F1's first qualifying session of the season at the Bahrain Grand Prix gave us a first indication of the gains made by each team compared to last season.
With the sport entering the third year of the current technical regulations, some teams have more to gain than others, with Red Bull's dominance particularly leaving it with the law of diminishing returns.
Comparing the best lap time from each team in qualifying from this year compared to last, we can see that McLaren has made the biggest step year on year with a lap time quicker by 1.767secs.
RB is second in the list, with Williams third whilst Red Bull has made the second smallest leap, though it was still enough for Max Verstappen to take pole by almost a quarter of a second over Ferrari's Charles Leclerc.
Alpine's misery can be illustrated by the minimal gains made in a year, however, with the Enstone-and-Viry-based outfit finding only a tenth.
Take a look at the table below to see how each team compares!
Bahrain GP qualifying difference: 2023 vs 2024
| Team | Quali difference 2023 vs 2024 [secs] |
|---|---|
| McLaren | -1.767 |
| RB | -1.271 |
| Williams | -1.240 |
| Haas | -0.958 |
| Mercedes | -0.855 |
| Ferrari | -0.835 |
| Aston Martin | -0.794 |
| Stake F1 | -0.687 |
| Red Bull | -0.529 |
| Alpine | -0.121 |
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