The Ferrari race sim offering clues to its Red Bull-beating potential

It is why Ferrari duo Carlos Sainz and Charles Leclerc coming out on top of the overall timing sheets over the course of this week’s Bahrain test has barely registered in conversations.

Sainz’s overall test-topping time of 1m29.921s, set on the second day, was around seven-tenths faster than the Red Bull benchmark of 1m30.679s set by Sergio Perez on the same afternoon.

However, no one is suggesting that it has any resemblance to the true picture of performance (even taking into account a 0.6s time difference in the tyre compounds they used).

PLUS: Why it’s a Red Bull vs Ferrari battle in F1 2024 testing’s long run times

Indeed, the consensus among the paddock is that Red Bull is clearly going into next weekend’s F1 season opener as the team to beat.

What is not so sure, though, is exactly how big its advantage is, because there is another Sainz element to the Bahrain test that has offered F1 plenty of food for thought about where the competitive picture lies between his Ferrari team and Red Bull.

As teams crunched through the data, it was a race-sim run from Sainz on the second evening, running in similar but not identical conditions to Perez on the same programme, that offered some intrigue about just how good the new SF-24 may be.

Carlos Sainz, Ferrari SF-24

Carlos Sainz, Ferrari SF-24

Photo by: Andy Hone / Motorsport Images

In pure lap time, the timing sheets suggested it was advantage Ferrari, in fact. Over the three race stints, Sainz proved to be quicker than the Red Bull.

The Spaniard’s advantage on the C3 averaged just more than 0.4 seconds – and stretched to more than one second on their final stints, which were both on the C1 hard compound.

The scale of that advantage was so extreme that it almost certainly points to Perez having run heavier on fuel. With it widely accepted that 10kg of weight equates to around 0.3 seconds of lap time around Bahrain, there is quite a high degree of variability to be exactly sure of how much of a realistic picture their two runs offered.

But one thing is not in doubt from the Sainz race sim – that the high tyre degradation which derailed much of Ferrari’s 2023 campaign appears to have been cured.

Sainz’s form was incredibly consistent. Looking at his final stint on the C1 in particular, it was a world away from how things played out in last year’s Bahrain Grand Prix, when both he and Leclerc struggled massively with tyre degradation.

His run on the C1 played out like this: 35.5, 35.7, 35.5, 35.6, 35.3, 35.4, 35.5, 35.2, 35.3, 35.1, 35.2, 35.2, 35.1, 35.1, 34.9, 35.3, 35.8, 35.5, 35.6.

Carlos Sainz, Ferrari SF-24

Carlos Sainz, Ferrari SF-24

Photo by: Steven Tee / Motorsport Images

For team boss Fred Vasseur, it is this consistency – and the fact that both drivers can feel the improvement with the car – that has been a more important signal from the test than any number comparisons between Ferrari and Red Bull.

“Before the long stint, the most important was the feedback from Carlos and Charles that they are in a much better place with the car,” he said. “It is much more consistent with less degradation.

“I think this is important for the race for sure. But now it is a bit more difficult to know exactly where we are in terms of pure performance, because with the level of fuel we can play a lot, and I think nobody knows exactly where we are relatively.”

Indeed, teams are well versed in the art of misdirection in testing, to try not to alert rivals as to what they are up to.

Verstappen in particular did several long runs on Friday, but each time was filled up quite a bit in a bid to not show off the full potential of the car. He was fast and super consistent – indeed there was even an element of negative deg in terms of lap times dropping over the stint as the fuel came off.

Interestingly, he was also relatively slow through the speed traps while doing this, which hinted that engine modes may well have been turned down too.

Watch: Time for the Debrief – F1 2024 Pre Season Testing Day 3 Reaction

For now, Ferrari is encouraged by what it has heard from its drivers and what it saw from that Sainz long run on Thursday. But deep uncertainty remains over what Red Bull was really up to in the test with its fuel loads.

As Vasseur explained about whether he thinks Red Bull is miles clear: “If they run with 20 kilos we are in a good shape, but if they run with 80kg we are nowhere. Nobody knows except them.

“But if you start to get too much focus on the others, you are losing a little bit the paths of your decisions.

“We had a long list of items to tick and the testing to cover and we were focused on this. In one week’s time now, we will have a big answer!”

