The 2024 F1 Bahrain GP FP2 ended with Mercedes leading 1-2, courtesy of Lewis Hamilton. In a session where teams ran varied programs and quite a few of them tried qualifying simulations, we ended up with a timesheet that should surprise a lot of fans and pundits.
The Mercedes duo of Lewis Hamilton and George Russell is surprisingly at the top 2 as everyone was left somewhat confused by how well the car looked. In P3, we had Fernando Alonso, while Max Verstappen was languishing in P6.
After the conclusion of the first day of running, let's take a look at what we have learned.
2024 F1 Bahrain GP FP2: Key takeaways
#1 Mercedes turned heads
Mercedes, without a doubt, had the wick turned up a little as soon as it was time for FP2. That being said, the car performed exceptionally well on the track, and crucially, it seems to have all the components in place to elevate its performance beyond last season's level.
Is it a Red Bull beater? If it is, then that would delight the fans, but for now, the best thing would be the fact that the car is not as unstable as it was last year.
#2 Red Bull is still considered the favorite
Red Bull's long-run pace showed that Max Verstappen still has a decent pace in the bag when it comes to long runs. To add to this, the Dutch never appeared to push the car in anger at any point in the 2024 F1 Bahrain GP FP2. Everything was controlled, and one could see that there was more time on the table if Max pushed the car.
While Mercedes certainly turned heads, Red Bull has not taken off the sandbags yet, and the true picture could become clear tomorrow.
#3 The top 5 pecking order is a mystery
Even if we assume that Red Bull is at the front, behind the Milton Keynes-based squad, everything else is a mystery. Mercedes has looked good for now, Ferrari tends to run in a conservative mode on Friday, and McLaren & Aston Martin have looked good in short and long runs as well.
While this is a very confusing situation, it is also a sign that drivers could make a big difference in terms of results at the 2024 F1 Bahrain GP.
#4 Alpine is heading towards a disaster
Away from all of the positives, one team that impulsively got rid of all of its senior management in 2023 with the view of expediting the team's growth is looking at a disastrous start to the season.
Alpine finds itself in a challenging position currently, and the team bears full responsibility for its predicament.
#5 Haas, with improved race pace, could do some damage
That lap from Nico Hulkenberg was something that surprised everyone because even if the Haas was on a low-fuel run with elevated power modes, so was Lewis Hamilton in his Ferrari.
Haas appears to have improved its race pace to an extent. If that is the case, and the qualifying pace was genuine, the car could do some serious damage at the F1 Bahrain GP.
