Ferrari drivers Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz expressed surprise at the early pace of Mercedes following the first day of running at the Bahrain Grand Prix. Pre-season testing had led many to believe that Ferrari would be the main challenger to Red Bull’s dominance in recent years. However, it was Mercedes who ended Thursday’s practice session at the top of the timing sheets, with Lewis Hamilton leading a one-two for the team. Leclerc and Sainz acknowledged that testing can be misleading and that Mercedes and Red Bull will be strong contenders in the race. Despite a mistake during qualifying simulation, Leclerc expects to be competitive throughout the weekend. He noted that Mercedes’ performance was a bit surprising, but it remains to be seen what fuel load they were running. Leclerc is confident that he will be in the mix with the other teams. Sainz, on the other hand, had issues with the brakes and expressed concerns about the long-run performance of the car. The team will work on fine-tuning the balance and improving their long-run package.
Siegel's number 18 car already had a different design due to his major accident earlier in the week. Photo: Kevin DejewskiThe bump session for the Indy 500 on...
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