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Formula 1
Pre-Season Test
F1 Bahrain pre-season test - Day 2
Minute by minute updates on the second day of the 2024 F1 Bahrain pre-season test
The 2024 F1 season has arrived with pre-season testing in Bahrain.
All 10 teams have completed their launches and are trying to use as much track time as possible to prepare for the new season during the three-day pre-season test.
With Red Bull coming off a stunning 2023 season when it won all but one grand prix, can any of its rivals take the fight to the defending world champions? Signs were ominous after Max Verstappen dominated the opening day of the test.
The Bahrain pre-season test will run between 21-23 February, with each day’s track action starting at 7am GMT (10am local time).
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Summary
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Summary
- Ferrari's Carlos Sainz sets the pace on Day 2 with a 1m29.921s (C4 tyres) posted in the afternoon session
- Red Bull's Sergio Perez recovers from a technical issue to end up P2 on the C3 rubber, 0.7s adrift of Sainz
- Lewis Hamilton ends up third fastest for Mercedes (C3), 1.1s off the benchmark pace
- Morning session, topped by Ferrari's Charles Leclerc, was red-flagged with 1h44m left due to a broken kerb and not resumed for track repairs
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Leaderboard
- Sainz, Ferrari, 1m29.921s, C4 - 84 laps
- Perez, Red Bull, 1m30.679s, C3 - 129 laps
- Hamilton, Mercedes, 1m31.066s, C3 - 123 laps
- Norris, McLaren, 1m31.256s, C3 - 52 laps
- Ricciardo, RB, 1m31.361s, C4 - 88 laps
- Leclerc, Ferrari, 1m31.750s, C3 - 54 laps
- Stroll, Aston Martin, 1m32.029s, C3 - 96 laps
- Ocon, Alpine, 1m32.061s, C3 - 78 laps
- Bottas, Sauber, 1m32.227s, C3 - 97 laps
- Piastri, McLaren, 1m32.328s, C3 - 35 laps
- Sargeant, Williams, 1m32.578s, C4 - 117 laps
- Alonso, Aston Martin - 1m33.053s, C3 - 31 laps
- Zhou, Sauber, 1m33.715s, C3 - 38 laps
- Gasly, Alpine, 1m33.804s, C3 - 33 laps
- Magnussen, Haas, 1m36.611s, C3 - 93 laps
- Hulkenberg, Haas, 1m37.509s, C3 - 31 laps
- Tsunoda, RB, 1m38.074s, C3 - 40 laps
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Good morning and welcome to Bahrain for day two of Formula 1 pre-season testing. I'm Sam Hall and, alongside an early-rising baby assistant, I'll be taking you through the opening two hours of running today.
Eight teams slipt the running on day one between their drivers, with Mercedes and Red Bull the outliers, allowing Russell and Verstappen the full eight hours.
Today, Hamilton and Perez will be granted their first time in the car.
Today, Hamilton and Perez will be granted their first time in the car.
The full rundown for today is -
Red Bull: Perez AM/Verstappen PM
Mercedes: Hamilton
Ferrari: Leclerc AM/Sainz PM
McLaren: Piastri AM/Norris PM
Aston Martin: Alonso AM/Stroll PM
Alpine: Gasly AM/Ocon PM
Williams: Sargeant
RB: Tsunoda AM/Ricciardo PM
Haas: Hulkenberg AM/Magnussen PM
Red Bull: Perez AM/Verstappen PM
Mercedes: Hamilton
Ferrari: Leclerc AM/Sainz PM
McLaren: Piastri AM/Norris PM
Aston Martin: Alonso AM/Stroll PM
Alpine: Gasly AM/Ocon PM
Williams: Sargeant
RB: Tsunoda AM/Ricciardo PM
Haas: Hulkenberg AM/Magnussen PM
This means that Verstappen and Sargeant will complete their pre-season mileage today. Given the gauntlet laid down by Verstappen on Wednesday, will he reveal even more of his hand this evening?
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It's safe to say that Damon Hill shares the early concerns of many that Verstappen could be set to walk away again with things again in 2024, given his ominous margin of over one-second on Wednesday.
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We've mentioned yesterday's results a few times already. Here's the full recap on Wednesday's action.
But the headlines beyond Verstappen's startling level of dominance -
- Reliability problems strike Williams - both Albon and Sargeant suffered woes during the day
- McLaren and Ferrari pick up where they left off in 2023
- A slow start for Mercedes - Russell was 12th overall with 121 laps in the bank
Just 10 minutes to go and then the lights will go green. With no red flag interruptions on Wednesday, we were treated to a full eight hours of action. Will we be so lucky today?
