Red Bull is coming off a sweep in 2023, a year in which it won 21 of 22 races, with 19 wins for a struggling Verstappen. For this season of 2024, all his rivals followed his idea and a smaller margin for improvement and surprise is expected in a Red Bull that works like a charm, but energy drinks, thanks to the best minds in F1, the teacher Adrian. Newey, who came to the table by presenting a new concept, has changed a lot to perfect their idea of presenting their car, something that was even more surprising when it was seen in more detail on day 1 of the F1 preseason test this Wednesday, which gives a big blow to the table also on asphalt in terms of performance. Not only did they show off a new weapon, but they also made it clear that they had further refined their aim.
Red Bull, with Verstappen at the wheel in the first preseason test session in the morning (he will drive all day 1), started with some doubts in the first hour, with several braking passes, a lot of oversteer and various other corrections. Adrian Newey, dressed as incognito, on the street and wearing a cap, contemplated the car. The performance of a concept very close to the failed idea of Mercedes in 2022 and 2023, almost without pontoons and with a minimum of vertical lateral air openings on the sides, may fail. But they quickly took it upon themselves to put an end to any serious rumors and make it clear that Red Bull in 2024 has nothing to do with what happened to those from Brackley in previous years. Your idea seems to be working. And besides, it seems to work very well.
So Max Verstappen led the first morning of testing with a 1’32.548, beating the best time set on the first day of testing last year by three tenths. The Dutchman beat the Ferrari by 0.699. Charles Leclerc (Sainz will drive in the afternoon) and the Aston Martin of Fernando Alonso in 0’837.
Good start for Alonso in the F1 test in Bahrain
Test times are not very representative. The cars still have a lot of room for improvement and each driver’s program is unknown, as well as the fuel level and engine map on which they performed their laps. Furthermore, all teams try to hide their true potential. In fact, Fernando Alonso, at his best time, shamelessly put his foot up in the last set when he painted the first two in purple, making it clear that the time he could set should be closer to Verstappen and higher than Leclerc. Therefore, the important thing is the sensations and adding the maximum possible number of turns without suffering problems and in a car that performs all the time.
Red Bull achieved this after initial doubts, pulverizing records with a Max that should be the great favorite for everyone this year. Leclerc struggled more, with some braking passes, but the Ferrari also left a good impression, although overshadowed by another Red Bull. And he luckily left Fernando Alonso’s Aston Martin behind.
If there is one thing that is key in the preseason tests, it is adding the maximum number of laps possible to accumulate the most amount of data to improve, making a proper connection between the wind tunnel and the track and -understand the car to adjust and evolve it. and in that sense, Alonso nailed it. The Asturian had the most laps in the morning session of the entire grid, with 77 laps, while Verstappen added 66, Leclerc, 64. The other side of the coin was that of Mercedes, with George Russell forced to spend a long time in the box and add 48 laps, 29 less than Fernando. Or Albon’s Williams, which only added 40 laps.
Alonso puts his foot up in sector 3 and there’s more to come
In addition, Aston Martin left great signs of speed and drivability of the car. Fernando looked comfortable and the times were fast from the start. In fact, the man from Oviedo led the tests on the first lap and was the first to drop 1’33” on his second attacking lap, once again leading the overall standings. He was then overtaken by Leclerc and Verstappen, but in their faster lap, the man from Oviedo clearly put his foot up in the last sector. He painted sectors 1 and 2 purple, with a margin of half a second on the previous time, and ended up crossing the finish line without improving his last partial and losing three tenths with respect to the advantage it had in the previous sector. Clear proof that there is much more to that car, which so far has not given fears or problems, it appears that Obedient, manageable and reliable, as well as fast, everything a driver wants.
Red Bull’s concept is surprising and works
But at the moment, Verstappen and Red Bull have given the feeling of being one step ahead with an innovative car that is surprising in its minimalist side with a vertical side opening, a very thin horizontal sidepod air inlet behind a top which lip works on the wing, and above. all, air inlets on the sides of the cabin where air is fed into large tubes in the engine hood that redirect the air to the rear of the car. A work of art that seems to work too.
Source: La Verdad
I’m Rose Herman and I work as an author for Today Times Live. My expertise lies in writing about sports, a passion of mine that has been with me since childhood. As part of my job, I provide comprehensive coverage on everything from football to tennis to golf.
