Power failure and rain disturb Formula 1 test: chaos in Bahrain!

Power failure and rain disturb Formula 1 test: chaos in Bahrain!

Bahrain, Bahrain - On Wednesday, February 26, the new Formula 1 season with the first winter tests on the Bahrain International Circuit officially opened. The first test drives started promising, but a power failure in the lunch session caused unexpected difficulties. All drivers had to return to the garages due to the interruption, since both the surveillance monitors and the power supply were in the garages. Mechanics were forced to work with flashlights to inspect the vehicles while the headlights no longer worked on the route. The stewards announced that the session could only be continued as soon as the problem was fixed.

In the morning session previously taken, the first ten drivers were able to use the route before the midday session was interrupted after only two hours. In addition to the technical problems, the rain on Thursday also caused further interruptions during the test drives. These weather -related difficulties meant that only a few teams, including Haas and Aston Martin, had ordered rain tires for the tests. Esteban Ocon von Haas was one of the few drivers who could use these rain tires, while the other teams largely paused.

test day in focus

The best time was achieved at lunch by Lewis Hamilton (Ferrari) with 1: 29,379 minutes. George Russell (Mercedes) initially held the best time, but was soon overtaken by Hamilton. Carlos Sainz (Williams) followed in third place, while Pierre Gasly (Alpine) took fourth place. Fernando Alonso from Aston Martin rounded off the top five. Nicolas Hülkenberg (clean) and Oscar Piatri (McLaren) had a small collision in the course of the test, which, however, remained without greater consequences.

Liam Lawson from Red Bull fought with problems with water pressure during the test and was only able to drive 28 laps. In contrast, George Russell completed the most rounds with a total of 71. The afternoon session was planned as a complete racing simulation before it ended at 5 p.m. CET. Even if the teams had to deal with high tire wear, they were able to gain important insights into the performance of the vehicles.

A review of the Formula 1 statistics

Formula 1 is known for their exciting stories and records. Max Verstappen set a new record in 2023 by achieving most victories in a row (ten) and reaching the highest number of points in one season (575). The number of Grand Prix participants is also an exciting topic: Fernando Alonso takes 401 participation, while Nico Hülkenberg remains in the list of drivers without a podium-so far he has not scored in 227 races. These and many other statistics underline the dynamics and competition in Formula 1.

The tests in Bahrain offer the teams the opportunity to prepare for the challenges of the upcoming season. Despite the setbacks due to the power failure and the rain, the teams are highly motivated to optimally coordinate their vehicles and prepare for the first races of the season.

Since the winter tests are in full swing, it remains to be seen how the drivers will be on the track in the coming weeks and which teams can come up with the best performance. Formula 1 fans can certainly look forward to an exciting season that could be full of surprises and new records.