Motorsports
Ferstappen faster on the final day of testing in Bahrain
In a series of fast laps on soft tires by most teams at the end, Red Bull RB18 Max Ferstappen clocked the fastest time of the three days in Bahrain, ahead of the 2022 winter testing curtain.
Driving the Red Bull RB18, Max Ferstappen set the fastest time of the three days in Bahrain ahead of the 2022 winter testing curtain. The Dutchman set his fastest lap with the softest of all erasers (C5), followed by Charles Leclerc and Fernando Alonso in 7 tenths and 1 second with Ferrari F1-75 and Alpine A522 respectively – but the Monegasque Spaniard also did a bit of his fastest lap with the harder – and slightly slower – C4 rubber.
The first Mercedes with George Russell completed its fourth year, 61mm behind Alonso and 1,039” behind Ferstappen – although the Brit also had his best time with the C5. Lewis Hamilton confined himself to data collection and other priorities, ending the day in the unusual penultimate place, 4.5 seconds back.
Although Sergio Perez had promised that RBR would run classification test simulations today, and also despite the different erasers that might lead to some conclusions, one cannot be sure how the present tenses will be translated – mainly because no one knows the fuel loads of each car had in his fastest lap.
Indicative or not at all indicative of the importance of today is that Ferstappen marked (apart from the first and) the second year of his entire three days in Bahrain with used tires, which were particularly worn after a quarter of a year -a- ke his on the last lap . This happened on the Dutchman’s exit lap from the pits, apparently because his four erasers weren’t warm enough yet.
“No one is in full classification test specification yet”, declared the champion. “Obviously the car is better with less fuel, and with more it’s usually a bit lazy and doesn’t do much. But that goes for everyone. I think the new parts we brought today worked well and hope for that you always.” .
I think we learned a lot about the car and were able to make it faster. And I think that’s what you want. Our main concern was the tires we will be using in the first few races. The car feels good and we followed the program that we set out to do and that’s always positive I think.closed Max
Leclerc also tried to set a fast lap on the softer C5 eraser, but despite being quicker in the middle of the track, something went wrong in the third part of the track – or he might have chosen to slow down – and so on . remained the fastest lap he had driven with C4. He then ended the day with rounds of the hardest C3 eraser.
The Mercedes W13, meanwhile, has revealed its stability issues to the naked eye. After the big problems of Hamilton’s uncontrollable turn yesterday, the “Silver Arrow” was twitchy in Russell’s hands today, sometimes hyper-rotating and with serious problems of rebound (“porpoise”) even in fast corners other than straight lines.
Notable, apart from Alpine’s relatively unexpected third year with Alonso, was Valteri Botas’ 5th appearance with Alfa Romeo – how the Finn managed with the average C3 eraser. Not all was rosy for Hinville’s team, however, as shortly afterwards the C42 had a problem with the transmission system and Botas had to defeat it on the exit of Turn 8.
Mick Schumacher from Haas was half a tenth faster today than yesterday’s fastest lap by Kevin Magnussen, who gave the Dane an unexpected lead. The German (although he has a foursome analogue of Ferstappen) thus found himself in 8th place, which is a very encouraging result for the American team, which finished the tests even ahead of McLaren and Aston Martin, Lando Norris and Sebastian Vettel or.
Sophia Jhon is a sports journalist and author. He has worked as a news editor for Sportish and is now a sport columnist for the same publication. Alberta’s professional interests lie largely in sports news, with an emphasis on English football. He has also written articles on other sporting topics.
Carlos Sainz Sr., father of Carlos Sainz and two-time world rally champion, has commented on Ferrari’s decision to replace his son with seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton.
Sainz was left without a seat at Ferrari last year and later joined Williams. In 2025, the Spaniard outperformed Hamilton and achieved two podiums, while the Briton had none.
Carlos Sainz Sr. emphasized that neither he nor his son criticized Hamilton:
“It’s not our problem, it’s not Carlos’ problem. Ferrari was close to winning the constructors’ championship in 2024, but this year the team has faced difficulties. My advice, and Carlos agrees, is to focus on your work. The world is already too complex to worry about everyone. Let people draw their own conclusions,” he said.
At the same time, Sainz Sr. believes that his son can become a world champion:
“I have a lot of confidence in him and I want to believe that it is possible. I am his father and I have seen how talented he is. If he is in the right place at the right time, he can really achieve this. Everything has to match perfectly. He works and fights for it,” he added.
The rally champion also noted that success depends on the car and the team:
“Unfortunately, I don’t have a crystal ball to know how teams are preparing for radical changes in F1. It all depends on the engine and the chassis. It would be good for Williams to produce a competitive car and fight for the podium. Now they can be at the bottom, middle or top of the table and under the new rules the stronger teams have more resources.”
Source: Sport UA
Ruth Waterhouse is an author and sports journalist who writes for Sportish. She is known for her coverage of various sports events and her insightful analysis of sports-related news. With a passion for sports and a keen eye for detail, she has become a respected voice in the sports community.
Formula 1 pilots’ salaries have long been record-breaking, and the championship’s leading stars regularly appear on the list of the world’s highest-paid athletes.
The current F1 squad is one of the richest in the history of the series, which is directly linked to the sharp increase in the championship’s global popularity in recent years.
But large contracts account for only a fraction of total revenue. Advertising deals, bonuses, business ventures and investments have allowed individual pilots to amass fortunes that far exceed the earnings of most of their peers. According to Racing News 365, it was these Formula 1 drivers who managed to build the largest financial empires in the history of the championship, leaving others far behind.
The richest F1 drivers in history
1) Michael Schumacher – $790 million
2) Lewis Hamilton – $304 million
3) Fernando Alonso – $264 million
4) Kimi Raikkonen – $254 million
5) Niki Lauda – $203 million
Source: Sport UA
Ruth Waterhouse is an author and sports journalist who writes for Sportish. She is known for her coverage of various sports events and her insightful analysis of sports-related news. With a passion for sports and a keen eye for detail, she has become a respected voice in the sports community.
Mercedes driver George Russell says he is ready to prove his ability to challenge for the Formula 1 championship and is not afraid to confront Max Verstappen directly.
The Briton had been driving for Mercedes for four seasons but joined the Brackley team just as it lost its leading position. During this time, Russell achieved five Grand Prix victories but had to watch Verstappen and Lando Norris win the titles.
On the eve of major regulatory changes in 2026, many experts see Mercedes as one of the favorites of the new technical cycle. Russell hopes this will be his chance to consistently compete at the top.
“I’m confident I can compete with the best. Max is the gold standard right now,” said Russell.
I would like to fight him head on. “This is the only pilot next to whom you can really test your level.”
After Lewis Hamilton moved to Ferrari, Russell established himself as the leader of Mercedes. The 27-year-old compares his situation to the career of Michael Schumacher, who won his first championship after working for Ferrari for five years.
“You either fight for the championship or you don’t. Nobody dreams of fighting for second place. I’m ready to take my chances and I understand that patience is required,” concluded Russell.
Source: Sport UA
Ruth Waterhouse is an author and sports journalist who writes for Sportish. She is known for her coverage of various sports events and her insightful analysis of sports-related news. With a passion for sports and a keen eye for detail, she has become a respected voice in the sports community.
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