With just two sixty minute practice sessions on Fridays in 2021, the preparation day has become more crucial than ever as teams try to fine tune their cars for Sunday's race. Friday's morning session took place in hot and sunny conditions, but was largely unrepresentative of the track conditions which the drivers will race on Sunday. For that, we have to look at second practice, so let's see exactly what we can glean from all the action so far.
Mercedes weren't sandbagging in testing
So far, there's little reason to say that this weekend is going to be a disaster for Mercedes. Right from the start of practice, both Mercedes drivers were right up at the sharp end of the grid vying with Max Verstappen's Red Bull. But there's more to it than meets the eye, at least on single lap pace. Comparing FP1 to the equivalent session from the 2020 Bahrain Grand Prix just four months ago, Mercedes are one of the biggest losers as they are 2.1 seconds slower. Red Bull are around 1.5 seconds slower, suggesting they've improved comparatively by over half a second over the winter. Meanwhile, Hamilton's best time of 1:31.082, set on the soft C4 compound, was a full second slower than his best time set in pre-season testing. That time was set on the C5 compound. Pirelli estimate the difference between the compounds as being around 0.6/0.7 seconds a lap, meaning that Hamilton, at best, went no faster than in testing. By contrast, Max Verstappen's best practice time of 1:30.847, on the same C4 compound, was almost two seconds slower than his fastest lap from testing. That time is worrying for Mercedes as it was set on the C4 compound, meaning there's even more room for improvement from the Milton Keynes outfit. In theory then, Red Bull have a lot more pace to show, assuming they can get the balance right for the tricky windy conditions at the circuit. Mercedes, on the other hand, appear to be on the back foot. Valtteri Bottas' radio call regarding his W12 as being 'undriveable' have now been extensively quoted in the media. While Toto Wolff played it down by stating the Finn was on old tyres, it's clear from both driver's comments that they aren't quite happy with their car's balance yet.
Red Bull satisfied but wary
The only thing Red Bull struggled with on Friday was keeping the smile off their faces as they topped the qualifying simulation times with Verstappen. The Dutch driver, usually impossible to please, beamed as he said he was pleased with the handling of his RB16B over the course of the day. Even better was the race pace of both Verstappen and Sergio Perez, with both closely matched at the top, although Hamilton was able to intercede on average pace in his Mercedes. "We are definitely optimistic about our long runs," Helmut Marko told RacingNews365.com and others. "We don't know how far Mercedes can turn up the engine, but we hope we can battle it out in qualifying." As Toto Wolff said after the session, "we're in for a dogfight."
Optimism at Ferrari
Ferrari's Carlos Sainz was strikingly fast in second practice, finishing the day in fourth place and only a fraction of a second behind Lewis Hamilton on the same compound. Bahrain is a circuit that tests every area of a car, requiring grip, traction and power. It will be particularly gratifying for Ferrari to have fared so well, particularly as Sainz reported after the session that he was still finding the car tricky and unbalanced. Charles Leclerc was half a second further back from the Spaniard, but he came across traffic on his flying lap which prevented him from showing all of his pace.
Changing expectations at McLaren
McLaren's Lando Norris may have finished in second place and a tenth behind Verstappen, but admitted to being very unhappy with his car following the session. Saying he had 'no confidence' in his MCL35M, it shows the way expectations at McLaren are changing as they close back in towards the front of the field. Norris believes McLaren have shown their hand quicker than some of the other teams, but is remaining optimistic that his squad can unlock a bit more Saturday pace too. Daniel Ricciardo echoed his teammate's sentiments, having finished in sixth place. McLaren are no longer a team happy to finish in the points, and want big results this season.
The closest season in years?
With the exception of one or two names, the pecking order for the rest of the field appears largely similar to last season. Aston Martin appear to have lost a little ground over the winter, while Ferrari appear to have found some. As a result expect a fascinatingly enthralling midfield battle, with the top fifteen covered by just a second. More than ever the tiniest of margins can make a huge difference. For instance, at Aston Martin, Lance Stroll placed eighth while Sebastian Vettel, less than four tenths slower, was way down in 14th. It's no surprise that this season could turn out to be very close. The final season of a now mature regulation cycle, coupled with minor aero changes designed to hurt those with the most downforce, means that the field was always going to tighten up. While 2020 may not have been close in terms of the championship battle, it did produce some great individual races. Expect more of the same in 2021 just with a closer field.
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