Red Bull’s Formula 1 car for the 2024 season has impressed one team principal and caused concern among rival teams during testing in Bahrain. On the first day, Max Verstappen topped the timesheets, but on the second day, Sergio Perez experienced a small fire on the front right of his car and finished behind Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz. The laptimes suggest that Red Bull faces a close challenge from its rivals, but Sainz said he is not afraid of what Red Bull has achieved. However, Charles Leclerc, Sainz’s teammate, believes that Red Bull is still ahead of the competition. Sainz admitted that winning the championship may not be realistic when considering Red Bull’s advancements. The general consensus in the paddock is that Red Bull is leading the pack, potentially by a significant margin. The changes made to the car’s design have paid off, as demonstrated by Verstappen’s impressive laptime on the first day of testing. Other teams have taken notice of Red Bull’s performance and the mileage covered over the two days of testing. McLaren team principal Andrea Stella praised Red Bull’s bravery in making changes to a successful car and expressed concern about what they could achieve in 2024. Stella believes that Red Bull’s advantage comes from both visible and hidden improvements, particularly in aerodynamic performance. While the surface changes are evident, the real impact lies in the details that are not visible to the naked eye. So far, Red Bull has shown that they have made significant progress from last year and are likely to be the team to beat. Another team boss and Mercedes driver George Russell also consider Red Bull as the favorite and a step ahead of the competition. The only question remains about the size of Red Bull’s advantage, with some fearing it may be even greater than in 2023. More clues may emerge on the final day of testing, and the full picture will be revealed next week. However, Red Bull’s performance has already left a lasting impression on the paddock and its rivals.
According to the Source the-race.com