Ferrari confirm Bahrain Grand Prix changes that will worry Lewis Hamilton and Mercedes
FERRARI are set to make changes to their car ahead of the Bahrain Grand Prix to ensure they keep apace with Mercedes.
Formula One: Ferrari’s Vettel sets fastest lap in pre-season test
Ferrari endured a tough opening run at the Melbourne Grand Prix earlier this month.
Sebastian Vettel and Charles Leclerc finished fourth and fifth respectively in Australia, while Mercedes nailed a one-two finish.
Focus is on leading Vettel into an F1 World Drivers’ Championship battle with Lewis Hamilton this season.
But Ferrari struggled Down Under and will hope for a much better outing in Bahrain on Sunday.
In Bahrain, we expect to see the effect of the corrections we have made
Sebastian Vettel has won this Grand Prix in each of the last two years.
And Ferrari team principle Mattia Binotto is confident car and tactical changes will be enough to secure maximum points this week.
“The Sakhir circuit has very different characteristics to the Australian one, with traction and braking being key factors,” Binotto said.
“As a team, we will have to ensure that we have understood and rectified the areas where we were weak in Australia, which therefore meant we were unable to fully exploit our car’s potential.
“In Bahrain, we expect to see the effect of the corrections we have made.
“Although we are well aware that our competitors will once again be very strong.
“With that in mind, we are keen to get back on track and face up to them.”
Valtteri Bottas won in Melbourne for Mercedes and also picked up a bonus point for recording the fastest lap time of the Grand Prix.
And Ferrari insider Leo Turrini reckons the Italian giants know what went wrong last time out.
"They say in Maranello that they understand it," Turrini wrote.
"So Mattia Binotto is still busy preparing for the race in the desert.
“What exactly was the problem in Australia? I don't know either. Was something wrong with the engine? A problem with the aerodynamics or were the stars simply not aligned for Ferrari?
"What I do know is that Binotto looks relaxed and that, boys and girls, as we know, is incredibly important when tackling a problem."