Barcelona Pre-Season Testing: Which F1 team looked the most impressive in the first three days of winter testing?


Barcelona Pre-Season Testing: Which F1 team looked the most impressive in the first three days of winter testing?

F1 drivers

F1 is set to enter into this new era of excitement and anticipation. After the enormous success of last season, there seems to be that additional expectation of keeping up with the standard set and add new layers in order to capture the audience’s imagination and make it a spectacle throughout the year.

The pre season hinted that this could be the year for someone to take over the reins from the usual suspects and dethrone the current champions. Red Bull and Mercedes haven’t looked their usual self over the course of the three days. With Max Verstappen finding himself in the gravel and Lewis Hamilton finishing P16, it’s been anything but ideal. We are well aware of their ability and mentality but as of now, it’s not looking good.

F1 Pre season testing: McLaren and Ferrari both broke out of the midfield as they ran riot on the track

Ferrari and McLaren
Ferrari and McLaren

Two teams that stoked an almost flawless pre season were Ferrari and McLaren. McLaren seemed to have the tightened the screw on their competitors after their impressive showing in pre season with Lando Norris setting the pace on Day 1 and securing P1 with an impressive lap time of 1.19.568. Daniel Ricciardo followed that successful day 1 by a blistering fastest lap at 1.20.288 eventually being pipped by Charles Leclrec and Pierre Gasly.

FS Video

But when we thought this couldn’t be topped, Ferrari had a ‘Hold my beer‘ moment as they ran riot on the track and demolished everything that got in their way. Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz were on absolute fire. The duo could have had one two on the grid on Day 1 before they were nosed out by Lando Norris in the last half an hour. Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz did a grand total of 153 laps on day 1 with the fastest lap at 1.20.165 and 1.20.416 respectively.

Charles Leclrec set that right on day 2 as he grabbed P1 with the fastest lap at 1.19.568 edging Gasly and Ricciardo. Carlos Sainz was also not that far off finishing P5 with the fastest lap at 1.20.546. Day 3 wasn’t as fruitful but also not disappointing by any means as the duo completed a total of 136 laps.

On Day 3, when both decide to take center stage, they went with a different approach and decided to gain as much as information they could and raw pace not being the primary focus. The duo did a grand total of 136 laps and tested the car on the wet tyres. This information which can now be taken back to the engineers which would help them make the necessary changes.

This might not be exactly what will happen in the season but it definitely is an indication of things to come and both McLaren and Ferrari have not got carried away with the current situation and continue to improve as the new season of F1 beckons for them to show off their skills and prove their mettle at the grandest stage of it all.

Also Read: “The intensity of the rivalry will be as pertinent as ever,” Christian Horner predicts as Red Bull prepares to lock horns with Mercedes again