The new era of Formula 1 opens in Bahrain less than a week after the end of the six days of pre-season tests in which the teams were able to become familiar with the new generation of cars that debuts this year. There are many regulatory innovations: from the return of the ground effect, to the 18 ”tires introduced by Pirelli, from the use of the new eco-sustainable E10 fuel to the increased weight of the single-seater. The Stable Ferrari it starts from the almost 4000 km covered in tests by the F1-75 – more than any other car – and from the good sensations perceived by Carlos Sainz and Charles Leclerc.
The circuit. The Sakhir track is spread over 5,412 meters which will be covered 57 times on Sunday. Its distinctive feature are the long straights and very demanding braking sections: the two most difficult braking sections at turns 1 and 14. There are three areas for the use of the mobile wing (DRS): one on the finish straight, one between the Turns 3 and 4 and the third in the section between turns 10 and 11. The strong wind of recent days has brought a lot of sand to the track and it is to be expected that for the first free practice session – scheduled for tomorrow at 3pm local time (13 Italian) – times will be rather slow. As always, qualifying and the race will start after sunset, at 6 pm (4 pm Italian time) and will be held under powerful spotlights on a track that, as the night falls on Bahrain, lowering the asphalt temperature, it will become more performing.
Memories. Scuderia Ferrari has won on six occasions in Bahrain, also the scene of Leclerc’s first great acute, who in 2019 obtained his first pole position and first podium here. Sakhir is also linked to Sainz’s debut with the Maranello house last year, who started and finished eighth at the wheel of the SF21.
Matteo Togninallichief of track engineers: “The first race of the season is always special, because it is a new adventure that begins. However, this is even more special because there are many new factors to take into account and I am curious to find out if everything we have implemented at the level of processes and procedures goes in the direction we expect and provides the expected benefits. Obviously we took advantage of the tests to do a sort of dress rehearsal, but it is only the race weekend, with its load of pressure and expectations, that can give us the real measure of our preparation. Pressure and expectations can lead to making mistakes and we have worked together with the whole team to ensure that we are always lucid in managing the various aspects. We have to focus on ourselves to manage the work without uncertainty. I believe that beyond the various car projects, those who have prepared the season in detail will have a competitive advantage at the start. There are many new elements at play and those who understand the new format at their best – and above all the limitations connected to it – will be able to benefit from it up to at least one third of the season. When I talk about format I am referring to the whole package: the completely new cars, the less time available to work on them, the 18 ″ tires and also the driving style that the drivers had to change. In short, those who will be able to understand the limitations and opportunities of this weekend more compressed in time will have one more card than the others to assert themselves on the track. The development of the car will clearly be the main element in the long term, but there are other key factors such as the organization on the track, which is my field of action. Let’s not forget that we are facing the most intense season in the history of this sport, so I believe that never before have even the smallest areas identified in which we can intervene to make every work process more efficient. One of the objectives will be to increase the exchange of information between the engineers and the team on the track and the rest of the team at home“.
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