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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

Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes-AMG, looks at the car of George Russell, Mercedes F1 W15, in the garage

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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All the 10 drivers are back in the pitlane, and the cause of the red flag is suspected to be debris on the track, but there is no evidence of the kind just yet.
Red flag
There is a red flag but nobody has stopped on the track. It is the first red flag of the test as Albon's stop on track was safely sorted under yellow flags.
After a frankly insane 143 laps by Verstappen on the opening day, Red Bull is currently bottom of the live lap count with Perez on 20 laps so far today. There appears to be no concerns though, as Perez is chatting to team boss Horner in the garage next to the car.
Thanks Sam, the lap count is ticking by nicely for all teams at the moment as we rapidly approach the halfway stage of pre-season testing. It goes by quickly compared to previous eras when testing felt endless.
And with that, I hand you over to Haydn Cobb who will take you through to the end of the morning session. I'll be back again tomorrow, so until then, it's goodbye from me! Haydn, it's all yours...
Tsunoda again complains about the wind, with RB reporting that it's "up and down". He's in for a full race simulation now.
Haas appear to be continuing in the same way in which they were on Wednesday, focusing on making the tyres last across a longer stint. This was a major problem for the team last year, with Saturday pace failing to translate into races.
Looking at the weather, it's fractionally warmer than in the early stages and, as Tsunoda reports it's getting very windy, it's actually less gusty than earlier with a windspeed of 3.3m/s.
Stopwatch
Improvement incoming from Hamilton, who goes green in all three sectors to register a 1m33.225s, pushing him up to P6.
You may have noticed that there is an added 10 minutes at the end of today's morning session. This is because there will be a safety car systems check at the conclusion of the session - testing isn't only for the teams, you know!
At the two-hour mark, the order is: 
1. Leclerc 1:31.750
2. Piastri +0.578
3. Sargeant +0.828
4. Perez +1.129
5. Alonso +1.303
6. Zhou +1.965
7. Gasly +2.054
8. Hamilton +2.472
9. Hulkenberg +5.784
10. Tsunoda +6.956
Stopwatch
Perez goes green in the final sector too, putting in a 1m32.879s to go fourth. That's his first meaningful effort of the day.
Perez is winding it at the moment with a personal best sector one and two.
Pit stop
As we approach the midpoint of the session, Leclerc parks his Ferrari in the garage, climbs out and removes his helmet. A good morning so far, topping the timesheets and with 29 laps in the bank.
Stopwatch
Also a personal best for P9 Tsunoda, but it's still far from a hot lap at a 1m38.706s.
Stopwatch
Green in sector two and slower in sector three, but a personal best 1m33.053s move Alonso up to fourth.
Alonso is on a push lap on fresh C3 medium tyres. Green in the first sector but after running wide on the exit of Turn 4, this lap wouldn't stand in qualifying.
Tsunoda is finally back in the car but remains in the RB garage. Only Perez is slower than the RB today so far. With only 19 laps completed, he's beginning to fall behind on mileage.
Stopwatch
Amid the long runs, Zhou puts in a new personal best lap to go fourth faster, 1.965s off Leclerc's benchmark.
A moment there for Hamilton at Turn 7 as he locks up on entry and bounces over the harsh kerbs on the exit. A rare moment of anything other than calm from the Mercedes driver.
A rather sparse track at the moment with only Piastri, Gasly and Hamilton out there, none of whom are on short runs for outright pace.
Stopwatch
...and Hamilton rounds out the lap with another personal best sector, improving his best effort to a 1m34.222s. That leaves him seventh and well over two seconds back on Leclerc. Obviously, caveat that with the usual fuel loads and unknowns of testing.
...a personal best sector two...
On a fresh set of medium C3 compound tyres - which Mercedes have 25 of available for the test - Hamilton opens the taps. 

A personal best sector one...
Stopwatch
And a personal best final sector also as Sargeant puts in an improved 1m32.578s. He remains third but is 0.828s back on Leclerc.
DRS open and a personal best sector two for Sargeant...
A fresh set of C4 tyres for Sargeant as he goes for a hot lap. A personal best sector one to open with...
A team that we haven't mentioned much today at all is Alpine. Gasly has quietly is currently fourth and is middling on the distance run at 17 laps. Understated was how we described Alpine on Wednesday, and it's more of the same today. 

But when does understated become underwhelming?
And there we have it, all 10 drivers in the morning session have now completed 10 laps as Perez reaches the marker. Zhou has completed the most mileage with 23 laps in the bank.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.

By: Autosport Staff

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