After three days of testing in Bahrain, Red Bull Racing is scratching their heads about where they really stand. McLaren looked strongest, but behind them? It’s anyone’s guess.
Red Bull wasted no time on the final test day, rolling out with a new, slightly more flexible front wing. They’re clearly trying to exploit the looser regulations that remain in place until the Spanish Grand Prix—just like McLaren has been doing.
The pitlane was buzzing with photographers rushing to capture shots of Red Bull’s latest innovation.
I headed to Aston Martin’s hospitality area for a scheduled interview with their new team boss, Andy Cowell. We talked about his background, his vision for the British team, and Honda’s role in their future success. You’ll be able to read the full conversation on GPblog soon.
Later in the day, I caught up with Valtteri Bottas. Though he’s now in a reserve role at Mercedes, the Finn made it clear he’s not done with F1 yet. He’s using his position to stay visible, hoping to land another driving seat soon.
The Pecking Order Takes Shape
Carlos Sainz thinks Andrea Stella went a bit too far suggesting Williams might be among the top six teams, though he’s happy with what he found at his new team. Meanwhile, Alpine boss Oliver Oakes praised his team’s development, but reporters seemed more interested in Jack Doohan’s future, with Franco Colapinto’s name also coming up frequently.
On track, things got serious as the day progressed.
Helmut Marko had predicted it Thursday night: "Friday will give us much more clarity." George Russell ended up fastest, but nobody in the paddock is putting Mercedes forward as the team to beat.
The consensus around the paddock is clear: McLaren is the favorite after these winter tests. They seem to have a slight edge over Ferrari, Mercedes, and Red Bull—maintaining last year’s top four order.
Jos Verstappen confirmed this to Dutch media after the session. According to Max’s father, McLaren’s advantage could be anywhere between two and five tenths. They simply don’t know for sure.
The gaps between Ferrari, Mercedes, and Red Bull are too close to call. Mercedes is worried their performance might be flattered by the cold conditions. Ferrari is visibly struggling with their new pull-rod front suspension. And Red Bull couldn’t match their rivals’ mileage over the three test days.
McLaren stands out because they were consistently fast in all conditions—both in short and long runs. Their car looks good on track, though they still seem to struggle a bit in slow corners, just like last year.
Midfield Battle Heating Up
The midfield is incredibly tight. Williams got attention after day two, but by day three, most eyes were on Alpine. They seem to have established themselves as possibly the best of the midfield.
The differences between Williams, Haas, and Alpine are minimal, though. Stake and Racing Bulls don’t look as good on track, but they’re not far behind either.
Aston Martin will leave Bahrain with the least confidence. Many consider them the team that made the least progress over winter. They completed fewer test kilometers than their competitors and made the least impression of all teams.
One thing is crystal clear after these test days: the field is incredibly close.
It promises to be an extremely exciting season where several drivers and teams might fight for the world title. We’ll see who hits the ground running when the lights go out in Australia.
