The victory on the desert day was dearly paid for: Hamilton’s first “salute” to Maranello – Ferrari was unlucky

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Second day of testing here on the 5,412 km long desert highway outside the capital Manama. Just like on Wednesday, everything is peaceful. Hardly any errors, just a few flaws. The sun is shining at 24 degrees.

Another manhole cover

Until 12:24 local time (10:24 CET). Hamilton drives the Mercedes, goes too far out in the eleventh corner, drives over the red-white curbs and rips a manhole cover from the anchorage behind it.

The 103-time GP winner returns to the circuit – and part of it is already flying through the air. Shortly afterwards, Leclerc’s Ferrari arrives, drives over the stretch of asphalt and returns to the pits. Because all the red lights are on along the entire route.

Secret bottom

There you immediately discover the defective underbody, which costs several hundred thousand euros and is one of the most complicated and mysterious parts of a GP car.

A new subfloor is being repaired – and the old one begins its flight to Italy. They’re trying to fix it there.

Millions in damage in Las Vegas

In mid-November 2023, things were different in Las Vegas. There, Ocon (Alpine) had sucked in a manhole cover – and Sainz, right behind the Frenchman, was the victim. At that time the chassis was also destroyed! Team boss Vasseur spoke of “a loss of a million dollars that we ultimately had to make up.”

By the way, this time Sainz was standing right at the crime scene, saw the manhole cover flying as a spectator and wanted to draw the marshals’ attention to it with his hands. “But then Charles came and took the whole thing.”

Mystery about leadership

The shock of the first test day on Wednesday is still deep: world champion Verstappen drove everything into the ground with the RB20. Red Bull-Honda tried to put Wednesday’s best time (1.1 seconds ahead of Norris in the McLaren) into perspective. Sports director Marko: “We are certainly still ahead, but perhaps only by 0.4 seconds.”

Newey fooled his rivals

While almost the entire competition copied the old Red Bull RB19, technical genius Adrian Newey (65) and his team are already one step ahead. With new cooling inlets and the side cabinets as a kind of extra wing. No one will copy that in a few months.

Horner: “I can’t say anything”

There is currently radio silence in the Horner case. The leader of the bull team walked around in civilian clothes in the morning.

For the media conference, Christian Horner (50) put on the police shirt and was asked three times about his alleged mobile phone affair. The same answer three times: “I am not allowed to say anything, ongoing procedure.” For more than ten days…

Wolff warns the entire Formula 1

Interestingly, Horner’s intimate enemy, Mercedes boss Toto Wolff (52), publicly commented on the matter: “We have been talking about inclusivity, diversity and equality in this sport for years. So we have to be an example to people. I hope for a decision soon.”

Kaiserschmarrn for Niki Lauda

The second day of testing. After McLaren, Ferrari also wants to declare war on the bulls in 2024. Vice champion Mercedes (think Niki Lauda, ​​​​who would have turned 75 on Thursday, with a Kaiserschmarrn meal) has an old problem to solve.

The W15 again hits brutally (bouncing). Jumping only benefits the photographers with the great shower of sparks. The Mercedes customer teams of McLaren and Aston Martin have become tough opponents.

Clean: new cars – old sayings

The kick clean has been difficult to assess so far. You have already started a season less reliably and only hear hopeful words. Like all of last year.

The distance to the top is still just over a second. Day winner Sainz was the only one to break the 1:30 barrier – albeit with the C4 rubber. At the end of the test on Friday, Ferrari, Mercedes, Williams and Kick-Sauber will fit the ordered C5 quality tires.

Source : Blick