Mercedes is bracing for another Malaysia-style battle with Ferrari this weekend in Bahrain. After losing to Sebastian Vettel in the Sepang sun, Mercedes hit back in cooler China last weekend with a one-two victory. But Ferrari began its Bahrain race weekend in the best possible way, as the red cars set the fastest times.
Mercedes then appeared to hit back in the second Friday session. But team boss Toto Wolff warned: "The Ferrari looked the quickest car out there. Very stable quick tyres ... lap times. That was a Freudian (slip)," he grinned. "Tyres! We just need to get our act together and analyse it."
Tyres, indeed, is the keyword, as Ferrari is managing them better than Mercedes on the so-called 'long runs', while the silver cars continue to dominate over a single lap. Both Mercedes drivers agreed on Friday that their Italian rivals appear "dangerous" in Bahrain. Many paddock dwellers are expecting a Lewis Hamilton versus Vettel title battle to develop throughout the season.
In Bahrain, for instance, the German broadcaster RTL arranged a rare double interview involving the two protagonists -- notably excluding Hamilton's German teammate Nico Rosberg. F1 supremo Ecclestone even stopped by just before the cameras rolled to chat to the two biggest stars of the 2015 season: "He (Rosberg) is the same calibre as Lewis," the 84-year-old said. "But Lewis looks in good form."
Vettel, however, will be hoping an FIA investigation into an incident on Friday does not dent his Bahrain hopes. The quadruple world champion collided with Sergio Perez in practice, but it was Ferrari's radio warning of a "brake problem" that reportedly raised eyebrows among the stewards. It is believed the FIA suspects it was merely a codeword to warn Vettel about a loose wheel, which could result in a grid penalty. (GMM)
Mercedes bracing for Ferrari battle in Bahrain
- Published on 18 Apr 2015 10:26
-
1
- By: Johan van den Beld
.
Trending news
-
Nike reportedly working on F1 return after two decadesNike is exploring a return to Formula 1 after more than two decades away from the paddock, with early-stage talks cen...
01 Sep 2026 16:25 -
How Liam Lawson's Zandvoort drive may have rescued his F1 futureLiam Lawson may have salvaged his Formula 1 career with a composed performance at the Dutch Grand Prix, according to ...
01 Sep 2026 15:23 -
Sainz baffled by Verstappen's thoughts on early F1 retirementCarlos Sainz has expressed genuine confusion at Max Verstappen's repeated consideration of early retirement from ...
01 Sep 2026 14:21 -
Why Lando Norris' New McLaren Role Could Pressure PiastriLando Norris has signalled his intention to become McLaren's undisputed leader, citing growing influence over tea...
01 Sep 2026 13:20 -
Betting on the F1 season: reading the odds and building a race-day strategyFollowing an entire Formula 1 season means constantly reassessing the competitive order. A car that excels through Mo...
01 Sep 2026 14:23
Dutch Grand Prix
Local time
-
Friday
Saturday
Sunday
Dutch Grand Prix
Local time
-
Friday
-
Saturday
-
Sunday
-
Friday
-
Saturday
-
Sunday
Test calendar
Circuit de Catalunya - Winter testing
-
Jan 26
I. Hadjar
- 1:18.159
-
-
-
Jan 27
M. Verstappen
- 1:19.578
-
-
-
Jan 28
A. Antonelli
- 1:17.362
-
-
-
Jan 29
G. Russell
- 1:16.445
-
-
-
Jan 30
L. Hamilton
- 1:16.348
-
-
Bahrain International Circuit - Winter testing
-
Feb 11
L. Norris
- 1:34.669
-
-
-
Feb 12
C. Leclerc
- 1:34.273
-
-
-
Feb 13
A. Antonelli
- 1:33.669
-
-
Bahrain International Circuit - Winter testing
-
Feb 18
G. Russell
- 1:33.459
-
-
Feb 19
A. Antonelli
- 1:32.803
-
-
Feb 20
C. Leclerc
- 1:31.992
-
-
World Championship standings 2026
Pos
Driver
Team
Points
Pos
Team
Points
Related news
Give your opinion!
Formula 1 Calendar - 2026
Date
Grand Prix
Circuit
-
Spain
-
Bahrain
-
Bahrain
Formula 1 Calendar - 2026
Date
Grand Prix & Circuit
-
Spain
Circuit de Catalunya
-
Bahrain
Bahrain International Circuit
-
Bahrain
Bahrain International Circuit
6 - Mar 8
Australia
Albert Park
13 - Mar 15
27 - Mar 29
Japan
Circuit Suzuka
10 - Apr 12
Bahrain
Bahrain International Circuit
17 - Apr 19
Saudi Arabia
Jeddah Street Circuit
1 - May 3
United States of America
Miami International Autodrome
22 - May 24
Canada
Gilles Villeneuve
5 - Jun 7
Monaco
Monte Carlo
12 - Jun 14
Spain
Circuit de Catalunya
26 - Jun 28
Austria
Red Bull Ring
3 - Jul 5
United Kingdom
Silverstone
17 - Jul 19
Belgium
Spa-Francorchamps
24 - Jul 26
Hungary
Hungaroring
21 - Aug 23
Netherlands
Circuit Zandvoort
4 - Sep 6
Italy
Monza
Driver profile
- Team Ferrari
- Points 3,724
- Podiums 137
- Grand Prix 245
- Country United Kingdom
- Date of b. Jan 7 1985 (41)
- Place of b. Tewin, United Kingdom
- Weight 68 kg
- Length 1.74 m
- 485,810 comments on Ferrari
67 members have this team as their favourite
Tweets about Lewis Hamilton
Team profile
- Team name Ferrari
- Base Maranello, Italy
- Kimi Räikkönen 1
- Michael Schumacher 1
- Michael Schumacher 1
- Felipe Massa 2
- Fernando Alonso 3
- Felipe Massa 3
- Michael Schumacher 3
- Felipe Massa 4
- Kimi Räikkönen 4
- Sebastian Vettel 5
- Fernando Alonso 5
- Fernando Alonso 5
- Felipe Massa 5
- Michael Schumacher 5
- Michael Schumacher 5
- Felipe Massa 6
- Felipe Massa 6
- Kimi Räikkönen 6
- Felipe Massa 6
- Kimi Räikkönen 7
- Felipe Massa 7
- Fernando Alonso 8
- Fernando Alonso 14
- Charles Leclerc 16
- Gerhard Berger 28
- Gerhard Berger 28
- Lewis Hamilton 44
- Carlos Sainz jr 55
- 511,931 comments on Ferrari
- 284 members have this team as their favourite
- Tweets about Ferrari
Replies (1)
Login to replyPosts: 1,027
Hopefully it is but TBH haven't seen any real evidence for this.