It's not the last session before tomorrow's qualifying, but today's fp2 has an absolutely comparable degree of importance to the third practice session which will take place on Saturday. What makes the rehearsal hour in question crucial is above all the timetable, as well as qualifying and the race will be held at 16:00. Top of the league, after dark on oasis-track of Bahrain, it is found Fernando Alonso, which with a 1:30.907 puts the closest opponent at 169 thousandths.
Aston Martin soars under the lights of Bahrain
The time to reveal the cards is coming, and Aston Martin, as the three top teams feared, it doesn't appear to be bluffing at all. The best time is by Fernando Alonsowhile the partner returned today from a wrist injury, follows the Spanish at just over half a second. The green is not played all on Saturday, because the race pace seems to allow the team not to see a podium finish as a utopia.
Red Bull and Verstappen are confirmed as the combination to beat
Max Verstappen closely follows Fernando Alonso, which gives him 'only' 169 thousandths. Two thousandths more instead, those who pay Perez in relation to the partner in relation to the session leader. Red Bull's flying lap is convincing, but the trump card lies in the consistency of the pace.
The two-time world champion complained of an oversteering RB19 at the start of the session, as well as a more dancer car compared to the tests. The Dutchman isn't enthusiastic about his car, but there doesn't seem to be any need to be alarmed at Red Bull. The champion team did not reserve the privilege of flexing its muscles in the race pace simulation, which, despite the unknown fuel loads, still seems unattainable.
Ferrari: a prolonged hide and seek that reveals little
Charles Leclerc it is 460 thousandths from the first place. The Monegasque complained, as in FP1, once weird feeling when releasing the clutch when leaving the pits, a problem later solved by the horse's mechanics. The mechanics in red, after the first twenty minutes, checked the underbody of the number 16 car. The SF-23 rode very low to maximize payload, and sparks abounded.
Carlos Sainz he is alone fourteenth just over a second from the summit. The Spaniard does not seem to have regained the lost confidence in the scary spin of the previous session. During the race simulation performed by number 55 with red rubber it seemed porpoising still present, perennial nemesis of the red in this regulatory era. Ferrari's pace is more convincing than in tests and FP1, even if there is still work to be done to undermine Red Bull.
There is no data analysis that holds when the human eye is enough to judge the effectiveness of a choice: the mono-pylon rear wing proven on the SF-23 in FP1 has been set aside, though Vasseur has already anticipated that we'll see you again in a while. It is easy to guess that the evolved element will have greater rigidity, therefore, more weight.
Hamilton and Russell's nightmares don't seem to end
The W14 does not seem at ease either on the flying lap or in the race pace simulation. The grip of the black arrows doesn't excite the technicians and drivers, and the times prove it all. Lewis Hamilton is eighth, while, Russell closes thirteenth.
There is already a tussle in Bahrain between the mid-grid teams
The close fight announced in the midfield seems to be taking more and more shape, and the feeling is that there will be a change of hierarchies as the archetype of the circuit changes. In Bahrain, for now, Haas has the upper hand among 'the others' di Hulkenberg, fifth. Great Gasly with the Alpine, seventh. the Haas of Magnussen is sixteenth, while the Alpine of Or with is 11th. Doesn't thrill McLaren: Norris he always pulls out more than normal and finishes ninth, leaving Piastres 15th. Not bad Alfa Romeo, tenth and twelfth with Zhou e Bottas. Last Sergeant with partner Albon in 17th place, the pace of the race is not bad Williams despite the poor result on the flying lap. It disappoints Alpha Tauri: tsunoda he's 18th, De Vries it is penultimate.
Pirelli reveals the compounds to be preferred
To the microphones of Sky Italia, the manager of Pirelli Mario isola he speculated on a two-stop race. The engineer stated that Soft and Hard are the best compoundstherefore, the possibility of seeing a few medium tires in Sunday's race cannot be ruled out.
