After three days of testing in Bahrain, many experts agree that McLaren currently holds the best cards for a new title hunt. That being said, the front-runners promise to make it very exciting. Ferrari, Red Bull, and Mercedes are all close to the reigning world champion. Moreover, McLaren team boss Andrea Stella expects Williams to also become a formidable opponent.
McLaren team boss Andrea Stella tips Williams as one of the biggest contenders to break through to the top of Formula 1. Carlos Sainz Jr, who is making his debut for the British racing team this year, clocked the fastest time of the week on the second test day in Bahrain. The team from Grove looked promising over one lap. According to Stella, the team particularly excelled in the middle sector of the Bahrain International Circuit. McLaren was also very fast in the area where the track consists of many short turns.
“When we talk about speed in one lap, I found Williams, in addition to the usual top four, very competitive,” said the McLaren team boss to the media in Bahrain. “That’s obvious, because I’m sure everyone has been able to see the data. We all have the same information at hand. It’s interesting to see that Williams was very strong in the second sector. There, you need to be able to brake and accelerate sufficiently, but there are also a few medium-speed turns. In that area, Williams has certainly improved.”
Exciting Qualifications
Andrea Stella also noticed that Alpine was at the top of the time sheets for a long time. Pierre Gasly was particularly strong on the last test day during some qualification runs. The Italian team boss, therefore, expects the first qualification rounds this year to be even more challenging than before. “Last year, the qualification sessions were already quite tight,” he concluded. “In Q1, you sometimes think that one run is enough, but often enough we had to go out again, and it was still close.”
Carlos Sainz was flattered by Stella’s statements, but wants to downplay the absolute speed of Williams for the time being. “In his mind, he might want to see us at the top, but I think it’s still too early for this team,” the Spaniard laughed. “I don’t think we’ve necessarily taken the right steps to be able to compete with the top teams this year. The car has certainly improved and we’re moving in the right direction, but it’s really still too early for the front runners.”
