On the second day of Formula 1’s pre-season test in Bahrain, Carlos Sainz delivered the quickest lap time for Ferrari, showcasing a strong comeback against Red Bull’s initial dominance in Bahrain.
Following Max Verstappen’s lead on the first day, where he significantly outpaced others in Sakhir, Sainz outperformed Verstappen’s teammate, Sergio Perez, by 0.7 seconds on Thursday.
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Sainz’s top performance was achieved on the softer C4 tyres, compared to Perez’s medium C3 tyres, indicating that Ferrari might be closer to Red Bull’s pace than previously thought after the first day’s results.
Lewis Hamilton, driving for Mercedes, secured third. Like Perez, Hamilton participated in both sessions on Thursday after sitting out on Wednesday and ended up nearly 0.4 seconds behind his Red Bull competitor.
McLaren’s Lando Norris claimed fourth despite losing precious time due to a fuel system problem in an afternoon session that was also extended due to a dislodged drain cover.
Daniel Ricciardo completed the top five, all of whom set their fastest times in the cooler conditions of the evening session, with Sainz and Ricciardo both opting for the faster, softer C4 tyres.
Bahrain pre-season test: Day two timesheet
| Driver | Team | Time | Laps | Tyre |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1) Carlos Sainz | Ferrari | 1:29.921 | 84 | C4 |
| 2) Sergio Perez | Red Bull | +0.758 | 129 | C3 |
| 3) Lewis Hamilton | Mercedes | +1.145 | 123 | C3 |
| 4) Lando Norris | McLaren | +1.335 | 52 | C3 |
| 5) Daniel Ricciardo | RB | +1.440 | 88 | C4 |
| 6) Charles Leclerc | Ferrari | +1.829 | 54 | C3 |
| 7) Lance Stroll | Aston Martin | +2.108 | 96 | C3 |
| 8) Esteban Ocon | Alpine | +2.140 | 78 | C3 |
| 9) Valtteri Bottas | Sauber | +2.306 | 97 | C3 |
| 10) Oscar Piastri | McLaren | +2.407 | 35 | C3 |
| 11) Logan Sargeant | Williams | +2.657 | 117 | C4 |
| 12) Fernando Alonso | Aston Martin | +3.132 | 31 | C3 |
| 13) Zhou Guanyu | Sauber | +3.794 | 38 | C3 |
| 14) Pierre Gasly | Alpine | +3.883 | 33 | C3 |
| 15) Kevin Magnussen | Haas | +6.690 | 93 | C3 |
| 16) Nico Hulkenberg | Haas | +7.588 | 31 | C3 |
| 17) Yuki Tsunoda | RB | +8.153 | 40 | C2 |
Morning session halted due to dislodged drain cover
The day’s initial session was abruptly halted and postponed after crossing the midpoint when a drain cover became dislodged at Turn 11, causing considerable damage to Charles Leclerc’s Ferrari, requring a floor replacement.
Following the completion of repairs, the afternoon session was rescheduled to an earlier start and extended by an extra hour to compensate for the lost time.
Prior to this incident, Red Bull faced some difficulties in the early hours, despite their strong performance on Wednesday, with Verstappen continuing his dominant streak from the 2023 season.
A minor brake fire occurred on the RB20 as Perez returned to the garage early in the day, briefly interrupting his scheduled runs.
Another moment of concern occurred in the later session when Perez slowed down mid-lap and returned to the pits at a reduced speed, though he was quickly back on track without further complications.
In the end, Red Bull completed a remarkable 129 laps, only surpassed by Sauber with 135 laps and Ferrari, who, with Leclerc and Sainz, led the day with a combined total of 138 laps.
Is this a positive sign for Mercedes?
The spotlight was on Hamilton as he started his final pre-season test with Mercedes before his move to Ferrari in 2025.
Mercedes remained relatively quiet in terms of showing their hand the previous day, with George Russell ending the day in 12th place. Thursday seemed to follow a similar trend, with Hamilton not making much of an impression initially.
However, as the day progressed into the evening at the Bahrain International Circuit, Hamilton was given the opportunity to run a few high-performance laps.
The W15, which is significantly different from its predecessor, seemed to offer a much-improved driving experience, allowing Hamilton to momentarily post the fastest time on medium tyres for the week until Perez set a faster time.
Although test times are not always indicative of actual competitive standings due to teams’ secretive strategies concerning fuel load, engine settings, and setups, Hamilton’s feedback was notably optimistic.
“It was a productive day out there,” Hamilton said. “We gathered lots of learnings about the W15, both in our long running and single lap work.
“We’ve clearly made an improvement with this year’s car and it’s much nicer to drive.
