Bahrain Grand Prix – The Best/Worst of the editorial team

We were eagerly anticipating this first Formula 1 weekend of the season. And it did not disappoint us. The new regulations allow us to see cars that are quite different from previous years. The drivers are generally satisfied: the close battles are easier to manage and cause less tire degradation.

Apart from Williams, Aston Martin, and to a lesser extent Mercedes, all the teams have been able to benefit from this regulation change.

Only rookie in 2022, Chinese driver Zhou will have made, if not sparks, a good impression. Studious, he was able to find his bearings little by little and gain momentum throughout the weekend. Convincing, he calmly went on to score his first point, proving that Frédéric Vasseur was right to trust him with Giovinazzi’s seat.

The Top 3

Ferrari: untouchable

As Charles Leclerc has repeated on several occasions, after struggling in the midfield for two years, the Reds are finally back in the spotlight.

Red Bull lacking a bit of pace, the Austrian team that was the underdog in the race. But Ferrari managed to choose the right strategies at every moment. It’s a change from previous years!

If the Scuderia’s race car was born fit, their engines are also powerful and reliable. In the top 10, we find 5 Ferrari engines. What a relief for Haas and Alfa Romeo to finally return and compete for points.

On the driver’s side, Carlos Sainz had a solid race, even though he stayed in the shadow of his Monégasque teammate for the whole weekend (except in Q2).

Charles Leclerc: in full measure

If his defense at the start of the race can be considered slightly aggressive, the rest of his race was solid and, above all, full of common sense. Calm and composed, Leclerc managed to show dynamism and authority at the right moment, without ever overdoing it.

At the peak of their battle, he let Max Verstappen make a misjudgment during his third and final overtaking attempt. The Monegasque saw his rival approaching a little too quickly on the inside and left the door wide open, knowing that the latter wouldn’t be able to brake in time. What foresight! If he can keep his nerves in check like this throughout the season, he will maintain a definite advantage over the reigning world champion.

Kevin Magnussen: a winning comeback.

Called in at the last minute following the eviction of the Mazepin family from the Haas team, the Danish driver quickly found his rhythm. What could have been just a flash in qualifying turned out to be a triumphant comeback for K-MAG. The Haas may seem “simple” but it is well-built and above all effective. Magnussen clearly made the right choice by abandoning Peugeot and their endurance program. He is proving once again that he is still highly capable. He could even have his best season in the top category if the American team continues to develop their car properly.

The Flop 3

McLaren and Aston Martin, late for the back-to-school season.

The two big disappointments of this first weekend are clearly McLaren, Aston Martin, and Williams. Since the Barcelona tests, Aston Martin gave us the impression of having missed their single-seater. They struggled all weekend and ended up finishing far from the points. The same goes for the Williams team. Never in contention since the preseason tests, the Grove single-seater remained at the back of the pack throughout the race.

If Nicholas Latifi couldn’t find the manual for his car, Alex Albon didn’t manage to achieve much despite a good performance in qualifying.

On the Woking side, the disappointment is even greater as the initial tests in Barcelona proved to be positive. The reliability issue with the braking system alone cannot explain the lack of performance from Norris and Ricciardo. The latter has admitted to lacking track time due to his positive Covid test, which deprived him of some of the pre-season tests.

The questionable reliability of the Red Bull engine

If the Red Bull racing cars seem well-born, performing and relatively easy to drive, we can doubt the reliability of the latest evolution of the Honda engine, now known as Red Bull Powertrain. Out of the three retirements today, all three were due to reliability issues with the Austrian power unit. Pierre Gasly’s car went up in smoke on the 46th lap. Then, it was Verstappen’s turn to lose all hope of a podium finish just two laps before the end. Finally, Sergio Perez, whose mechanical failure caused a spin and ultimately led to his retirement on the 55th lap, was the last victim of this unpredictable reliability.

The Mercedes are not (yet) in the game.

For once, the reiterated speech by Toto Wolff, Lewis Hamilton, and George Russell during the preseason testing was truthful. Overall reliable and undoubtedly inherently performant, the Mercedes cars are currently not being exploited as they should be.

Indeed, Lewis Hamilton finishes on the podium in an unexpected way. However, the observation is bitter. The car quickly degrades its tires with a lack of pace on long runs. It suffers greatly from the bouncing phenomenon. The silver arrow is 7 tenths behind the leaders. The resources and experience of the team with the star are such that they will surely soon return to the forefront. In the meantime, it is necessary to gather as many points as possible.