Formula 1 testing for 2024 did not end in the way we have come to expect. There was to be little of the final-hour action that had become something worth watching in previous years, as teams finally switched to performance running – with those typical caveats on fuel loads and engine modes. Think Lewis Hamilton spinning while preparing for a flier on soft C5 Pirelli tyres in 2021. Or Max Verstappen doing likewise a year later but still taking the top spot on that set of rubber.
Last week’s top time came via Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz – a 1m29.921s on the C4s – but that came with three hours to go on the second day. Given his team-mate Charles Leclerc was running slightly later and into falling temperatures when he set the quickest lap of the final day, it seems that the track was at something of a peak when Sainz registered the best time. He then switched to long running. The following day, Leclerc did another race simulation effort in the closing laps of the test – as did Red Bull, McLaren and Aston Martin.
As we head into the third year of the current design rules, it’s logical to conclude that the teams have enough data to eschew performance runs and instead concentrate on doing as much work as possible on what ultimately brings home the points.
Some squads clearly wanted a better idea of where to improve against the clock – including Williams with Alex Albon, Mercedes with George Russell, and Sauber. In the neon-green-splashed machine, Zhou Guanyu leapt up to fourth in the overall order just seconds before a final timing and start systems check brought the event to a muted close. But a race-focused philosophy has been central to Red Bull’s domination since midway through 2022.
F1 is back in action as the first event of the 2024 season gets under way today (Thursday). The true pecking order will soon be revealed. But,
