McLaren Shines in Bahrain: Piastri Outpaces Norris in Thrilling FP2 Performance

Max Verstappen had a rough start as he reported to his team that his car was “jumping a lot” and had a “very bad ride.” This problem was apparent when he locked up and veered off at the tricky Turn 10.

Fernando Alonso faced his own challenges early on. Just a few laps into the session, he had a steering wheel issue and had to return to the pits. The Aston Martin crew quickly took action, changing parts of the steering system to get him back on track.

As the session progressed, George Russell set a strong pace, initially clocking a time of 1 minute 31.945 seconds on soft tires. He led briefly, ahead of Lewis Hamilton, his former teammate, and Kimi Antonelli, his new teammate. However, things quickly took a turn when the McLaren drivers made their move. Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris both put down impressive times, with Piastri recording 1 minute 30.505 seconds and Norris just behind at 1 minute 30.659 seconds. This put them significantly ahead of their competitors.

Russell still managed to maintain a respectable time, holding the ‘best of the rest’ position, while Charles Leclerc from Ferrari, Antonelli, and newcomer Isack Hadjar followed closely behind Verstappen.

Recent trends show that car performance can be unpredictable at the start of the season. According to a survey from Motorsport.com, about 67% of fans believe that pre-season testing is critical in shaping a team’s success for the year. Experts often emphasize the importance of car setup and reliability in these early days, as teams strive to find the right balance.

Fans have taken to social media to react to the session, with many expressing surprise at McLaren’s strong performance. Comments on Twitter highlight a sense of excitement, with fans eager to see if this will translate to success throughout the season.

In summary, while Verstappen and Alonso faced challenges, the McLaren team has captured attention with their strong pace, setting the stage for what could be an exciting race weekend.



Source link