Lewis Hamilton not optimistic on last day of testing

Lewis Hamilton hugging the corner during Saturday’s practice session in Bahrain.

As Max Verstappen whipped around the circuit under the dazzling lights in Bahrain, Lewis Hamilton was feeling less optimistic after the preseason testing on Saturday about Mercedes chances before the season starts next weekend.

After last season saw Hamilton miss out on winning his eighth Formula 1 title, the dismal performance during testing was not how the seven-time champ needed if he is to win the title this season. While testing can be misleading as most teams keep a few tricks in reserve, this season could prove to be a challenge as Red Bull and Ferrari are topping the performance charts.

Last season, Verstappen had a commanding ten poles, and he could top that this season if Mercedes is unable to reduce the speed gap. During testing, Max Verstappen recorded a time of 1 minute, 31.720 seconds. That was the fastest during the three days of testing in Bahrain and a half-second faster than the time Mick Schumacher recorded during the extra two hours Haas was granted due to the late arrival of their freight shipments.

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Prior to Schumacher’s late practise session, Verstappen was .7 second ahead of Charles Leclerc before the session ended. Considering the conditions were similar to what is expected for next Sunday’s season opener, that is good news for Verstappen and Team Red Bull.

“We can’t read too much into the timing. The new parts we tested today worked well, which is what we always hope for.”

However, the late run by Mick Schumacher in optimal conditions saw Leclerc drop to third fastest and Fernando Alonso to fourth. It also resulted in Mercedes George Russel dropping to fifth after both were 60 seconds slower than Verstappen.

Lewis Hamilton’s performance saw him sitting in seventeenth place, a position he has seldom seen in his F1 career. However, the conditions for Hamilton were less than ideal in both the afternoon and evening seasons.

“We’re not the quickest at the moment, I think Ferrari look to be the quickest. Perhaps Red Bull and then maybe us,” but we’re certainly not at the top.”

Like Hamilton, the other teams and drivers have struggled with tire grip and “porpoising” during testing. This condition causes the cars to bounce and hop on the track due to aerodynamic issues, and it was one Hamilton mentioned during post-session interviews.

During the morning season, the seven-time champ was topped by Red Bulls Sergio Perez after he only managed the ninth best time. Even Mercedes, who have won eight back-to-back constructors titles, seems to have issues getting control of the car.

“Everyone’s struggling out on this bumpy track, and we come out of it knowing we still have a lot of work (to do). Everyone’s sliding around, the tires are worse this year. I hope we can maybe get some better tires at some stage, or maybe that work better in places (that are) not so hot this year.”

George Russel agreed with Verstappen’s, evaluation stating that it is definitely bouncing around a lot before adding,

“It’s not the comfiest, in all honesty. I don’t really care about comfort if the performance is there. But at the moment we do seem a step behind our rivals.”

For Mercedes, Russel said that are in a unique position where they are now having to scramble to find a solution, but have yet to find one.

“We’ve yet to find one, but that doesn’t mean we won’t be able to find one ahead of next week, or later in the season. I do believe the performance is in there, somewhere.”

On the flip side, Hamilton remains optimistic that the positive so far is the car is feeling better when behind other cars. AlphaTauri’s Pierre Gasly, who recorded the third fastest time in the morning session, agreed with Hamilton that following other cars have improved after the regulation changes F1 made in hopes of improving stability when following other cars.

“That makes me quite optimistic in terms of racing. The fans should see some exciting races.”

Now, it all comes down to the season-opening race in Bahrain. Whether Mercedes will get a handle on the performance of the new car before the F1 schedule gets underway and be positioned to compete with Red Bull, McClaren, and Ferrari, only time will tell. Until then, bettors can make their predictions at top Canadian sportsbooks like Spin Sports, and with a welcome bonus up to $200, the timing couldn’t be better.

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