Steiner to make Bahrain F1 paddock return in German TV role

He will attend seven races with German broadcaster RTL, as well as the Australian GP with Channel 10, and is in talks about other potential work that fits his schedule.

His RTL commitment is weighted towards the second half of the season, with Bahrain followed by Hungary, Belgium, the Netherlands, Italy, Azerbaijan and Las Vegas.

The 58-year-old had his first taste of TV punditry at last year’s NASCAR event at COTA, where he performed a similar role on a visit to the USA between F1 events.

“I’m just what they call the expert commentator, like in the good old days Niki Lauda did,” Steiner told Autosport.

“It came together very quickly. They texted me last Sunday, asking if I was interested. We talked on Monday, they had a meeting between themselves, and on Tuesday, they asked if I could do it. I said, ‘Sure, why not?’.

“It’s just they were looking for somebody, and I think they want to rejuvenate a little bit their programme, not always the same people, and just came up with my name, and I spoke with them.

“As I always say, my life is always full of surprises. When people asked me in January ‘What are you going to do now?’ I said, ‘I’m not worried about what I’m going to do. I mean, I don’t know what is coming.’ And these things came.”

Guenther Steiner, Team Principal, Haas F1 Team, speaks to the media

Guenther Steiner, Team Principal, Haas F1 Team, speaks to the media

Photo by: Simon Galloway / Motorsport Images

Regarding his one-off Australian TV appearance he said: “It’s four or five weeks out. So I don’t really know yet what I’m doing there! I think I’m doing something similar.”

Steiner admits that his NASCAR experience with Fox Sports at COTA last March was an eye opener and useful preparation.

“Absolutely,” he said. “At the time I didn’t know enough about it, and when people said, let’s try to do this, I said ‘Yeah, let’s try it.’

“Now I’m really happy that I did that, because at least I know roughly what it involves because when I went to Austin last year, I had no idea how to do TV because I’ve never done it before. That was a good experience, it was doing something different. I think I can do a decent job.”

Steiner says he has no qualms about voicing critical opinions of drivers and teams if they are justified.

“As long as you stay professional about it, you need to have an opinion, you cannot say everything is good,” he said.

“I’ll try to stay factual. I never start with I need to piss somebody off. Actually, I’m the opposite. I don’t want to piss anybody else in my life. I do it without trying!

Guenther Steiner, Team Principal, Haas F1 Team

Guenther Steiner, Team Principal, Haas F1 Team

Photo by: Andy Hone / Motorsport Images

“I’ve got an opinion, I achieve it without trying, but I’ve got an opinion and it’s not against that person. I’m not the guy who judges people, I just explain facts. I’m the last one to judge people.”

He also insists that he won’t resort to the colourful language that has become a trademark of his appearances in Drive to Survive.

“How many times did I swear in an official interview?,” he said. “How many times did I swear in the FIA press conference? Who did swear there? Perfect Fred [Vasseur], perfect Toto [Wolff]. Not Guenther!”

Steiner says he has other opportunities to work within F1, but he doesn’t want to commit to too much travelling.

“I’m speaking with a few people, and I’m getting now a little bit, hey, I don’t want to do 24,” he said. “It’s one of these things, you start with something, and all of a sudden, it’s growing.

“There’s quite a bit going on, but I’m not jumping at everything, and I just evaluate. Because otherwise, if you maybe do one thing, you then cannot do the other thing.

“I wouldn’t say I’ve got a big choice, but I can choose in the moment, which is a nice place to be. A very fortunate place to be.”

Red Bull has shown it wants to “crush the competition”, says Ricciardo

Rather than opting for an evolutionary step on last year’s RB19, Red Bull opted for a bold concept shift that has included an eye-opening sidepod solution and Mercedes-style gulleys on its engine cover.

The new car hit the ground running in this week’s test in Bahrain with its performance being widely considered to put the Milton Keynes-based squad clear of the opposition for the start of the season.

RB driver Ricciardo, who is part of the Red Bull family, says that the determination shown this winter to improve on the already dominant RB19 is perfect proof of the killer mindset the team has.

Asked by Autosport if he was surprised at what the squad had done this winter with the RB20, Ricciardo said: “I laugh because I’m surprised, but I’m not.