“We’ve still got progress to make of course. But this is a good foundation for us to build on. We’ll keep our heads down and continue to work to find improvements, both over the rest of the test and into next week.
When is F1 pre-season testing?
- Date: 21-23 February
- Start time: 7 am GMT/10 am local time on Wednesday 21 February
Pre-season testing for Formula 1 in Bahrain starts at 7 am GMT and 10 am local time on Wednesday, February 21, 2024, marking the beginning of three days of intensive track activity.
On each day, pre-season testing will begin at the the same time, featuring morning sessions that span four hours. Sessions will resume after the lunch break in Bahrain at 12 pm GMT and 3 pm local.
| Date | Session | Session Time |
|---|---|---|
| Wednesday 21 February | Morning | 7 am GMT – 11 am GMT / 10 am local time – 2 pm local time |
| Wednesday 21 February | Afternoon | 12 pm GMT – 4 pm GMT / 3 pm local time – 7 pm local time |
| Thursday 22 February | Morning | 7 am GMT – 11 am GMT / 10 am local time – 2 pm local time |
| Thursday 22 February | Afternoon | 7 am GMT – 11 am GMT / 10 am local time – 2 pm local time |
| Friday 23 February | Morning | 2 am ET – 6 am ET 10 am local time – 2 pm local time |
| Friday 23 February | Afternoon | 12 pm GMT – 4 pm GMT / 3 pm local time – 7 pm local time |
How can I watch F1 pre-season testing in the UK?
Sky Sports F1 ensures comprehensive coverage of every moment for UK customers.
Tune in for live updates from the track, starting with the green flag at 7 am and ending with the chequered flag at 4 pm UK time. This offers an unparalleled opportunity to gauge the performance of the new cars as teams endeavour to accumulate mileage, perfect initial setups, and unveil their true speed. This sets the stage for the season’s first record-breaking 24 Grand Prix races at the same venue, running from February 29 to March 2.
F1 pre-season testing on Sky Sports can also be live-streamed via NOW TV, meaning the action can be watched on a mobile or tablet device and a console, while Sky Sports Main Event will also broadcast some sessions.
Sky Sports F1 times for pre-season F1 testing
| Date | Session | Session Time GMT | Network |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wednesday 21 February | Morning | 6.50 am – 11.05 am GMT | Sky Sports F1/Sky Sports Main Event |
| Wednesday 21 February | Afternoon | 11.55 am – 4.05 pm GMT | Sky Sports F1/Sky Sports Main Event |
| Wednesday 21 February | Testing Wrap | 8 pm GMT | Sky Sports F1 |
| Wednesday 21 February | Ted’s Testing Notebook | 8:30 pm GMT | Sky Sports F1 |
| Thursday 22 February | Morning | 6.50 am – 11.05 am GMT | Sky Sports F1/Sky Sports Main Event |
| Thursday 22 February | Afternoon | 11.55 am – 4.05 pm GMT | Sky Sports F1 |
| Thursday 22 February | Testing Wrap | 8 pm GMT | Sky Sports F1 |
| Thursday 22 February | Ted’s Testing Notebook | 8:30 pm GMT | Sky Sports F1 |
| Friday 23 February | Morning | 6.50 am – 11.05 am GMT | Sky Sports F1/Sky Sports Main Event |
| Friday 23 February | Afternoon | 11.55 am – 4.05 pm GMT | Sky Sports F1 |
| Friday 23 February | Testing Wrap | 8 pm GMT | Sky Sports F1 |
| Friday 23 February | Ted’s Testing Notebook | 8:30 pm GMT | Sky Sports F1 |
| Friday 23 February | Development Corner | 9 pm GMT | Sky Sports F1 |
When can I watch F1 pre-season testing highlights?
Every evening at 8 pm, catch the Testing Wrap for a compilation of the day’s top highlights and interviews, followed by Ted’s Notebook at 8:30 pm, a vital feature of any testing week, providing a comprehensive summary of the day’s events from Bahrain.
Ted Kravitz takes centre stage each evening, delivering the essential insights and stories from the testing sessions, offering an early glimpse into the competitive hierarchy of 2024 and the teams’ efforts to close the gap on Red Bull.
After the final day of testing, don’t miss the special segment, Development Corner with Ted, airing at 9 pm on Friday. This extra show delves into the analysis of the ten cars, focusing on the significant off-season developments and trends that have drawn Ted’s attention.
Highlights from the pre-season testing will be accessible on the official F1 YouTube channel. Last year, the channel featured concise highlight packages, approximately five minutes long, uploaded shortly after the conclusion of each testing day.
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