 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