As the differences between this year's F1 cars emerge, Mark Hughes dissects the loophole-hunting ingenuity and calculated compromises that are beginning to define an early pecking order
What we apparently see from Bahrain is a Mercedes advantage, with Ferrari snapping at its heels and McLaren and Red Bull not far behind but definitely behind. Then a big gap — maybe around 1sec per lap — down to the midfield where Haas, Williams, Alpine and Racing Bulls might be expected to play, with Audi, Cadillac and Aston Martin completing the order.
What we are also better informed on is some of the differing technical choices the teams have made, some of which may be driving that competitive order.
