The Bahrain International Circuit was buzzing with activity once again as Formula 1 teams continued gathering data on day two of pre-season testing. While mileage remained a key focus for teams, some shifted their attention to performance running. While it’s still too early to read too much into the overall times, a few trends are starting to form.

Red Bull’s form remains threatening, with Max Verstappen performing remarkably on the harder compound tires. With Verstappen completing his final testing laps on Friday afternoon, the Dutchman began to push his RB19 a little harder. His first flying lap was good enough for second, and within the first 30 minutes, he went top, only to be toppled by Alfa Romeo driver Zhou Guanyu late on. According to a senior source at a rival team, the reigning world champions hold a 0.5s advantage over the field, making them the favourites for victory in the upcoming season.

Ferrari appears to be in good shape, with strong reliability allowing the team to complete 138 laps on day two. Sources suggest reliability improvements to the power unit over the winter will give the team a boost of around 0.2-0.3s per lap, a valuable advantage on a power-sensitive track like Bahrain. As pre-season progresses, there is talk in the paddock that Ferrari could be Red Bull’s closest challenger in the upcoming season.

Mercedes has had a test of two halves so far, with an unbalanced car causing significant head-scratching on day two in Bahrain. Additionally, a hydraulic problem cost George Russell and the team a lot of running. Andrew Shovlin, Trackside Engineering Director, says the squad has plenty of work to do into the night to understand why the car was so unpredictable across the changing conditions. Despite these setbacks, there are some positives, with Russell saying that the team uncovered some “interesting things” in the data throughout the day. While the Briton believes that Mercedes is “a little bit behind Red Bull,” he is confident that they “haven’t unlocked everything yet” and will eventually catch up.

Alfa Romeo caused a stir, with Zhou ending the day on top of the pile, wrapping up a very smooth and productive pre-season with a 132-lap run. The C43 has shown an impressive turn of pace across the test so far, with the reliability issues that plagued their pre-season last year not rearing their heads again yet. Along with the works team and fellow customer Haas, they have the reliability-revised Ferrari power unit in the back. Combined with a chassis responding well to changes and performing as per the data, they could lead the midfield.

Williams had a strong showing, with Logan Sargeant completing what he thinks was the most track mileage he’s ever done in a single day. The American cycled through the softer tire compounds in the morning before turning his attention to a race run in the afternoon. Sargeant’s efforts helped Williams top the lap count table, with both drivers reporting a much better balance than last year’s car. This has resulted in real optimism within the team, with some suggesting they are set to be part of the midfield, putting them in contention for points and Q3s on specific circuits.

Haas could be a dark horse this season, with one senior source suggesting that the American team has had its best-ever winter in terms of preparations and car build. Both filming days were silky smooth, and their running on day two left them with plenty to smile about as they got 135 laps on the board. While it’s too early to tell where they will stack up in the pecking order come race one in Bahrain, there is growing hope internally that they could be in the fight for points consistently in the early phase of this season.

Overall, pre-season testing has provided interesting insights into the teams’ performance, but it is still too early to draw any firm conclusions. The first race of the season will be the true test of each team’s capabilities, and fans are eagerly anticipating the start of the season.