It’s that time of year again. The 2024 Formula One season is nearly upon us but not before we have got the business of the first (and only) pre-season test out of the way. Not too long ago there would be several pre-season tests with teams given plenty of time and those all-important laps before getting themselves to the first race of the season.
Things have changed and, in fairness, I am not sure that three or four days is really much more than what is needed with the regulations largely a carry-over from 2023. With the almost bullet-proof reliability of the modern F1 machines this is usually a good opportunity for the drivers to rack up the laps. It’s not uncommon for 130, 140 or even 150 laps to be done in a day.
Mileage will be what the teams will be aiming for in Bahrain over the next few days, and not headline lap times. The less said about last year’s season the better but there are at least a few storylines on and off track that should make the run-up to next weekend a little more interesting.
With all 10 cars revealed we will soon see those designs put to the test. Mercedes have radically overhauled their car, the W15 being a visible departure from what came before in 2022 and 2023. Will it put them any closer to Red Bull? The team that have won five of the last six titles (drivers and constructors) have gone with something that is more than a simple evolution of the RB19, which triumphed in 21 of 22 races last season. The worry is that it puts them and Max Verstappen even further ahead.
The bigger stories at those two teams come off-track, though. Firstly, this will be Lewis Hamilton’s last season at Mercedes before moving to Ferrari in 2025. It was a move that came out of the blue and will end the most successful partnership in F1 history. How do Hamilton and Mercedes cope with this throughout the year? Will he be gradually frozen out of engineering briefings? If the car isn’t up to scratch will he be more or less vocal in his criticism. And how will his new team get along in a car that does not look as radical a departure?
At Red Bull the focus will be again on team principal Christian Horner, who faces allegations of ‘inappropriate behaviour’ but who will be in Bahrain as the team’s principal, as he has in their two decades in F1. The outcome of Red Bull’s investigation is yet to be resolved but it is hard to imagine the team without him at the head of it.
Anyway, the action kicks off at 7am GMT and we will be here for all of the updates from day one of the first pre-season F1 test day of the 2024 season. By the end of day three we are unlikely to know a clear pecking order but we will have some idea who things are looking up for and vice versa.