Alpine, Mercedes and Williams on track today in Bahrain
While all the teams are in the paddock at the Sakhir circuit for winter testing, which starts tomorrow, three teams have put their single-seaters through their paces for a day of filming: Alpine, Mercedes and Williams.
On the eve of pre-season testing at the Sakhir circuit, three single-seaters hit the track on Tuesday: the Alpine A524, the Mercedes W15, and the Williams FW46. The three teams used this day to complete their allotted 200 kilometers of running to take commercial footage, check if everything was working as expected, and gather the initial feedback from the drivers behind the wheel of the new car.
Contrary to Alpine and Williams, who were taking their 2024 single-seaters on track for the first time, Mercedes had already taken its W15 out for a few laps at Silverstone in the rain. Today, the German team truly had the opportunity to observe the car’s initial performance on the track that will host the first race of the season.
Filming day in Bahrain ✅ pic.twitter.com/b0pWGp2Pgh
— Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS F1 Team (@MercedesAMGF1) February 20, 2024
A second single-seater equipped with a Mercedes engine took to the track today: it was the Williams FW46, which made its first real appearance. As team director James Vowles pointed out, the Grove team chose to carry out their first running in Bahrain, one day before the start of winter testing.
Eyes on the ‘46 👀⚡️ pic.twitter.com/QjsiNGIXbc
— Williams Racing (@WilliamsRacing) February 20, 2024
Finally, Alpine is the third and last team to have completed the 200 kilometers of allowed running in Bahrain. Like Williams, the French team rolled out its new car, the A524, for the first time since its unveiling in Enstone.
After a radical change of concept for this 2024 season, the performance of the French single-seater is in suspense and French observers and fans will undoubtedly have their eyes on the performances of the new A524 driven by Esteban Ocon and Pierre Gasly.
A524’s first outing 🥰 pic.twitter.com/TFrEXvx8iV
— BWT Alpine F1 Team (@AlpineF1Team) February 20, 2024
The appointment is now set for tomorrow morning at 8 a.m. French time, for the beginning of pre-season testing.
