Finally Pre-Season Testing is Here

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🌎 Around Formula 1

🦺 Safety Car Gets Upgrade - Aston Martin has introduced an upgraded Safety Car for the 2024 season, making its first appearance during pre-season testing. The new Vantage model boasts significant enhancements, including a power increase to 656bhp, thanks to larger turbochargers. This upgrade addresses previous concerns about the car's speed, notably from Verstappen, who criticized the older model's pace. The car features a green and black camouflage livery and is set to make its race debut at the Saudi Arabian GP. More

🤑 Formula E CEO's “Bold” $250k Pledge - Jeff Dodds has pledged to donate $250,000 to charity if Verstappen doesn't win his fourth consecutive title this season. Does he know that Verstappen won 19 out of 22 races last year? 😂 More 

😳 Audi's F1 Ambitions in Jeopardy - Project faces uncertainty as Oliver Hoffmann, a key figure behind its F1 entry, is reportedly set to leave the company. This follows the departure of CEO Markus Duesmann, a major advocate for the F1 project. Hoffmann's potential exit, attributed to disagreements with current CEO Gernot Dollner and sluggish sales figures, could impact Audi's F1 plans. There are concerns about the scale of changes needed at Sauber, Audi's partner team, and challenges in attracting top talent to Switzerland. Additionally, speculation suggests Dollner might consider selling Sauber's shares, with F1's growing popularity potentially attracting buyers. This instability makes it difficult to attract top engineers or drivers, casting doubt on Audi's commitment to joining F1. More

🛞 Drivers

🙅‍♂️ Mercedes Rules Out Rosberg and Vettel - Toto is exploring options to replace Hamilton in 2025, but former world champions Nico Rosberg and Sebastian Vettel are not being considered. Rosberg has expressed no interest in a comeback, focusing on his new life as an investor and family man. Vettel, too, seems uninterested in returning, with Wolff recently confirming that Vettel has decided not to race anymore. With these two experienced drivers out of the picture, Mercedes may look towards other potential candidates, including the only available world champion on the grid, Alonso. Wolff's final decision remains open, with the team not in a rush to fill Hamilton's seat. More

🎲 Hamilton's Move a Risky Gamble for the Scuderia? - His move to Ferrari in 2025, while exciting for F1, isn't the guaranteed upgrade it seems. The decision to replace Sainz with Hamilton brings its own risks. While Hamilton's career achievements dwarf Sainz's, the current performance gap between them isn't vast. Sainz has proven to be a strong competitor, especially in Ferrari's challenging phases. Hamilton, approaching his 40s, may face a decline in performance, making Ferrari's long-term commitment a gamble. Additionally, this move sidelines Ferrari's young talent, Ollie Bearman, until at least 2027. Ferrari's choice, therefore, is not just about on-track performance but also about the potential impact on team dynamics and future prospects. More

🏎 Teams

🛞 Mercedes' Bold Testing Strategy - Adopted a unique testing strategy for the 2024 season, focusing heavily on medium tires. Out of their 37 tire sets, 25 are mediums, significantly more than rivals Red Bull and Ferrari. This approach aims to optimize performance and race pace, as medium tires are commonly used in races. However, the limited testing with hard and soft tires could be a potential risk. Mercedes' decision reflects a calculated plan, leveraging their experience. The true impact of this strategy will unfold as the season progresses. More

🤬 Zak Brown and Red Bull/RB Controversy - McLaren CEO has expressed concerns about the close alliance between Red Bull and its sister team, RB. Brown says that his worries stem not from fears of technical rule breaches but from broader issues impacting the sport's integrity under the cost cap era. He highlights potential advantages in strategy, political influence, and staff movement that can arise from owning two teams. Brown advocates for regulatory changes to ensure total independence and fairness among teams, suggesting that by 2026, rules should prohibit common ownership and possibly even customer parts, aiming for a level playing field. Read more

🔎 Bahrain Testing Day 2 Technical Insights

1. Aston Martin sidepod design: Unique leading edge on the lower lip of the sidepod inlet, warped to manipulate airflow. The body beyond the inlet is widened for improved airflow management.

2. Williams front wing Feature / sidepod gullies: Novel wedge-shaped diveplane on its front wing endplate, a design not seen in other teams. Deep sidepod gullies.

3. Mercedes aero rakes / front wing: Rear-mounted aero rakes are not just simple ladders but thick airfoil profiles with contorted Kiel probes for detailed airflow analysis. It continues with a semi-detached flap layout on its front wing, optimized for outwash.

4. Ferrari a lot of things: Sidepod inlet sports an underbite design, paired with a rear-facing camera on the front tire, likely for thermal monitoring of tire compounds. Bib area is exposed during maintenance, and its front wing shows new features compared to last season, including a semi-detached wingtip design similar to Mercedes. They experimented with both single and bi-plane beam wing elements across different testing days.

5. Red Bull pull-rod adjustment: Adjustable pull-rod fairing, visible as mechanics make setup changes.

6. McLaren sidepod interior: Notable unused space and airflow-limiting baffles behind the radiator.

7. Sauber sidepod: A depression in the sidepod sidewall.

8. Alpine flow-vis: Used blue flow-vis paint to highlight aerodynamic areas. See photos

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