Formula 1: Ferrari practice pace flattered by engine modes - Wolff
Mercedes believes Ferrari's strong pace in Friday practice for the Bahrain Grand Prix was flattered by the Scuderia using high-power engine modes
Kimi Raikkonen and Sebastian Vettel led the way at the end of the second session, with Mercedes half a second adrift.
Mercedes boss Toto Wolff said his team was relaxed about the large deficit because of the power modes his team understands Ferrari was using in FP2.
"They were in a pretty high power mode when they were on the lap, so it isn't so worrying, but it is a good lap," Wolff told Sky Sports F1.
"It's quite amazing - we have GPS data, so you can follow the traces of every car.
"You can see that when you overlay the data, suddenly on the straights they gain much more time, and in the corners it's still the same.
"You can see that in detail, so it's become very transparent for the engineers how much somebody has turned up the power, and how much downforce, and how much drag everyone is running."
There was much focus on Mercedes' 'party' engine modes at the Australian Grand Prix in the wake of Lewis Hamilton's dominant pole position lap in Q3, but Mercedes' indications are that there is very little to choose between the performance of Mercedes and Ferrari.
Hamilton said in Bahrain on Thursday that Mercedes' understands Ferrari has eliminated its power deficit this season.
"They [the team] said in qualifying we think that we are power-wise equal to them," Hamilton said.
"They made a really big improvement. And [the team said] that in the race we might have a slight edge on them.
"It's hard to say from one race - they had a different run profile, particularly in the race they were doing something different fuelling wise.
"You'll get a much better idea over the coming races."
Formula 1: Raikkonen quickest for Ferrari but suffers loose wheel drama
Formula 1: Raikkonen escapes grid penalty as Ferrari is fined
Why it's Red Bull that really leads a three-way fight so far at Silverstone
After a slow start to Friday at Silverstone, all the Formula 1 teams had to effectively cram in a day’s worth of practice into one hour. But there was still plenty to learn and while Ferrari topped the times, a three-way battle is brewing ahead of the British Grand Prix
Why the future is bright for the British GP
It wasn’t so long ago the situation looked bleak at Silverstone with the future of the British Grand Prix under threat. But a transformation has seen it restored to one of the most important races on the Formula 1 calendar, with bigger and better to come
Could mixed fortunes for F1's leading Brits turn around at Silverstone?
For the first time in many years, none of the local racers starts among the favourites for the British Grand Prix. But George Russell, Lewis Hamilton and Lando Norris could have reasons for optimism
Verstappen exclusive: Why F1’s champion isn’t fazed by Silverstone return
Max Verstappen is the world’s number one racing driver… and he’s determined to keep it that way. Speaking exclusively to GP Racing's OLEG KARPOV, the Red Bull driver explains why he’s relishing the 2022 championship battle with Charles Leclerc – and why he’s not worried about returning to Silverstone, the scene of the biggest accident of his career last year
Why Red Bull’s RB17 hypercar can help its F1 team
On Tuesday, Red Bull laid out its plans to develop and build a new hypercar - the RB17 - penned by Adrian Newey. As the project itself sates Newey as a creative outlet, it also offers Red Bull's Formula 1 team a number of new and exciting avenues to pursue
What to expect from Mercedes as F1 returns to Silverstone
OPINION: The British Grand Prix is a home event for Lewis Hamilton and George Russell, with their Mercedes team based just a few miles away too. But there’s another reason why the Silver Arrows squad is eager to arrive at Silverstone this weekend, which may help it fix its remaining problems with its 2022 Formula 1 challenger
The “solemn promise” that cost quiet hero Brooks an F1 title
After two terrifying crashes, one of the best British racers of the 1950s retired before his career peaked. But that’s why GP Racing’s MAURICE HAMILTON was able to speak to Tony Brooks in 2014. Like his friend Stirling Moss, Brooks was regarded as one of the best drivers never to have won the world championship. Here, as our tribute to Brooks who died last month, is that interview in full
Inside the Faenza facility where AlphaTauri’s F1 pragmatic vision is realised
AlphaTauri’s mission in F1 is to sell clothes and train young drivers rather than win the championship – but you still need a cutting-edge factory to do that. Team boss Franz Tost takes GP Racing’s OLEG KARPOV on a guided tour of a facility that’s continuing to grow