Lewis Hamilton was the quickest off the mark in both practice starts on the second day of Bahrain testing, catching the attention of Ferrari. David Croft commented on how sharp the Ferrari launches looked.
The FIA has been experimenting with changes to race start procedures during testing sessions, following concerns that inconsistent getaways could increase crash risks.
During Thursday’s session, drivers completed two formation laps before heading down to turn one. The goal was to see if a bit more prep time would help everyone get off the line smoothly.
There’s also talk that Ferrari might be running a smaller turbo this season, which could reduce lag and give them quicker response times. If true, that might become a real strength as the season gets going.
David Croft impressed by Ferrari’s launches in F1 testing
Hamilton got a strong start again, this time moving ahead of Racing Bulls’ Liam Lawson, Mercedes’ Kimi Antonelli, Haas’ Esteban Ocon and Red Bull’s Max Verstappen. World feed commentator Croft noted the consistent strength from Ferrari.
“Lewis Hamilton, as he did at lunchtime, getting the best start of all and takes the lead into the first corner from Kimi Antonelli and Esteban Ocon,” he said.
“That Ferrari, for the second practice start in a row, has been the rocket launcher, as it were, on the grid.”
If their consistency holds up through qualifying and into Melbourne itself next weekend – we could see them fighting for an early lead even if they don’t qualify at the front.
It comes after Hamilton opened up about how he expects Mercedes to do in 2025.
His best time was around six-tenths slower than what Antonelli put up for Mercedes. But Anthony Davidson liked what he saw from Hamilton in other areas.
Davidson said: “It’s something that the Ferrari team are doing consistently better than anyone else. It sounds good. He even had to sort of back out of it a little bit because others were going so slowly. A sweet start there.
“They might not have the fastest car on the low-fuel runs, but who cares when you can get off the grid and overtake four cars anyway! They’ve just got to get on the second row and then that’s job done!”
Ferrari’s unusual rear wing design turns heads
Hamilton spent a good part of the morning in the garage due to an unspecified issue, but still managed a solid number of laps after lunch despite a red flag caused by Fernando Alonso.
The day also saw the debut of Ferrari’s new rear wing, which quickly drew attention across the paddock. It’s not clear if they plan to stick with it.
Data suggested Hamilton picked up around 8-10 km/h in top speed using the wing, though there might have been trade-offs elsewhere on the lap.
Later reports indicated that Ferrari’s new design is more about energy management than pure drag reduction. The team switched back to a standard setup after lunch.
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