“I feel it’s a team that operates at its best when they’re winning. I feel like when they’re winning, it’s like they want to just completely crush the competition.

Daniel Ricciardo, RB F1 Team

Daniel Ricciardo, RB

Photo by: Zak Mauger / Motorsport Images

“It’s not like: ‘Okay, now we’re winning. Let’s go on holiday.’ It’s like: ‘Let’s really put our feet down.’ So that’s where I think they’ve come out this year. After the most dominant season in ’23, now they come out with a car that I think I was even like, ‘Wow’.”

Ricciardo, who raced for Red Bull between 2014 and 2018 and is in with a shot at a return next year, says that he simply salutes the technical leadership at the squad – and especially the mindset of its chief technical officer Adrian Newey.

“I feel like they’ve had the most – kind of – updates out of anyone, and that’s really saying something,” he said.

“Look, I love seeing Adrian near the car and that. And I don’t even feel bad singling Adrian out, because I know it’s more than just Adrian, but he’s obviously a big part of it. And it’s pretty cool to see.

“Whether I’m part of the family or not, I just – as a fan – love to see that kind of relentless approach and response to such a strong year. It’s like you have to, in a way, admire it. I know, obviously, for fans watching on the couch, they’re like, ‘Nah, I want someone to challenge Red Bull this year’. But you have to admire their approach.”

Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing RB20

Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing RB20

Photo by: Steven Tee / Motorsport Images

The impressive form of the RB20 in testing has already prompted some to suggest that it could help Red Bull achieve this year what it did not in 2023 – winning every race. It’s something that Ricciardo is not totally convinced can happen though.

“It seems nearly impossible,” he said. “It’s because of just how many races there are, and whether you get a wet race or not.

“Look, as much as they brought a new car to the season and I’m sure it’s still going to be a race-winning car, I don’t know: it’s too early to be that sure that it’s going to be as dominant as last year.

“They’re going to win races. I’m sure they will. But I wouldn’t go as far as saying yet that it’s going to be unbeatable.

“I think, Formula 1 is too unpredictable [for Red Bull] to be unbeatable. I think they’ll do very well but yeah, too early to have that confidence.”

F1 testing results: Full 2024 Bahrain pre-season lap times

Sainz set the quickest time on the second of the three days of testing, before the season-opening Bahrain Grand Prix at the Sakhir circuit on 2 March.

However, he set his lap using the C4 Pirelli tyre, which is not available next weekend.

His Ferrari team-mate Charles Leclerc was second quickest overall, setting his best time on the final day, as did George Russell for Mercedes and Zhou Guanyu for Sauber. They all used the C4 for their fastest times.

Red Bull’s Sergio Perez (who was quickest overall in this test last year) and Max Verstappen lapped within a tenth of each other in fifth and sixth using the C3 tyre, which will be the soft next weekend.

Yuki Tsunoda was seventh for RB, the rebranded AlphaTauri team, ahead of Alex Albon (Williams), Oscar Piastri (McLaren) and Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes).

Aston Martin, Haas and Alpine ended the three days of running without a car in the top 10.

