Mechanics delete Red Bull car
Formula 1 test session in Bahrain canceled
February 22, 2024, 1:06 p.m
Once again a manhole cover is stopping the Formula 1 drivers from driving. During the tests in Bahrain, a cover came off and damaged Charles Leclerc’s Ferrari. Because the repairs take longer, demolition follows. The lost test time should be made up for.
A loose manhole cover slowed down the Formula 1 drivers on the second day of testing in Sakhir. Charles Leclerc in the Ferrari and Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton drove over the curb in turn eleven and apparently loosened the cover at the Bahrain International Circuit. The red flag was then waved and the session was interrupted. The German race director Niels Wittich then inspected the damage and several marshals tried to repair the area in question.
After about 40 minutes of repair work, it was decided to cancel the morning training. The repair should be completed within an hour. The second session of the day was brought forward and extended by an hour. It now lasts from 12:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. German time.
Memories were awakened of the Formula 1 weekend in Las Vegas in mid-November last year. The defective cover of a water shaft damaged Leclerc’s teammate Carlos Sainz’s Ferrari in the opening training session. The whole session was canceled at that time. Now the damaged underbody on Leclerc’s car had to be replaced.
Max Verstappen’s Red Bull world champion team also experienced technical problems. The brakes on Sergio Perez’s car overheated – and even caught fire. The mechanics quickly smothered the flames with fire extinguishers. Verstappen took a break in the morning and was supposed to take over the car called RB20 again in the afternoon.
The official test drives last until Friday. The first Grand Prix of the year will take place on March 2nd in Bahrain. Red Bull driver Max Verstappen secured the best time on the first day of testing. Leclerc drove the fastest lap in the morning for Ferrari in 1:31.750 minutes, while record world champion Hamilton was almost a second and a half slower. In the end, Nico Hülkenberg was over five seconds behind in the Haas.