Aston Martin Cognizant Aramaco F1 Team Principal Mike Krack says that the Silverstone-based outfit had a productive test in Bahrain ahead of the 2022 season-opening Bahrain Grand Prix.
It has been a positive test for us with only a few minor disruptions, which is to be expected in testing. We were able to achieve significant mileage, as well as complete some representative running in dusk conditions, which will prove beneficial for next weekend’s Grand Prix. The Bahrain circuit gives the car a good workout because the temperatures are high and the degradation of the track stresses the tyres, too. We were also able to work through the programme as planned, including the trial of new parts and the evaluation of balance and set-up, which is exactly why we go testing. It has also been great to be trackside with the team for the first time to understand how everything operates. I am looking forward to building that relationship through the season ahead. With such a big regulation change, it is going to be a very exciting challenge to keep improving the AMR22, and it is one that we are all relishing.”
Lance Stroll commented saying:
We have learned a lot across the test, and every session with the car has been useful in progressing it further. Bahrain is a great circuit for testing the limits of the car in low- and high-speed corners, so it is positive that we were able to complete the programme as planned. It was quite windy at times, and that affected the cars on track. One of the big things around here is discovering how late you can brake, so those tail- and headwinds have quite an impact, as we discovered. All-in-all, it has been a productive test and there is a lot of data to go over to make sure we’re in the best possible position for the start of the season. The learning curve has been much greater this year, and I am enjoying working closely with the team to make improvements.
Sebastian Vettel said:
We ran through our programme and completed a lot of laps this afternoon, which capped a positive three days of testing in Bahrain. Lap times are largely irrelevant, so our focus has been on increasing our understanding of the AMR22. I am happy with the progress we have made, and we know it is going to be a long season of constantly trying to find further improvements. These cars are very different; you definitely notice the increased weight and it makes the cars a bit ‘lazier’ to drive. Everyone is coming across similar challenges and that’s part of the game. I think reading into lap-times is even more difficult this year but, behind the usual leading teams, it is a tight pack, so I expect fierce competition. Nobody really knows where they stand yet, and this coming week will be important in making sure we hit the ground running in Bahrain.”