Full Bahrain testing results: Sainz fastest for Ferrari

Pos   Driver (Car/Engine)  21 Feb   22 Feb   23 Feb 
1 Carlos Sainz
Ferrari SF-24 / Ferrari 066/12
1’32.584
69
1’29.921
84
1’31.247
71
2 Charles Leclerc
Ferrari SF-24 / Ferrari 066/12
1’33.247
64
1’31.750
54
1’30.322
74
3 George Russell
Mercedes F1 W15 E Performance / M15
1’34.109
122
  1’30.368
67
4 Zhou Guanyu
Sauber C44 / Ferrari 066/12
1’33.871
63
1’33.715
38
1’30.647
85
5 Sergio Pérez
Red Bull RB20 / Honda RBPT H002
  1’30.679
129
1’31.483
53
6 Max Verstappen
Red Bull RB20 / Honda RBPT H002
1’31.344
143
  1’30.755
66
7 Yuki Tsunoda
RB VCARB 01 / Honda RBPT H002
1’34.136
64
1’38.074
40
1’30.775
53
8 Alexander Albon
Williams FW46 / Mercedes F1 M15
1’34.587
40
  1’30.984
121
9 Oscar Piastri
McLaren MCL38 / Mercedes F1 M15
1’33.658
57
1’32.328
35
1’31.030
91
10 Lewis Hamilton
Mercedes F1 W15 E Performance 
/ M15
  1’31.066
123
1’31.999
49
11 Fernando Alonso
Aston Martin AMR24 / Mercedes F1 M15
1’33.385
77
1’33.053
31
1’31.159
75
12 Lando Norris
McLaren MCL38 / Mercedes F1 M15 
1’32.484
73
1’31.256
52
1’32.108
20
13 Daniel Ricciardo
RB VCARB 01 / Honda RBPT H002
1’32.599
52
1’31.361
88
1’37.015
70
14 Nico Hülkenberg
Haas VF-24 / Ferrari 066/10
1’35.906
82
1’37.509
31
1’31.686
89
15 Lance Stroll
Aston Martin AMR24 / Mercedes F1 M15
1’33.007
54
1’32.029
96
1’32.038
46
16 Esteban Ocon
Alpine A524 / Renault E-Tech RE24
1’34.677
60
1’32.061
78
1’33.079
55
17 Pierre Gasly
Alpine A524 / Renault E-Tech RE24
1’32.805
61
1’33.804
33
1’32.149
47
18 Valtteri Bottas
Sauber C44 / Ferrari 066/12
1’34.431
68
1’32.227
97
1’33.528
28
19 Logan Sargeant
Williams FW46 / Mercedes F1 M15
1’33.882
21
1’32.578
117
 
20 Kevin Magnussen
Haas VF-24 / Ferrari 066/10
1’35.692
66
1’36.611
93
1’33.053
80

Who recorded the most mileage in Bahrain F1 testing?

Haas F1 Team did score one victory, by recording the most laps across the three days of running, with Kevin Magnussen logging the most mileage of any driver.

At the other end of the scale, Williams was at the bottom of the chart – and fell just short of the 300 lap mark. Logan Sargeant got the least amount of running at 138 laps.

Bahrain testing team stats: Haas runs most laps

Seq.   Make   Laps   km 
1 Haas 441 2386
2 Ferrari 416 2251
3 Red Bull 391 2116
4 Sauber 379 2051
5 Aston Martin 379 2051
6 RB 367 1986
7 Mercedes 361 1953
8 Alpine 334 1807
9 McLaren 328 1775
10 Williams 299 1618

Bahrain testing driver stats: Magnussen gets most mileage

Seq.   Driver   Laps   km 
1 Kevin Magnussen 239 1293
2 Carlos Sainz 224 1212
3 Daniel Ricciardo 210 1136
4 Max Verstappen 209 1131
5 Nico Hülkenberg 202 1093
6 Lance Stroll 196 1060
7 Esteban Ocon 193 1044
8 Valtteri Bottas 193 1044
9 Charles Leclerc 192 1039
10 George Russell 189 1022
11 Zhou Guanyu 186 1006
12 Oscar Piastri 183 990
13 Fernando Alonso 183 990
14 Sergio Pérez 182 984
15 Lewis Hamilton 172 930
16 Alexander Albon 161 871
17 Yuki Tsunoda 157 849
18 Lando Norris 145 784
19 Pierre Gasly 141 763
20 Logan Sargeant 138 746

Bahrain testing engine stats: Mercedes on top

Seq.   Engine   Laps   km 
1 Mercedes 1367 7398
2 Ferrari 1236 6689
3 Honda RBPT 758 4102
4 Renault 334 1807

Bahrain F1 testing: Tech images from the pitlane explained

This was a last chance for teams to try new parts and run aerodynamic tests ahead of the Bahrain Grand Prix, which begins on Thursday.

Mercedes F1 W15 with sensors

Mercedes F1 W15 with sensors

Photo by: Giorgio Piola

The Mercedes W15 fitted with a Kiel probe rake ahead of the rear wheels and rear wing assembly.


Red Bull Racing RB20 front brake detail

Red Bull Racing RB20 front brake detail

Photo by: Giorgio Piola

A look at the front brake arrangement on the Red Bull RB20, without the brake drum and the various pieces of pipework that deliver cool air to the components.


