We have become accustomed to seeing ten teams turn up to testing for the past decade to debut their season’s challenger. This year felt a bit different. With the new addition of Cadillac to the grid, it was expected 11 teams would take to the track for the first time since 2016.
Those who have kept a keen eye will notice however one team were missing. Williams Racing, fresh from a promising season which had seen them achieve their best Constructors Championship finish since 2017, were nowhere to be seen.
In what is a pivotal year, with a new generation of car, they were simply not ready. Rumours of the car being almost 30kg overweight and failing its FIA assigned crash tests do little to aide the claim of a team that is properly prepared for the challenge to come this season.
Team Principal James Vowles has managed to maintain his cool and composed style of management despite the initial setbacks. He responded to the claims, confirming his team had “passed all necessary tests” and that they were ready to run the car in Bahrain for the official pre-season test.
As to the weight issues, Vowles was less sure on that matter as he stated; “There’s no knowledge of the weight until we get to Bahrain in terms of understanding where it is,” Vowles said.
“There’s not a single person that will truly know it. It’s impossible to know it, because you need the car together without sensors in the right form. And that doesn’t exist today.
“If we end up being over the weight target then from that point along, it’ll be an aggressive programme to get it off.
“But I think right now, anything that you’re seeing as murmurings in the media are murmurings.
“I’ll come out and explain to everyone at the point where we know that. That isn’t today.”
Elsewhere across the paddock, the two new teams seemed to run smooth programmes throughout the opening days. Both Audi and Cadillac went without major issues, racking up crucial laps as they look to figure out the quirks behind this regulation overhaul.
This year’s regulations bring a major overhaul to the whole machine, the cars are now smaller and lighter (30kg at that) which in theory will allow the cars to be more agile and better for combat.
Someone who has been a big advocate for this is 7-time World Champion Lewis Hamilton. The Briton had endured the most rotten spell of his career during the ground effect era managing only two wins throughout the four year period.
Having taken to the track for the first time in his scarlet Ferrari on Tuesday he has given positive reports to the team’s progress.
“Last year we had a worse start to testing. So, considering this is a completely new band of rules, it’s better than we’ve experienced in the past, so I’m really hopeful that continues.” Hamilton said.
Despite a harmless spin in his first run in the dry, all went smoothly for the rest of the morning as he amassed 85 laps.
Someone who didn’t get away so easily was Red Bull’s newest recruit Isack Hadjar who found himself buried in the tyre barrier at the fast final corner. Some teething issues it seems for the 21-year-old Frenchman entering only his second season.
Team principal Laurent Mekies reassured his countryman as he said: “It was very tricky conditions this afternoon, so very unfortunate that it finished that way, but it’s part of the game.
“These difficulties came after a very, very positive day yesterday in terms of the number of laps Isack could complete in the car, and in terms of his learning and development and feedback to the engineers.
“We will try our best to repair the car and see what’s coming next.”
With one more engine manufacturer on the grid this year it has been expected for there to be poor reliability.
So far, there have been no major issues however Honda, having changed teams from Red Bull to Aston Martin, have failed to complete any long runs.
Both Lance Stroll and Fernando Alonso have been restricted to less than 10 laps in the opening days. A sign of things to come? Or purely testing trickery?
