P1racenews AI automatic summary:
Toto Wolff was not the only one left awed by Red Bull on the opening day of testing in Bahrain. Carlos Sainz felt the same.
Carlos Sainz praised Red Bull’s performance during the first day of pre-season testing in Bahrain, describing it as “mighty impressive” and stating that they are “a clear step” ahead of their F1 competitors. Despite missing the Barcelona shakedown, Sainz had a productive session with Williams, completing 77 laps before passing the car to teammate Alex Albon for another 68 laps. Sainz observed Max Verstappen’s impressive performance in the RB22, noticing his top times and consistent long-run pace. Even Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff acknowledged Red Bull as the “benchmark” based on their performance. Sainz agreed, noting that Red Bull Ford Powertrains appeared to be significantly ahead of others based on the early GPS data, expressing admiration for their achievements with new regulations and engines. Overall, Sainz found Red Bull’s showing to be very impressive and hinted at their potential dominance in the upcoming races.
