Almost 4,000 laps completed by the cars during the three days of testing in Bahrain, the situation update from Mario Isola.
The three-day test in Bahrain concluded with the teams completing 3,896 laps, totaling 21,090 km. Unusual conditions for all drivers, with wind and an unprecedented (albeit brief) rain that marked the course of these three days, also complicating the work of the various teams involved in the tests.
On the final day, the fastest was George Russell, who set the best lap time with the C3 compound, followed by reigning World Champion Max Verstappen, also with the same tire compound. In third place was Albon, who, however, set his best lap with the C4 compound. Many teams alternated at the top positions in the combined results, with Sainz setting the fastest time of the entire test, stopping the clock at 1:29.348.
Mario Isola, head of Pirelli’s motorsport division, analyzed what happened during the three days of testing in Bahrain, with both uncertainties and certainties. Here are his words: “The weather conditions were unusual compared to previous years. The cold and wind made it difficult for the teams, complicating the interpretation of the results. We collected a lot of data on the C2 and C3 compounds, less on the C1, and very little on the C4. The C5 and C6 compounds were never used, as only Ferrari and Williams had selected them.”
Isola added: “The C2 confirmed an improvement compared to last year, coming closer to the C3. The harder compound struggled with the low temperatures, while the C3 proved to be the most versatile. There were no full performance simulations, so we will have to wait for Australia for a more realistic comparison.”