Red Bull Racing RB20 detail

Red Bull Racing RB20 detail

Photo by: Giorgio Piola

The louvred panel on the side of the engine cover rejects the air captured by the inlet snorkel upstream of it behind the cockpit and beside the rear leg of the halo.


Ferrari SF-24 detail

Ferrari SF-24 detail

Photo by: Giorgio Piola

Ferrari with just a single cooling gill open on the side of the SF24’s engine cover.


Red Bull Racing RB20 front wing detail

Red Bull Racing RB20 front wing detail

Photo by: Giorgio Piola

Red Bull has moved the front wing adjuster to the inboard end of the moveable flap section for 2024, having previously mounted it at the outboard end.


Esteban Ocon, Alpine F1 A524

Esteban Ocon, Alpine F1 A524

Photo by: Zak Mauger / Motorsport Images

Alpine used a pair of Kiel probe rakes mounted low down behind the front wing and ahead of the front wheel assembly.


Ferrari SF-24 detail

Ferrari SF-24 detail

Photo by: Zak Mauger / Motorsport Images

A look inside the Ferrari SF-24’s sidepod without the bodywork in place, which shows us how the team has arranged the radiators.


Carlos Sainz, Ferrari SF-24

Carlos Sainz, Ferrari SF-24

Photo by: Giorgio Piola

Ferrari with green flow-viz paint on the front wing, along the side of the chassis and on the front suspension elements of the SF-24.


Red Bull Racing RB20 front brake detail

Red Bull Racing RB20 front brake detail

Photo by: Giorgio Piola

A look at the Red Bull RB20’s front brake arrangement, with the first layer of ductwork over the brake disc and calliper components in place. Notably, there’s a window in this stage of the brake disc fairing that will allow the heat to be released into the next layer of ductwork.


Red Bull Racing RB20 front brake detail

Red Bull Racing RB20 front brake detail

Photo by: Giorgio Piola

Although we can’t see the full extent of the ductwork, the next layer has been fitted to the RB20 in this image.


Mercedes F1 W15 detail

Mercedes F1 W15 detail

Photo by: Giorgio Piola

A look under the Mercedes W15’s bodywork, as both the sidepods and engine cover are removed, which shows us how the radiators are laid out this season.


Mercedes garage atmosphere

Mercedes garage atmosphere

Photo by: Giorgio Piola

Three of the Mercedes mechanics put their weight on the W15’s front wing as their colleagues make a suspension change.


Mercedes W15 floor detail

Mercedes W15 floor detail

Photo by: Giorgio Piola

Mercedes with wool tufts attached to the W15’s edge wing in order that the team can visualise how that region is performing aerodynamically.


Mercedes W15 front suspension

Mercedes W15 front suspension

Photo by: Uncredited

Note the position of the rear leg of the upper wishbone – this is how Mercedes had the car set up for the first two days of pre-season testing.


Mercedes W15 front suspension

Mercedes W15 front suspension

Photo by: Giorgio Piola

For the third and final day of pre-season testing, Mercedes moved the rear leg of the upper wishbone into a lower position.

Hamilton: Mercedes “not yet where we want to be” with F1 car after Bahrain test

The German manufacturer has revamped its car for this year in a bid to dial out the obvious weakness that plagued Hamilton and team-mate George Russell throughout 2023.

Although early running of the W15 appears to indicate that the Mercedes 2024 challenger has dialled out many of its vices – including the ‘spiteful’ rear end – Hamilton has suggested that pace-wise it has not yet hit its target.

“We know we’ve got work to do and we’re not yet where we want to be,” said Hamilton. “We knew that would be the case coming into the test though.

“We’ve got a great platform to build on. We’ll go away and work hard over the next couple of days to go through all the data from the test. I’m really excited for the start of the season next week and we’ll be heading into it in good shape.”

Russell said Mercedes was in no doubt that world champion Red Bull remained out in front based on the impressive pace of the RB20, but felt his own outfit was in a much better place than it was 12 months ago.

“The car has been handling well and correlates to the feeling we had on the simulator ahead of coming here,” he said. “We’ve got a very good base to build from.

George Russell, Mercedes F1 W15

George Russell, Mercedes F1 W15

Photo by: Sam Bloxham / Motorsport Images

“We’re aware that there’s a lot more lap time to find. We knew that would be the case ahead of the test, and Red Bull are looking very strong once again.

