Formula One Preseason Testing: McLaren Leads, Ferrari Close Behind, Williams Shows Improvement

McLaren remains the team to beat, with Ferrari emerging as their closest rivals and Williams showing notable improvement following preseason testing in Bahrain.

Mercedes, now with 18-year-old rookie Andrea Kimi Antonelli joining George Russell after seven-time champion Lewis Hamilton’s move to Ferrari, may have made progress. However, Red Bull, who dominated in 2023 but finished third last season, appeared less clear-cut, still needing work before the season opener in Melbourne on March 16.

Mercedes covered the most laps during testing, completing 458 laps (equivalent to over eight race distances), indicating stability. Red Bull, with Max Verstappen and Liam Lawson, only managed 304 laps.

Carlos Sainz’s Thursday lap of 1:29.348 seconds was faster than Williams’ qualifying time from Bahrain last year, earning second on the grid. McLaren’s Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri were also optimistic, praising their car’s balanced performance and solid race simulations.

Testing data revealed McLaren as the fastest on low fuel, with Ferrari trailing by just 0.21 seconds. Red Bull and Mercedes followed. Despite the results, there’s speculation that McLaren may be hiding their true pace by aborting fast laps.

Ferrari’s Hamilton seemed comfortable in the car, but telemetry issues cut his Friday session short. Williams, however, topped the timesheet after Carlos Sainz’s qualifying simulation and showed considerable mileage, suggesting they might challenge Alpine for supremacy outside the top four.

While McLaren team principal Andrea Stella hinted that Williams could be in the top five, Sainz dismissed it, pointing out the unpredictable nature of testing.

At the bottom of the grid, Sauber, soon to be Audi’s works team, showed no significant signs of improvement.

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