F1 Testing: Mercedes demonstrates speed as Antonelli and Russell lead Day 3 in Bahrain
Kimi Antonelli recorded the fastest time on the concluding day of Bahrain’s initial preseason F1 test, as Mercedes provided a glimpse of the pace many anticipated throughout the week.
Antonelli’s time of 1:33.669 was 0.249 seconds faster than the lap set by teammate George Russell in the same vehicle prior to the lunch break.
While it remains challenging to draw definitive conclusions from the headline times, Friday’s results marked the first occasion Mercedes appeared as competitive as they did during F1’s private ‘Shakedown’ event in January.
The German team has been considered a favorite for some time and will aim to reaffirm that status next week when testing resumes for the final three days before the Australian Grand Prix on March 8.
Lewis Hamilton’s Ferrari was the next fastest, 0.5 seconds behind Antonelli’s time, but 0.3 seconds slower than Russell’s lap, which was recorded at a similar time of day to Hamilton’s own best effort.
Hamilton had another highly productive day for Ferrari, completing 133 laps, although his car came to a halt on the track midway through the 134th lap, resulting in the final red flag of the day.
Late stoppages during testing can occur for various reasons, including teams running their cars until they completely deplete their fuel supply.
McLaren’s Oscar Piastri achieved an impressive 153 laps for the reigning champions, who have yet to provide a clear indication of their potential this season.
This question remains unanswered for most teams as they head into the following week.
F1 teams are expected to shift their focus from reliability to outright performance during the second week of testing.
Despite topping the timesheets, Mercedes continues to assert that Red Bull’s new engine project has positioned their former 2021 rival as the team to beat.
Red Bull had a subdued final day, with Max Verstappen and Isack Hadjar completing a total of 114 laps between them.
During the day, Russell remarked: “I don’t think anyone should really be focusing on us; you should be looking at the most competitive car on the grid, which is currently the Red Bull.”
“They’re not just a small step ahead; we’re talking about a difference of half a second to a second in deployment over the course of a lap, so it’s quite alarming to see that gap. Red Bull has consistently delivered a strong car over the past 15 years, even when they didn’t have a top engine, so this test has been quite revealing for many of us.”
Those seeking confirmation of Russell’s prediction will have to wait until at least next week for clarity.
It is becoming increasingly evident that Aston Martin is beginning the season at a significant disadvantage, as Lance Stroll finished over four seconds behind, aligning with his earlier predictions regarding the team’s shortcomings compared to the frontrunners this year, while also completing 72 laps.
Teammate Fernando Alonso downplayed this during his media sessions, stating that Aston Martin is simply facing the same challenges that its competitors encountered in Barcelona last month during F1’s private test. Aston Martin will hope their car possesses significantly more performance when F1 returns.
Overall, it was a day without major incidents, although Alpine’s Franco Colapinto nearly created a viral moment at the day’s end as he spun while performing a burnout while positioning himself in a grid spot on the start-finish straight, where he and other drivers have been concluding the test days with practice starts. Colapinto’s car narrowly avoided the wall.
Testing will continue from Wednesday next week.
Source: espn.com