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Somehow, we missed Sauber off our list of drivers for the day. Here's a picture of Bottas in lurid green, and he will be in the car this afternoon. Zhou is on duty this morning - in about two minutes!
In advance of the gree lights showing, Alonso and Perez have both headed to the end of the pit lane. Both are obviously keen to get going, with Perez experiencing his first running of the test.
Lights green
Hamilton and Piastri join the queue and the lights go green for day two!
A lot of aero rakes feature on Piastri's McLaren. Only RB and Sauber are yet to take to the track. There's no messing about today!
Piastri has immediately returned to the pits after an installation lap. But after a quick check over the car, he takes back to the track.
Stopwatch
Perez sets the first time of the day with a 1m40.323s, but Hamilton immediately betters that with a 1m38.693s.
Stopwatch
In a far quicker start to things today, we're already into the 97-second range, with Leclerc now topping things with a 1m37.623s.
Here comes Zhou in the Sauber and for a moment, we thought the car was covered in flo-vis paint. Then we realised that we just the lurid green livery!
Stopwatch
On the C3 tyre, Leclerc is pushing on once again, setting a purple sector one, losing time in sector two, and crossing the line with a new session best of 1m37.055s.
With the early runs completed, the track has gone a little quieter. Only Leclerc, Hamilton and Hulkenberg remain on the track - something that has changed while we typed, as Leclerc and Hulkenberg now also pit.
Tsunoda is out on the track for the first time today and he has fitted the softest C5 tyre. We saw some running on that compound yesterday but no performance runs.
Perez is out of the Red Bull in the garage and is speaking with team principal Horner in the garage. Horner will face the media later today in the FIA press conference with questions about the ongoing Red Bull investigation likely to be asked.
Stopwatch
The first sort of performance run today is in as Sargeant clocks a 1m33.561s. He will complete his pre-season action today.
Pit stop
A brake problem has been reported on Perez's Red Bull, with a minor brake fire seen as he returned to the pits. Not what he needed this morning!
After 20 minutes, Hamilton has completed the most laps with eight. Sargeant is up next with seven.
With the timing screens only showing soft, medium and hard tyre indicators - but all five dry compounds available depending on the team's selections this weekend - excuse any tyre errors here. On that note, Tsuoda was initially on C4 softs. RB elected against bringing any C5 rubber!
Here comes Leclerc on another push lap. Purple in sector one...
Purple in sector two for Leclerc...
Stopwatch
And a 1m31.822 to go fastest for the day. He's half a second shy of Verstappen's best from Wednesday.
As we tick towards midday local time, the temperatures are climbing, as is the wind. The track temp is currently 31.5C with air temp a relatively cool 22.3C.
The wind is currently 3.7m/s, slightly up on the later Wednesday session.
The wind is currently 3.7m/s, slightly up on the later Wednesday session.
We're into double figures with Leclerc now on 11 laps and Sargeant on 10. Hamilton and Hulkenberg are about to clock past that marker too.
Piastri and McLaren are yet to show their hand in this session as another personal best lap ends with a return to the pits, rather than complete the lap and clock the time.
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Briefly shifting from practice talk, we take a moment to remember Niki Lauda on what would have been his 75th birthday.
After repairs have been completed on the RB20, Perez is back on the track. He lost just over half an hour of running with the problem.
Pit stop
An installation lap for Perez and he returns to the pits. But rather than a quick once over before returning to the track, he is wheeled back into the garage.
Zhou puts in his fastest time of the session with a 1m34.115s. That puts him fourth, fractionally ahead of Hamilton.
At the same time, Sargeant is caught out by the wind at T11 and runs wide.
At the same time, Sargeant is caught out by the wind at T11 and runs wide.
Stopwatch
Still on the C3 tyre, Leclerc goes purple in sectors one and two but loses time in the final sector. The net result is a new session best of 1m37.750s.
Piastri is now P2, 0.696s back.
Piastri is now P2, 0.696s back.
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A nice explainer on aero rakes from Aston Martin
Still no time for Alonso who has only completed four laps in the first hour. After another installation lap for Perez, he too returns to the pits.
With an hour gone, Leclerc tops the times with Piastri, Sargeant, Gasly and Zhou completing the top five. At this point, the benchmark time is a 1m31.750s.
That remains short of Verstappen's Wednesday best.
That remains short of Verstappen's Wednesday best.
Stopwatch
Following a significant period in the garage, Alonso is back out on the track and goes fifth with a 1m34.027s. That's only his seventh lap of the morning.
If Perez isn't quick to get back out of the garage, he will be the last to break the 10-lap mark for Thursday as Alonso edges ever-closer.
By: Autosport Staff
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