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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Sargeant heads back out to join the Mexican with everyone else still in the pits.
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It's a green final two sectors as Perez posts a 1m32.438s to move into P8.
But he's now seemingly up to speed as he heads onto what appears to be a flying lap.
There definitely still seems to a problem with the car stuttering as Perez gets on the power heading out of the pits.
Well whatever the issue was, Red Bull has sent Perez back out. A quick fix, or will we see the same problem again?
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Norris also improves on his personal best, lowering it to a 1m31.256s as he stays second. Worth stating, though, that he was on the harder C3 compound of tyre.
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And a new fastest lap - a 1m30.424s!
No improvement in sector one, but purple in sector two for Sainz.
Back on track, Sainz is winding up for another flyer with the C4 tyre.
He's made it back to the pits but concerned faces from the Red Bull team. Is there hope yet for the rest of the grid that the RB20 might not be bulletproof?
He's still rolling but it seems to be the momentum of going down hill which is carrying him as he's doing 20mph according to the telemetry.
Well what we thought was Perez winding up for a lap looks to be him struggling with a problem! The Red Bull is crawling towards the final corner.
Lap 80 for Perez as he heads back out, this time with the softer C3 tyre. Could we see the Mexican move to the top shortly?
There's a noticeable split in the times today from top to bottom, with Tsunoda the slowest runner from this morning. His time is currently 7.388s behind the best from Sainz.
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It's a new personal best for Ocon as well, who is still using the hardest C1 compound. A 1m36.117s leaves him P14.
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Sainz goes quicker again! It's a 1m30.686s for the Ferrari driver, this time with the C4 tyre. That's the fastest lap from testing we've seen so far as we hit three hours to go.
Albeit quicker and, at this stage at least, much more reliable. But enough about the diabolic transport system in the UK.
Riding onboard with Norris for that lap and the bottoming out of his McLaren down the straight sounds more like the London Underground than an F1 car.
The Aston Martin driver has logged 26 laps today so far to go along with the 31 that team-mate Alonso put in this morning.
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Stroll is the latest to improve, setting a 1m32.029s as he moves into P4, again on the C3s.
That time from the McLaren driver with the C3 compound leaves him 0.255s behind his old team-mate Sainz.
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And just as we say that Norris goes and sets a purple middle sector and green in the last sector to move up to second with a 1m31.622s. In our defence, he failed to improve in the first sector...
No personal best sectors, though, for anyone so it seems like longer runs are the plan for teams at this stage of the day.
Anyways, while that was happening Norris, Hamilton and Sargeant have all headed back out on track.
For those wondering, Verstappen's fastest lap from Wednesday was a 1m31.344s, so Sainz's best is only fractionally slower. With more than three hours left and cooler conditions to come, every chance we will see faster.
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And purple in sector three gives Sainz the fastest time - a 1m31.397s which leaves him more than three tenths faster than Ferrari team-mate Leclerc.
And purple again in sector two.
The Spaniard is green in sector one.
In comes Norris and out comes Sainz who seems to be winding up for another fast lap. This is where the fun begins...
Hamilton goes for a push lap but an oversteer moment on the exit of Turn 4 means he backs out of it.
The Frenchman pits, though, leaving Norris and Hamilton alone on track.
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And what do we know about the condition of tyres. Ocon carries on with that worn tyre and sets a personal best - a 1m36.353s which leaves him P14.
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Norris moves into P3. Three green sectors for the McLaren driver as he sets a 1m31.968s on the C3.
Fair to say that right-front C1 tyre now resembles a 50p and will surely need to be changed.
Off track
Out on track but literally off it, Ocon has a huge lock-up into Turn 1 and heads into the run-off area. The Alpine driver goes that deep he actually clips the gravel that's way out there before rejoining.
Perez pits! This is not a drill. After that mammoth stint the Red Bull driver finally heads for a deserved break. His total number of laps is now 79 and well clear of anyone else so far.
Just like his new livery, Bottas goes green as well and jumps up to P3 with a 1m32.227s.
Photo by: Simon Galloway / Motorsport Images
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Fractional improvement for Stroll who sets a 1m32.376s.
It's Stroll's turn to have a crack at a faster time, going green in the first two sectors.
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It's a 1m31.856s to launch Sainz into second and just over a tenth off his team-mate Leclerc's session fastest. Impressive, most impressive.
By: Autosport Staff
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