Formula 1: Mercedes Leaves Bahrain Pre-Season Testing as Favourites

All four of the teams mentioned were quick to dismiss their advantages against the rest of the field, but the numbers speak for themselves.

Mercedes finished the final of three pre-season tests as ‘top dogs’. The German outfit completed the most laps, and the car looks to be a dream to drive. Mercedes had struggled in the ground effects era, but seemed to have their mojo back.

Ferrari showed how rapidly their cars can get off the line, while Red Bull illustrated its “efficient energy recovery architecture”. This provides the drivers with more electrical power for longer to deliver a straight-line speed advantage, according to The Guardian.

Little to separate the top four teams…it seems

It’s unclear which of the four front-runners has the fastest car based on the data from testing. We’ll only know that after qualifying in the season opener in Australia next weekend.

However, on the final day of testing in Bahrain last Friday, it was Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc who was quickest, followed by reigning world champion Lando Norris. Four-time world champion Max Verstappen was third quickest on Friday.

Mercedes driver George Russell, who was fourth quickest on the final day, said: “We have looked in the mix with several of our rivals near the front, but it’s clear, with Ferrari topping the times and McLaren and Red Bull Racing being right on their tails, that we need to continue working hard to bring more performance.”

Reliability is key, Aston Martin’s woes continue

In terms of the most laps completed in the pre-season test period, Russell topped the list. The Briton racked up 688 laps between the Barcelona and Bahrain tests. That feat is remarkable when considering that his progress was halted by two power unit failures.

Another impressive showing was by Red Bull. The Austrian team has co-developed a new power unit with Ford, and their rookie driver, Arvid Lindblad,  completed 654 laps to finish second on the list.

Ferrari has been impressive in pre-season testing, with Charles Leclerc and seven-time world champion regularly topping the timesheets. The Monegasque driver gathered vital data for the Ferrari team by completing 651 laps.

At the other end of the table, Aston Martin’s woes continued as they struggled in the final three days of testing. The team completed 128 laps, the fewest by any team.

Team owner Lawrence Stroll invested heavily by recruiting famed F1 car designer Adrian Newey and building a new wind tunnel. However, their pre-season has been marred by delays to the car and power unit issues. Engine supplier Honda ran out of parts because of several issues related to the power unit.

The first race will get underway in Melbourne, Australia, next weekend.