2024 F1 pre-season testing: Winners and losers

Ferrari topped the 2024 F1 pre-season test on the final day with Charles Leclerc. The Monagasque driver opted to use the soft tire and propelled himself to the top. The test was more or less straightforward, with the drain cover coming loose being the biggest story in terms of disruption.

Quite a few did a low-fuel run and a respective race run as well. In all fairness, Red Bull looked like a class on the field, and the sheen in Max Verstappen's eyes later in the evening while talking to the media said a lot of things.

Next up is the first race of the season in Bahrain as the teams take a few days off and get back to business. Having said that, before they do that, who would be sitting home happy with how the pre-season test went and who would be a bit disappointed? Let's take a look.

2024 F1 Pre-season testing

Winner

Red Bull and Max Verstappen

If there is anyone (Fernando Alonso) who claims that Red Bull and Max Verstappen are clear favorites to cruise to a title, then they are not wrong.

Just like last season, the car appears to be in a different league. It's almost predictable at this stage that Verstappen will go into the 2024 F1 season as a favorite and quite a few might back him to repeat the kind of season he put together in 2023.

Loser

The chasing pack

Excluding Ferrari, a team that appears to have made organic growth, the other three teams in the top five should be disappointed. McLaren doesn't appear to have closed the gap to Red Bull in any metric, same is the case with Mercedes and Aston Martin.

All of this in a restrictive regulation where the field is supposed to be narrower by the year is quite disappointing.

Winner

Ferrari

As earlier mentioned, Ferrari might just be the only team that appears to have closed some gap to Red Bull. The car's true picture is still not clear and in fairness that's the case with every team on the grid. Having said that, the pace is certainly a positive and now there's time for the next step.

Can Ferrari emerge as a primary contender against Red Bull? It would certainly hope so.

Loser

Alpine

At best Alpine appears to be in P7 in terms of pecking order. This is the status of a team that was P4 in the championship in 2022 and was targeting podiums and race wins in 2023. That same team knows it would be a miracle if it scores points in the first race of the season. How did it reach here?

Well, it all comes down to the impulsive and often illogical approach with which Alpine/Renault has functioned in F1. A team without a long-term vision or conviction will continue to just be this and not progress because the basics are still not clear for that team.

Winner

RB

Worst case scenario finds RB in P6 and necessarily it makes the Faenza-based squad a contender for points. After spending the last two seasons at the back of the grid, this is a welcome surprise and on track of what the team wants to achieve.

RB wants to progress. It is trying to achieve this with a more inclusive partnership with Red Bull. For now, this seems to be working.

Loser

Williams F1

It's hard to pick Where Williams finds itself in the 2024 F1 pecking order but there's a clear idea that the car is maybe not doing as well as the team might have hoped. Last season saw the team finish P7 in the championship and one team it did beat (AlphaTauri) in 2023 has already jumped ahead.

For Williams, it all will come down to where it finds itself in the first F1 race. For now, it doesn't look that good.