Max Verstappen and Red Bull topped both sessions in the first race weekend of the season. Lando Norris took two top 3 finishes and got closest to the Red Bull, 0.095s adrift in FP2. Mercedes seem perilously close behind, but appear to be succumbing to the predictions from testing.
Red Bull vs McLaren?
Red Bull enjoyed a clean sweep on Friday as Verstappen took the fastest time in both sessions. While practice times are never a true indicator of actual pace, the RB16B seemed planted around the desert track. Perez was not able to match his team-mate, finishing 6th and 10th respectively. However, it is expected that the Mexican driver will need a few races to get up to speed with the team.
Mclaren were the next team to attract attention as Norris managed to displace Mercedes as the next fastest constructor. Armed with the Mercedes engine in the back of his MCL35M, Norris took 3rd and 2nd in an encouraging afternoon. The general consensus is that Mercedes will still be able to overtake the papaya team, however this will light a fire under the resurgent outfit. Similarly to Perez, Ricciardo is expected to take a while to acclimatise. But, the Australian fared better than the Mexican, he finished 9th and 6th respectively.
Mercedes are by no means struggling, with a solid afternoon’s running now under their belt. Both drivers enjoyed a session as the highest placed finisher, both 0.2s off from the leading time. The W12 seemed considerably more stable than previously seen, but with higher winds expected, the current champions may find themselves with some familar issues throughout the weekend.
The Midfield Battle
Following the top 3, it appears that the midfield battle will be too close to call. Huge numbers of drivers switched positions throughout the sessions and overall finishing positions are massively varied.
Ferrari seem to have improved after a torrid 2020 season. Leclerc stamped the early authority on his team-mate, finishing 5th to Sainz’s 8th in FP1. But it was the Spaniard who had the last laugh, finishing 4th in FP2 as Leclerc dropped to 12th.
Despite a less than perfect start, Alpha Tauri set a superb precedent in FP2. Tsunoda set the bar with a phenomenal 7th placed finish, ahead of one-time race winner Gasly in 9th. Sandwiched between them was Stroll in the Aston Martin. He managed to finish 6 positions higher and 0.4s faster than new team-mate, Vettel.
Ocon got the measure of returning champion, and team-mate, Alonso in both sessions. While Ocon improved from 15th to 11th, Alonso didn’t share the same success, finishing 16th and 15th.
Usual suspects
While there is a feeling of change around the paddock, there are a few familiar sights. Alfa Romeo drivers Giovinazzi and Raikkonen appear to be the best of the bottom 3, with Giovinazzi taking a strong 13th place in FP2. Raikkonen was the first driver to make contact with the barriers, tearing off his front wing after a sideways moment out of turn 4.
Williams are slightly more in the mix, but returning drivers Latifi and Russell look hard pressed for points as Russell could only manage two 17th placed finishes.
Finally, Haas begin a season that is likely to be a painful one. The American outfit have decided against developing their car during the year, focusing entirely on their 2022 challenger. Schumacher finished ahead of Mazepin on both occasions.
While we don’t have the answers yet, these two sessions will have fully whet the appetites of fans desperate for a season long battle. There is one more practice session to go, before we truly see what F1 2021 has in store.
Featured Image Credit: @F1 Official Twitter
