Mercedes and other sources suggest that they expect to lag behind their competitors as the season begins in early March. Red Bull and Ferrari have already been identified as the frontrunners for the 2024 Formula 1 season after just two days of pre-season testing in Bahrain.
In the past, pre-season lap times have been deemed unreliable indicators for the upcoming season due to the various variables and experimentation involved. However, Max Verstappen’s impressive pace on Wednesday stood out, as he was 1.14 seconds faster than McLaren’s Lando Norris, who finished in second place. Carlos Sainz of Scuderia Ferrari closely followed Norris.
Verstappen chose not to participate in further outings on Thursday, allowing Sainz to set the fastest lap time. Verstappen’s Red Bull teammate Sergio Perez followed closely behind, trailing by 0.75 seconds, while Lewis Hamilton secured the third spot.
George Russell, Hamilton’s teammate at Mercedes, openly acknowledged that Red Bull was clearly superior in terms of pace. He stated, “Red Bull are the favorites and definitely ahead of everyone else. That was expected.” Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc echoed similar sentiments, recognizing that Red Bull “remain considerably ahead.”
According to reports from Sky Germany, the Formula 1 paddock sees Ferrari as the closest challengers to Christian Horner’s Red Bull team. Mercedes engineers estimate that the gap between the top two teams is one second, while Williams personnel believe it to be half of that.
However, early indications suggest that if anyone other than Red Bull is to challenge Verstappen’s dominance this season, it is likely to be Leclerc or Sainz. In the previous season, Red Bull finished a significant 451 points ahead of Mercedes in the Constructors’ standings, with Ferrari trailing by an additional three points.
The drivers’ championship was similarly one-sided, with Verstappen leading Perez by a commanding 290 points. This marked Verstappen’s third consecutive Formula 1 title. Out of the 22 Grand Prix races, Sainz emerged as the only winner outside of Red Bull, with Verstappen claiming victory in 19 races and Perez in two.