via Getty
NORTHAMPTON, ENGLAND – Second placed Lewis Hamilton of Great Britain and Mercedes GP looks on in parc ferme during the F1 70th Anniversary Grand Prix at Silverstone in Northampton, England. (Photo by Mark Thompson/Getty Images)
via Getty
NORTHAMPTON, ENGLAND – Second placed Lewis Hamilton of Great Britain and Mercedes GP looks on in parc ferme during the F1 70th Anniversary Grand Prix at Silverstone in Northampton, England. (Photo by Mark Thompson/Getty Images)
The Formula 1 pre-season testing is finally here and kicks off today at the Bahrain International Circuit. This weekend, the teams will be up and running at Bahrain’s hot and fast Sakhir circuit. It will be the shortest pre-season to prepare for what is set to be the longest F1 season ever.
All the teams will be in action on Friday, the first day of testing. The lineup on day one includes a lot of interesting drivers to watch out for.
Valtteri Bottas will take the morning session for Mercedes, and the reigning champion Lewis Hamilton will drive for the Brackley squad in the afternoon session.
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Thought you might like to know who's driving W12 and when this week. 😉 pic.twitter.com/qIAVrEByA5
— Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS F1 Team (@MercedesAMGF1) March 11, 2021
We will see the Briton test his new W12 every day of the testing session. After Friday, he will take up the morning session on Saturday and sign off the pre-season testing with an afternoon session on Sunday.
The F1 testing is usually organized in Barcelona. However, the event was moved to Bahrain this season in a bid to cut travel as the season opener is also in Bahrain on March 28th, 2021.
ALSO READ – Lewis Hamilton vs Mercedes: Who Deserves Credit for Their Success in Formula One
Could there be a Lewis Hamilton vs Max Verstappen scrap?
Hamilton is going for that record-breaking 8th title win. Meanwhile, Max Verstappen is looking to topple Hamilton and claim that spot on the top of the podium. The F1 testing could give us a much clearer idea of how this battle will pan out over the course of the season.
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Lewis Hamilton, in his Mercedes, is certainly the favorite. However, people are more optimistic about Red Bull’s chances than they have ever been since Mercedes began their domination.
Tricky 3 days of F1 testing ahead of us starting tomorrow. Most teams will share it as 1.5 days per driver.
Weather forecast says 32 degrees on Day 1 with temps dropping to low 20s on Day 2 and high winds on both days.
Changing conditions = Engineer’s nightmare! #F12021
— Karun Chandhok (@karunchandhok) March 11, 2021
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“There is optimism from the Red Bull camp about their chances, particularly as they gained on Mercedes towards the end of last season – and we should get an intriguing first look at that battle at 2021 testing as both teams have kept their cars and developments rather secret so far,” said a report.
Let’s be candid, we all want to see the Hamilton-Verstappen battle this season. It could be an absolute blockbuster for Formula 1 and a season to remember for all the fans. Do you believe Verstappen will take the battle to Hamilton?
