The trackside verdict on F1 2021 testing

There was a sense of urgency about Formula 1 pre-season testing, with teams permitted just three days of running to get acquainted with their 2021 cars. Away from confusing laptime data, the view from trackside tells a clear story

For the past few years, I’ve been heading to Barcelona to watch pre-season testing and it’s something I always enjoy. After a winter of no Formula 1, it’s nice to not only go and watch cars at the side of the track but also spend time with people in the teams as we all play the usual guessing game of ‘who’s hot and who’s not’.

Normally of course we’re all freezing in the paddock in Barcelona while having these conversations, so it was nice to be in the sunshine of Bahrain for a change. The circuits are quite different in terms of layout – Barcelona has more long radius corners with high speeds, therefore putting a larger emphasis on aerodynamics. The Sakhir circuit is traction limited with some big braking zones, although it does have some high-speed corners in the middle sector.