“Nevertheless, I’m confident that we’re in a much better place than we were 12 months ago. The team at Brackley and Brixworth have done a great job to get us into this position and with a car that is a step in the right direction.

“We now need to focus on firstly getting the most out of the package we have, and secondly adding more downforce and trying to close that gap.”

Read Also:

Mercedes trackside engineering director Andrew Shovlin said the early indications from the test pointed to the W15 being much improved in the key areas the team had hoped to sort.

“The team has worked hard to iron out the handling flaws that were integral to the W14, and it’s great that we seem to have put a number of those problems behind us,” he said.

“Over the course of the test we’ve made good steps on our understanding of the car. The task of the next few days is to pick through the results and put together the best package to take into the race weekend.

“It’s never easy to make predictions on pace from testing, as all teams are quite effective at hiding their pace when they want to. It’s clear that we are in a much better position than 12 months ago though.”

Gasly: Alpine ‘doesn’t look great’ after Bahrain F1 test

The Enstone team has made a major concept change since last season and knew that it might take time to optimise.

On overall times for the three days, Esteban Ocon and Gasly were 16th and 17th of the 20 drivers participating.

While on balance the A524 is not actually the slowest car in the field, the team is still far from where it wants to be.

“To be fair I haven’t really focused on others because there’s been so much going on our side,” Gasly told Sky F1.

“I don’t think we look great. But at the same time, we still have a couple of days to really understand everything we’ve done.

“We’ve put the car upside down, done a lot of tests. So hopefully, some analysis and answers will bring us some more performance. And then, we’ll find out, no one will hide any more next Friday.

“But I think we’ll have to be patient, even if it’s not what we like as drivers, but clearly it might take some time before we really unlock the performance we want from that car.”

Pierre Gasly, Alpine A524

Pierre Gasly, Alpine A524

Photo by: Sam Bloxham / Motorsport Images

Gasly conceded it will be a difficult start to the season for the team.

“It’s not going to be an easy first race,” he said. “We’re not going to start from where we would have liked. But at the same time, we’ve got to give ourselves some time to understand that new car concept that we have.

“The good thing is we’ve identified very clearly what we’ve got to work on as a team. Now, whether we’re able to fix it with car setup or not, for the first few races of the season, time will tell, but for sure there’ll be an aggressive plan of upgrades which we will need to close the gap.”

Gasly stressed it was important the team understood what it needed to work on ahead of the first race of the season next week.

“It has been very clear with Esteban, we had very similar feedback straight away,” he said. “It’s all about analysing whether we can fix these issues with set-up ahead of next week, or whether we need bigger upgrades to counter these couple of issues which we can identify already.

“So yeah, a lot of work. Still, it’s only three days of testing, it flew by. We’ll try to put the car in the best place possible for next week.”

Read Also:

Regarding the pecking order, he added: “We’re not at the top, that’s one thing we know. But then I don’t want to make any conclusion now, as I said, it’s a new car, there’s a lot to understand, there is a lot of performance that we will have to find.

“But right now to make a claim or any conclusion after this much running will not be fair. We’ll have to work over the next few days. And hopefully, we’ll have a better and more complete car for next week.”

Norris: No regrets over new McLaren F1 deal amid Hamilton Ferrari switch

Norris has committed his future to McLaren with what is being described only as a “multi-year” deal, which supersedes an existing contract that expired at the end of 2025.

The announcement from McLaren arrived less than a week before the shock news broke of Hamilton having decided to depart Mercedes at the end of the year to join Ferrari.

Autosport understands that Norris signed the new paperwork well in advance of the announcement, so the timing was not as tight as suggested. But the Brit still made clear that he had “no regrets” over pledging his future to Woking now the driver market landscape has changed.

Amid the Hamilton switch and Red Bull’s strong start to pre-season testing in Bahrain as it bids to retain the constructors’ title, Norris said: “No, I’m very happy. I could have waited; I had the choice.

“I knew opportunities were potentially coming my way. I knew what opportunities I had at the time, last year and coming into this year and what could have happened or what is happening over the next couple of years anyway. So, no regrets from any side.”

