There is always great curiosity going into the first qualifying of the season. After all, it is the first real moment where all the teams reveal their pace.
Evaluations after pre-season tests are often difficult, even for the teams themselves. Analysing this initial data can only give indications, though far from certainties, ahead of the opening round.
Only after qualifying, and especially after the race, can the first concrete assessments be made.
Behind poleman, Max Verstappen was Charles Leclerc in the Ferrari SF-24 and George Russell’s Mercedes.
The other W15 is also in the Top 10, alongside two McLarens and Fernando Alonso’s Aston Martin. This group was a very compact group.
Mercedes: Set-up changes compromised qualifying pace
Mercedes was the surprise of yesterday, with the provisional ‘double’ at the end of practice two.
Mercedes ran a slightly more advanced mapping compared to Red Bull and Ferrari. This certainly helped, with Mercedes returning to a more natural position in qualifying.
George Russell finished in third place, three-tenths behind Max Verstappen. However, he was just one-tenth from Leclerc’s SF-24, while Lewis Hamilton finished qualifying in ninth position.
However, the gap from his teammate was only two-tenths. But in such a close qualifying session, the gap from second position to ninth was miniscule.
“Today, I took a different direction with the set-up. And the car wasn’t going so well on the flying lap,” said Lewis Hamilton post-qualifying.
His W15 did not perform in the best way. The middle sector in particular was a weakness.
The set-up change was a concerted effort to prioritise race pace. Lewis Hamilton made this decision after practice. This sacrifice is also what Toto Wolff suggested.
According to the Austrian team principal, tyre degradation in the race simulations were too high. These changes “made the car slower on the fastest lap.”
Nonetheless, Mercedes expects to have a good pace in tomorrow’s race. It is worth noting that Russell’s set-up is more focused on qualifying than long-run performance.
Bahrain is one of the most challenging circuits in terms of setup compromise between fast lap and race pace.
Aston Martin: Important step forward in understanding the AMR24
Aston Martin entered the first weekend of the season with a lot of caution.
During the three days of testing, the data collected was positive. However, both drivers complained that the front end of the AMR24 was not very solid.
The work at Silverstone was important, so much so that from the first free practice the Verdona had improved a lot.
Before starting the weekend. The English team’s goal was to place the first AMR24 in around eighth-ninth place in qualifying.
However, Fernando Alonso finished in P6 – within a tenth from third place, having lost everything in the final corner.
The AMR24 turned out to be very competitive and in the mix with Ferrari and Red Bull. In that particular ranking, it is made up by adding the three fastest sectors of the two drivers.
“It was a nice surprise tonight in qualifying to finish sixth, and it’s a great way to start the new season.
“We were competitive, and in the end. We were only a tenth behind the Ferraris in Q3,” said Alonso.
He also stated how he felt the AMR24 was “much more connected” thanks to positive set-up changes.
Twelfth position for a competitive Lance Stroll until the last attempt of Q2. At turn 13, he encountered traffic, which cost him a decisive tenth to pass the trap.
“This can make the difference when we are so close, and every tenth counts even more,” said Stroll. The Canadian missed out on Q3 by just 0.078 seconds.
Mclaren: “Red Bull and Ferrari are not as fast as we expected”
McLaren can consider itself satisfied with these first seasonal qualifications, not even denying some regrets.
“We are the most improved team on the grid compared to the same period last year. And have been fighting for the top positions on the grid.
“At the same time, there’s a bit of a bitter taste in my mouth for not having fully exploited the pace of the car,” said Andrea Stella.
In fact, Lando Norris had problems in Turn 1 on both attempts, in addition to the time lost at the Turn 8 hairpin, which caused him to lose more than a tenth on each attempt.
“If I had a better time, even by just a tenth, I would be a few positions ahead on the grid,” said Lando Norris.
Considering the low profile with which Mclaren wanted to approach the weekend in Bahrain, awaiting important updates in subsequent rounds, Saturday is clearly very positive.
Not only for the performance of the MCL38s but also for the comparison with Red Bull and Ferrari on a track that is not so positive for the papaya car.
“They are not as fast as we expected,” said a surprised Oscar Piastri at the end of the day.
Meanwhile, the MCL38 has improved in the slow sections and in terms of efficiency.
These are two areas the Woking-based team focused on over the winter.
Another crucial area is tyre interaction, which the team still wants to learn more about.
Still, the MCL38 seems a “solid base from which to obtain good points,” as stated by Andrea Stella.
Author: Piergiuseppe Donadoni
Translation: Jaden Diaz-Ndisang
