Oscar Piastri second as McLaren show pace in Bahrain
Oscar Piastri sits in his McLaren with his visor up during Bahrain testing.
McLaren spent the opening day of the second pre-season test in Bahrain completing further aerodynamic and tyre assessments.
Oscar Piastri logged 70 laps across the day, having taken over the afternoon’s running after Lando Norris banked 54 laps in the morning.
Oscar Piastri 0.01s behind George Russell in Bahrain test
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Piastri was second quickest at the end of the day’s proceedings, his 1:33.469s proving just 0.01s off the pace of George Russell.
“Overall, it has been a productive day,” said the Australian.
“My running in the afternoon felt solid and we made good progress.
“The conditions were different today to last week, with some warmer temperatures in my session combined with different wind conditions, so it was good to be able get that experience in the car.
“I am feeling more comfortable with each lap, so am looking forward to getting back out on track tomorrow afternoon.”
Conditions in Bahrain were cooler than they had been during the opening week, with McLaren working through ‘higher-value setup and systems work’ as part of its scheduled programme.
That saw Norris work through different power unit modes and three of Pirelli’s tyre compounds, namely the C1, C2, and C3.
Piastri then picked up the running, carrying some aerodynamic rakes before sampling the C4 tyres.
“Today’s running has seen useful track time in changing conditions,” said McLaren technical director of performance, Mark Temple, referencing the rising temperature into the afternoon.
“For Lando’s morning session, the wind had a bigger effect on our car from corner to corner, with temperatures also being slightly cooler than Oscar experienced in the afternoon.
“The variety of long and short runs and working through different tyres and power unit modes has given us more important data to work with as we look to unlock further gains across the remainder of the week.”
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Where much of the first Bahrain test was given to validation and reliability running, it’s expected there will be a greater emphasis on performance as this week progresses.
McLaren is thought to be among the top four teams, though where among that quartet remains uncertain.
Mercedes, Ferrari, and Red Bull also feature in that group, with the former thought to be the early favourites.
However, with performance easily masked with fuel loads, engine modes, and a host of other variables known only to teams, it’s nigh impossible to make an accurate assessment.
“Where we are in the pecking order? I don’t know,” Piastri said at the end of last week’s test.
“It kind of looks like the top four teams are still the top four teams, but I don’t know where exactly we sit in that at the moment.”
That will become slightly clearer across the remaining two days, with the truth only likely to be revealed in qualifying for the Australian Grand Prix early next month.
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