2021 F1 pre-season testing highlights

Alpine F1 Team rounded off the pre-season test weekend in Bahrain with 139 laps completed on the third and final day split between Esteban Ocon and Fernando Alonso at the Bahrain International Circuit. 

Alpine F1 Team rounded off the pre-season test weekend in Bahrain with 139 laps completed on the third and final day split between Esteban Ocon and Fernando Alonso at the Bahrain International Circuit. 

The team now has its sights firmly set on the season-opening race in Bahrain in two weeks’ time. Today’s century of laps brings the teams’ lap tally for the whole of testing to 396, equivalent to 2,143km, with each daily programme running to plan. 

Esteban took control of the A521 in today’s morning session, completing 61 laps with the best time a 1min 31.310secs on the C3 compound tyre. Fernando drove in the second, and final, session of the weekend as he accumulated 78 laps with a 1min 30.318secs on C4 tyres his best lap-time. 

The target today was to keep adding laps to the total, progress through a busy run plan filled with experimenting ideas on car balance and set-up choices on both high and low fuel. 

Now, the team will analyse its data, ready for its return to the Bahrain International Circuit on 26 March when the opening practice session takes place ahead of the first race of the season, the 2021 Bahrain Grand Prix. 

Marcin Budkowski, Executive Director: 

“This was a very solid test for us. We had an intense programme, almost trying to fit six days of testing into three, and we accomplished all of it without any significant problems. Our programme mostly focused on aerodynamic testing, especially in the area affected by the regulation changes, exploring set-up directions and getting the drivers accustomed to and confident in the new car.

The team did an excellent job at the track matched with faultless support from the factories. We achieved our target of 130 laps per day and found some decent performance improvements over the three days. Each team had its own programme, so we won’t see what everyone’s got in hand before the first race in two weeks’ time. That said, we focus on ourselves and we feel well prepared for the start of the season.” 

Alpine F1 Team best pictures:

Fernando Alonso (ESP) Alpine F1 Team A521 practices a pit stop. Formula One Testing, Saturday 13th March 2021. Sakhir, Bahrain.

Marcin Budkowski (POL) Alpine F1 Team Executive Director. Formula One Testing, Saturday 13th March 2021. Sakhir, Bahrain.

Esteban Ocon (FRA) Alpine F1 Team A521. Formula One Testing, Friday 12th March 2021. Sakhir, Bahrain.

Fernando Alonso (ESP) Alpine F1 Team A521. Formula One Testing, Saturday 13th March 2021. Sakhir, Bahrain.

Fernando Alonso (ESP) Alpine F1 Team A521. Formula One Testing, Saturday 13th March 2021. Sakhir, Bahrain.

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