Lando Norris, McLaren MCL38

Lando Norris, McLaren MCL38

Photo by: Sam Bloxham / Motorsport Images

While the Hamilton switch came as a bombshell to the outside world, Autosport understands that Norris and McLaren team-mate Oscar Piastri had known it was in the works for a little longer.

Norris has made plain that McLaren’s pronounced 2023 in-season recovery – with the team maximising its existing resources to revive its fortunes – plus building a new wind tunnel and completing coup signings David Sanchez (from Ferrari) and Rob Marshall (Red Bull chief engineering officer) further convinced him to remain.

He continued: “I’m confident in my team and confident in what we’ve been able to achieve and what we can achieve going into the future. I’m very happy with where I am.

“Of course, I could be happier if we were achieving more of the goals that I think we all want to achieve.

“But the main point is: I’m enjoying my time with the guys that I’m with. For me, that’s always a big part of my life – I want to enjoy where I am.

“I think that’s an important part of trying to improve as a team at the same time and knowing everyone and pushing everyone.

“Everyone’s capable of getting to the goal of being the top team in Formula 1. So, very happy.”

F1 testing results: Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc leads final day in Bahrain

Leclerc set the pace at Bahrain International Circuit in the last of three days of testing, beating Russell and Zhou Guanyu of Sauber.

Once again, testing was disrupted by a broken drain cover running for a second day in a row during the morning session.

2024 Bahrain F1 test, Day 3 results:

What happened in Bahrain F1 testing, Day 3?

Leclerc lapped in 1m30.322s on the C4 tyre, which won’t be in use during next weekend’s Bahrain Grand Prix weekend, to set the fastest time of the day.

Russell also bolted on the C4s for his final run of the test and lapped 0.046s shy of Leclerc’s time. Zhou did likewise and got to within three-tenths of a second of their pace.

Leclerc’s fastest time was 0.433s faster than Red Bull’s world champion Max Verstappen, who topped the opening day of running, who set his best time of 1m30.755s for fourth on the C3 compound that will be the season-opening event’s soft tyre.

Yuki Tsunoda was fifth in Red Bull’s junior team, RB, also running C4s, ahead of Alex Albon (Williams), Oscar Piastri (McLaren) and Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin).

Carlos Sainz’s 1m29.921s, set using the C4 tyre during yesterday’s running, remained the fastest time of the week. He was ninth quickest today, having only run in the morning.

What happened in Bahrain F1 testing’s Day 3 morning session?

The final day of testing was halted after only 27 minutes when a drain cover came loose on the outside kerb approaching Turn 11 – the same spot where another drain was dislodged and disrupted running on Thursday.

It appeared Red Bull’s Sergio Perez ran over the loose drain but avoided major car damage, and the session was stopped for 1h17m in total for repairs and checks across the rest of the track.

Sainz set the pace with a time of 1m31.247s, 0.236s ahead of Perez with Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes) a further half a second in arrears.

McLaren was limited to just 20 laps with Lando Norris due to a suspected clutch problem, while Valtteri Bottas was restricted to 28 laps for Sauber as the team worked on the floor and rear end of the car.

2024 Bahrain F1 test, Day 3 morning session results:

Pos Driver Team Time Gap Laps Tyres
1 Carlos Sainz Ferrari 1:31.247   61 C3
2 Sergio Perez Red Bull Racing 1:31.483 +0.236s 43 C3
3 Lewis Hamilton Mercedes 1:31.999 +0.752s 48 C5
4 Lance Stroll Aston Martin 1:32.038 +0.791s 46 C3
5 Lando Norris Mclaren 1:32.108 +0.861s 20 C3
6 Alexander Albon Williams 1:32.583 +1.336s 32 C3
7 Kevin Magnussen Haas 1:33.053 +1.806s 78 C3
8 Esteban Ocon Alpine 1:33.079 +1.832s 55 C3
9 Valtteri Bottas Sauber 1:33.528 +2.281s 28 C3
10 Daniel Ricciardo RB 1:37.015 +5.768s 70 C1

2024 Bahrain F1 test: Leclerc pips Russell to top final session

Leclerc’s team-mate Carlos Sainz had led the final morning session from Red Bull’s Sergio Perez before running was interrupted by a broken drain cover for the second day in a row.

Because repairs halted the test for 1h17m, the decision was taken to cancel the planned one-hour lunch break and carry on all the way to the chequered flag at 7pm local time.

