Max Verstappen’s impressive lap times on the first day convincingly addressed these uncertainties.
Helmut Marko has acknowledged that Mercedes are faster than Red Bull had anticipated following pre-season testing, delivering a positive update for Toto Wolff and Lewis Hamilton.
However, the Austrian believes that Ferrari face more challenges than the reigning champions, while McLaren is experiencing uneasiness due to the performance of the RB20.
After revealing Red Bull’s new car for 2024, which marked a significant departure from the design of the RB19, questions arose about how the team would compare to their competitors.
Max Verstappen’s impressive lap times on the first day convincingly answered these questions.
Meanwhile, Mercedes had a trouble-free week, while Ferrari encountered setbacks when Charles Leclerc damaged his car by running over a loose drain cover on the second day.
McLaren entered pre-season with high expectations, but their feedback was relatively subdued compared to their rivals.
Expressing his observations after watching the on-track proceedings in Bahrain, Marko told Motorsport-Total that the Red Bull team is “proud” of the performance of their 2024 contender, the RB20.
“The reliability is exceptional,” Marko explained. “And in terms of tire performance, Ferrari seems to be facing more issues than us once again. McLaren also seems a bit nervous.
As for Mercedes, I’m unsure about their approach. They’re definitely faster than what they’ve shown us. However, we can remain confident.”
Marko’s positive outlook on the performance of the W15 resonated with George Russell.
After the second day of testing, he commented: “It’s definitely an improvement.”
The nervousness within McLaren, as mentioned by Marko, was evident when Andrea Stella spoke before Friday’s sessions.
“I believe the car provides a strong foundation for development and represents a step forward compared to last year’s model,” he said.
“However, overall, it’s clear that many teams have made progress, which is expected.
Each week of development brings performance improvements.
One team seems to have made a significant leap, unfortunately it’s the team that was already the fastest last year.
The chasing pack seemed closely matched last year, and it seems even more so this year.”