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Until WEC 8 Hours of Bahrain
WEC 8 Hours of Bahrain
FIA World Endurance Championship
The WEC has established itself as one of the premier championships under the International Automobile Federation (FIA) and the leading global series for endurance racing. It attracts countless stars in motorsport, and it continues to grow in popularity every year, with races taking place in eight countries across four continents.
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ENJOY TOP-CLASS MOTORSPORT IN STYLE AT BAHRAIN INTERNATIONAL CIRCUIT'S EXCLUSIVE HOSPITALITY LOUNGE OVERLOOKING THE PIT LANE AND GARAGES ON THE MAIN STRAIGHT. WITNESS ONE OF THE MOST EXHILARATING EVENTS OF THE YEAR, THE 2024 FIA WEC 8 HOURS OF BAHRAIN PRESENTED BY BAPCO
View MoreA Canadian classic sets the tone for a sizzling F1 Summer
A Canadian classic sets the tone for a sizzling F1 Summer: The latest F1 analysis bought to you by Bahrain International Circuit
On paper, it would be easy enough to glance through the results of the Canadian Grand Prix and put this latest Verstappen win in the same category as countless others which went before. However, this victory was different. It was different because it showed, in far greater depth than previously seen this season, that F1 at the front of the grid is as competitive and closely fought as it has been for some while. It is not just about Red Bull and Max Verstappen, or a McLaren team closing the gap, or a track that suits the Ferrari setup to enable the Scuderia to be competitive. This time, we had the return of Mercedes.
The Mercedes promise began to show clearly on Saturday practice where Lewis Hamilton topped the timings by almost 0.4 seconds. It felt more than just a piece of Hamilton magic. This was backed up by George Russell sticking his car on pole in qualifying, posting exactly the same time as Max Verstappen. The Brit then continued that progress to lead the first 20 laps of the race, before an error gifted the lead to Lando Norris. Ultimately, Russell managed to achieve Mercedes’ first podium of the year in third, with Hamilton just behind in fourth. You can see how far the team has come when you consider that George Russell described his performance as “ugly” and Hamilton thought it was one of the worst races of his career. This success has been borne from a huge amount of work by the Brackley team, first to understand why the car was underperforming, then to introduce the necessary upgrades to rectify that. That work has included a new floor and, for this weekend, a new front wing. From this evidence, Mercedes finally seem to be getting somewhere, but time will tell how effective these changes will be when the European season resumes in Spain in a couple of weeks.
At the other end of the scale, it was a weekend to forget for Ferrari, with both cars failing to qualify in the top ten and neither car managing to complete the race, with Sainz retiring due to damage from an accident and Leclerc due to a power issue. Whilst Leclerc’s home victory a at the previous race in Monaco may seem like a distant memory now, one would expect Ferrari to come back strong in Barcelona.
Meanwhile, it was business as usual yet again for McLaren and in particular Lando Norris. After taking the lead on lap 20, it seemed as though victory was in his hands. However, a badly timed safety car put Verstappen ahead of him and perhaps revenge for the fortunate timing of the Miami safety car last month which handed Norris his first F1 victory.
As for Red Bull, this was perhaps a race that Verstappen would have been surprised to have won. As in Monaco, the 2024 car seems to struggle on the kerbs of street-style circuits. It appears that the car is too rigid to cope sufficiently with the bumpy nature of these venues. Whilst the team admits that this will take some time to resolve, it is a while until the next street race, with F1 set for a summer of racing at the more traditional European venues. Whilst this will suit the Red Bull setup much more, expect McLaren, Ferrari and Mercedes to be right up there applying pressure at the front.
In off-track news, the FIA this week announced the new technical regulations for the 2026 season, which will coincide with the introduction of the new engine rules for that year. The aim will be to make the cars more nimble (specifically lighter and smaller), encourage closer racing, whilst also ensuring the cars are as sustainable as possible. They will also be updated with additional safety features. The biggest aerodynamic change will be the removal of the rear wing DRS system in its current form, in favour of a three-element active rear wing and movable front wing. There is much to digest with the new regulations, but the ambition to encourage closer racing whilst continuing to enhance safety and sustainability will be welcomed by all.
Whilst F1 takes a week off ahead of the European summer starting in Barcelona in a couple of weeks, all eyes will be on the driver market after a couple of Important updates this week. Most significantly, Red Bull has confirmed Sergio Perez for next season and Alpine has announced that Estaban Ocon will leave the team at the end of the season. Meanwhile, Carlos Sainz has yet to announce where he will be for 2025, with Williams making it very clear that the Spaniard is their first choice to join Alex Albon next year.
A final word should go to Canada, which yet again put on an incredibly exciting race for fans. The unpredictable weather always adds to the excitement of Montreal. On the evidence of this weekend, with the fight well and truly on at the front of the grid, there is much to look forward to this summer for fans.
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