The first starting grid of 2024 sees Max Verstappen in Pole Position for the Bahrain GP, with Charles Leclerc at his side. Behind them on the second row are Russell and Sainz. Sergio Perez and Fernando Alonso are just behind, with the two McLarens, Lewis Hamilton and Nico Hulkenberg, rounding out the top 10.
The start of the line will be the first ‘battle’ between teams and drivers. From there, drivers will either improve or worsen their chances for the Grand Prix.
But now it’s time to assess the potential strategies for the Bahrain GP.
Departure on Soft: there are those who saved a train of new C3s for the occasion
Yesterday was the sofy tyres used almost exclusively across the field. The exceptions were Ferrari and Alpine, who completed their first runs of the session on medium tyres.
From that point onwards, the entire field worked to set the best times possible. Improving track conditions also generated plenty of improvements.
Max Verstappen and Checo Perez managed to save a set of soft tyres. This could pay dividends at the start and provide them with extra grip and performance off the line.
This could help the Dutchman to defend himself from Leclerc, especially since DRS will be available after lap 1. Sergio Perez could also benefit from this additional grip.
Charles Leclerc, on the contrary, did not enjoy this extra set. Even in qualifying, he was forced to begin the final qualifying session on used tyres.
The Monegasue says this made him “lose a bit of pace, which it cost in the last run of Q3.”
In the top 10, however, another driver consciously kept a set of new Softs aside for the race, partially sacrificing his qualifying. This was Nico Hulkenberg.
“I had this idea, and I proposed it to the team who shared it.” The German made a surprise entry into Q3 and was well behind Hamilton in P9.
Team Principal Ayao Komatsu confided that the objective was to enter Q2 with both cars. In this respect, the team overachieved.
“Nico then showed that he is an excellent qualifier by arriving in Q3. With a new Soft, we could have been ninth at most, so we preferred to keep it to have an advantage in the race,” said the Japanese Team Principal.
This logical approach keeps the priority on race day consistent with the team’s focus since pre-season.
Two-stop strategy, many teams have already ‘discarded’ the mediums
Bahrain is the most abrasive circuit of the year in terms of asphalt. Rubber degradation will be a determining factor.
The characteristics of the track will also cause the rear to suffer, especially with high fuel loads, given the numerous traction zones that will put a lot of energy on that axis.
Pirelli brought the hardest range of tyres (C1-C2-C3) this weekend. As it stands, the soft and hard tyres are heavily factored across the field.
Over the weekend, the medium tyre has not shown the pace many anticipated. Owing to its higher tyre wear compared to the hards, it becomes useful.
Still, the delta between the hard and mediums is around 3-5 tenths. Meanwhile, the gap between the hards and softs is roughly 1.2 seconds.
In terms of performance, the gap is not entirely insignificant, especially given how close the field is. Tyre management will be crucial in this sense, giving teams and drivers key strategic advantages.
However, the soft tyres are still viable – as Red Bull showed last year. Red Bull, Mercedes, Aston Martin and McLaren have the flexibility of choosing between Soft-Hard-Hard and Soft-Hard-Medium strategies.
Among the top teams, Ferrari is more restricted strategically. Unlike rivals, they are without a fresh set of medium tyres.
The Red Bull RB20 has proven to be excellent in race trim across testing and practice. Some anticipate an advantage of three-tenths from the Austrian outfit, although there is some variety here.
In terms of tyre management, they were extremely impressive. McLaren and Ferrari were also solid in this area, thanks to the great load available to the MCL38 and the SF-24.
Aston Martin were perhaps slightly moe inconsistent, although they have taken important steps forward since testing.
Meanwhile, Mercedes worked to find that important compromise between qualifying and race pace. Both the drivers and engineers are eager to see the results tomorrow.
George Russell and Lewis Hamilton go into the Bahrain GP with slightly different setups.
Authors: Paolo D’Alessandro and Piergiuseppe Donadoni
Translation: Jaden Diaz-Ndisang
