The appearance of a splash of green on F1’s traditionally all-red Ferrari has caused something of a social media stir in recent days, but of more significance to the Scuderia’s prospects this year is the changes they have made to the SF21 for 2021.
After a dismal 2020 when they slipped to sixth in the standings, Ferrari have reworked the rear of their car – with an all-new power unit housed underneath the bodywork – and also changed the nose. They are hopeful it will be both more powerful and less draggy down the straights.
Regaining some of their previous horsepower is clearly going to be key and here in Bahrain is probably as good a place as any to put those changes to the test given the track’s several big straights.
Charles Leclerc completed 59 laps in the morning session, but was also the first driver to fall silent on track this winter test, with what appeared to be a technical or mechanical problem with the Ferrari. Carlos Sainz will take over from Charles in the afternoon session
Join us for live updates:
14:00 – The afternoon session is about to get underway in Bahrain… but the wind must have really picked up over the lunch break as it’s now a VERY sandy Bahrain track with visibility poor.
The session is indeed now GO but there are no cars on track. Understandably…
14:08 – Not the greatest levels of visibility then for these drivers to enter the fray this afternoon after some lunchtime team-mate switches:
Mercedes – Lewis Hamilton
McLaren – Lando Norris
Aston Martin – Lance Stroll
Ferrari – Carlos Sainz
AlphaTauri – Yuki Tsunoda
Alfa Romeo – Antonio Giovinazzi
Haas – Nikita Mazepin
Red Bull’s Max Verstappen, Alpine’s Esteban Ocon and Williams’ Roy Nissany stay on for the afternoon.
14:17 – Only Ocon and Mazepin, making his full F1 testing debut in the Haas, out on track at the moment in these rather unhelpful conditions in the mid-afternoon of Bahrain.
And drivers thought grip levels were low this morning…
14:31 – Yuki Tsunoda, the AlphaTauri rookie, who the team are so excited about, takes his first steps in an official F1 test as a Grand Prix driver.
14:46 – Not too much to report since the break given these conditions, although grip levels now do seem to be improving a little. Awaiting Lewis Hamilton to join the fray, along with Lando Norris, Lance Stroll and Carlos Sainz.
1. Daniel Ricciardo, McLaren, 45 laps, 1:32.203
2. Pierre Gasly, AlphaTauri, 74 laps, +0.028
3. Max Verstappen, Red Bull, 68 laps, +0.042
4. Esteban Ocon, Alpine, 68 laps, +0.756
5. Charles Leclerc, Ferrari: 59 laps, +1.039
6. Kimi Raikkonen, Alfa Romeo: 63 laps, +1.117
7. Sebastian Vettel, Aston Martin, 51 laps, +1.539
8. Roy Nissany, Williams, 39 laps, +2.586
9. Mick Schumacher, Haas, 15 laps, +3.924
10. Valtteri Bottas, Mercedes, 6 laps, +4.647
11. Nikita Mazepin, Haas, 11 laps, +4.855
12. Yuki Tsunoda, AlphaTauri, 6 laps, +4.856
13. Antonio Giovinazzi, Alfa Romeo, 7 laps, +5.595
15:16 – Our first wheel-to-wheel of 2021 as old foes Verstappen and Oco go side-by-side – no contact this time ala Brazil ’18!
15:25 – Max Verstappen has just posted what is comfortably the fastest lap of F1 2021 so far – a 1:31.412.
That’s some eight-tenths faster than what Ricciardo managed this morning.
15:55 – It’s been a very impressive start to F1 2021 from AlphaTauri.
They’re on 99 laps for F1 Testing and would have been the first to rack up 100 for the day had they not just pitted Yuki Tsunoda, who is currently fifth after dropping a place to Antonio Giovinazzi.
16:10 – A stoppage just before lunch for Charles Leclerc, but Ferrari have got back up and running relatively well in the afternoon gloom with Carlos Sainz completing his first 30 laps for the team in a full test.
16:50 – Day One of testing doesn’t often tell you an awful lot in the grand scheme of things, but strong early mileage can never be sniffed at – and so Red Bull will be pleased to be well clear of 100 laps already for their day.
17:20 – Now just gone 6pm local time in Bahrain, meaning we now have those familiar floodlights in play that have so helped eliven the Bahrain GP itself in recent years.
Track conditions have certainly improved as the afternoon session has progressed.
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