There was early trouble for McLaren, which added to its testing gremlins this week with an apparent clutch issue for Lando Norris. Sauber’s Valtteri Bottas also ran a restricted programme while his team worked on the floor and rear end of his car.

In the afternoon Max Verstappen took over from Perez in the RB20, while Leclerc replaced Sainz in the scarlet Ferrari.

Leclerc soon went third-fastest behind Sainz and Perez until Verstappen put down a 1m31.058s, followed by a 1m30.763s on used C3 tyres 25 minutes later.

Leclerc replied with a 1m30.409s to go faster, but used the C4 compound that is a significant step softer and won’t be used at next week’s Bahrain Grand Prix at the same Sakhir circuit.

With two hours left to run the Monegasque driver took on another set of the red side-walled tyre to clock a 1m30.322s, going four tenths clear of the world champion.

Heading towards the final hour most heavy hitters switched their focus to longer runs on the hardest tyres.

Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing RB20

Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing RB20

Photo by: Steven Tee / Motorsport Images

But RB’s Yuki Tsunoda used C4s to vault up to third in the final hour, half a second shy of Leclerc.

He was soon shadowed by George Russell on the harder C3 tyre, while Alex Albon lifted himself up to fifth with a late C4 lap.

Albon was the only driver to stay in the car all day, completing 121 laps aboard the Williams FW46.

Bolting on the C4s himself, Mercedes driver Russell then attacked Leclerc’s table-topping time but a purple third sector wasn’t enough to dislodge the Ferrari as the Briton finished second, 0.046s behind.

Sauber driver Zhou Guanyu followed Russell through in third with a 1m30.647s, which demoted Verstappen to fourth.

Behind Tsunoda and Albon, McLaren’s Oscar Piastri and Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso had moved up right before sunset to end the test seventh and eighth respectively.

Sainz’s morning time held up for ninth ahead of Perez and Haas man Nico Hulkenberg.

Lewis Hamilton finished off his winter test in 12th after running 49 laps in the morning. He was followed by morning runners Lance Stroll (Aston Martin) and Norris.

George Russell, Mercedes W15

George Russell, Mercedes W15

Photo by: Erik Junius

Pierre Gasly and Esteban completed a low-key test for Alpine in 15th and 17th respectively, split by Haas’ Kevin Magnussen.

After his limited morning running Bottas was 18th, with RB’s Daniel Ricciardo the slowest of the 19 active drivers on Friday.

The 2024 season kicks off in earnest on Thursday with first practice for the Bahrain Grand Prix, which this year will be held on a Saturday.

F1 Bahrain pre-season test results on day three

Pos Driver Team Time Gap Laps Tyres
1 Charles Leclerc Ferrari 1:30.322   74 C4
2 George Russell Mercedes 1:30.368 +0.046s 67 C4
3 Zhou Guanyu Sauber 1:30.647 +0.325s 85 C4
4 Max Verstappen Red Bull Racing 1:30.755 +0.433s 66 C3
5 Yuki Tsunoda RB 1:30.775 +0.453s 53 C4
6 Alexander Albon Williams 1:30.984 +0.662s 121 C4
7 Oscar Piastri Mclaren 1:31.030 +0.708s 91 C3
8 Fernando Alonso Aston Martin 1:31.159 +0.837s 75 C3
9 Carlos Sainz Ferrari 1:31.247 +0.925s 71 C3
10 Sergio Perez Red Bull Racing 1:31.483 +1.161s 53 C3
11 Nico Hulkenberg Haas 1:31.686 +1.364s 89 C3
12 Lewis Hamilton Mercedes 1:31.999 +1.677s 49 C5
13 Lance Stroll Aston Martin 1:32.038 +1.716s 46 C3
14 Lando Norris Mclaren 1:32.108 +1.786s 20 C3
15 Pierre Gasly Alpine 1:32.149 +1.827s 47 C3
16 Kevin Magnussen Haas 1:33.053 +2.731s 80 C3
17 Esteban Ocon Alpine 1:33.079 +2.757s 55 C3
18 Valtteri Bottas Sauber 1:33.528 +3.206s 28 C3
19 Daniel Ricciardo RB 1:37.015 +6.693s 70 C1