The testing session at the Sakhir circuit in Bahrain suffered multiple delays due to a recurring problem with the drain cover. The incident during the pre-season test frustrated Max Verstappen and Gianpiero Lambiase. Drainage issues are typically more common on street circuits than on permanent tracks like Bahrain.
During Thursday’s session, two cars ran over the loose cover, causing debris to be scattered across the track. This resulted in further delays, impacting the already limited testing time allocated to the teams. The Red Bull car, driven by Verstappen, hit a curb, causing the cover to fly off and requiring repairs and inspection.
Verstappen expressed his frustration with the delay caused by the drain cover problem. He emphasized the importance of resolving such issues before the testing session, especially in the era of budget caps, where every second lost during testing is costly.
The Friday pre-season tests were once again delayed at the Sakhir circuit in Bahrain due to a loose drain cover. After repairs were made at Turn 11, track activity resumed, with the lunch break being abandoned. The session was scheduled to continue until 7 p.m. local time.
Both Lewis Hamilton from Mercedes and Charles Leclerc from Ferrari encountered the loose cover on Thursday, leading to the suspension of the tests and the need to replace Leclerc’s car floor. Despite this setback, Leclerc set the fastest lap of the day during pre-season.
This is the first occurrence of a loose drain cover problem in the 2024 Formula 1 season. Ferrari showed strong performance on the second day of testing, but Max Verstappen’s fastest lap record from day 1 remains unbeatable. Expectations are rising for the upcoming third pre-season test.
