Haas' request to test into Sunday morning at the Bahrain International Circuit has been rejected, but they will be given extra track time in all three of the afternoon/evening sessions this week instead. Haas missed the start of the test after some of the team's crucial cargo got held up in the United Kingdom earlier this week, with required freight not arriving in the Sakhir paddock until Tuesday night. Given the delays, Haas submitted a request to extend their running into Sunday, only for this to be rejected. However, they will be able to test into the evening on Thursday, Friday and Saturday to compensate.
Haas will get their four lost hours back
Haas team boss Guenther Steiner explained that - under F1's rules - testing needs to take place over three days consecutive days, unless unanimously agreed upon by the teams. "We were denied testing on Sunday; nine minutes before we went out [on track]!" Steiner told media, including RacingNews365.com . "Every day, we can make up four hours of testing, but we need to make it up at the end of the day – we're not allowed to run on Sunday. "We can run an hour later, or four hours… in total four hours later over the three days."
Fittipaldi hits the track in the VF-22
Haas eventually made it out on track in Bahrain when Thursday afternoon's session got underway in typically warm conditions. Pietro Fittipaldi took to the wheel after being called up by the team to replace the axed Nikita Mazepin for the start of the test, doing so in a freshly-liveried VF-22, following the removal of Uralkali as title sponsor. Mick Schumacher and new teammate Kevin Magnussen - whose shock return to F1 was confirmed on Wednesday evening - will drive over the next two test days.
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