The first round of the 2021 F1 season will see two manufacturers - Honda and Ferrari - put their new power units to the task this evening in Bahrain.
Although the Sakhir track isn't a proper power circuit, it does feature a couple of decent straights where output can offer an edge.
Therefore, have Honda and Ferrari significantly progressed since their last visit to Bahrain in November, based on top speed readings from qualifying?
It's a murky picture at best unfortunately.
Aston Martin's Sebastian Vettel clocked in with the fastest straightline speed, the Mercedes-powered AMR21 edging the Ferrari-powered Haas of Nikita Mazepin. However, downforce levels obviously played a significant part in both drivers' performance.
Nevertheless, Vettel's 323.1 mph velocity was 5 mph slower than last year's top speed, achieved by Renault's Daniel Ricciardo.
The front-runners in qualifying - Verstappen, Hamilton and Bottas - were all within similar top speed ranges although positioned in the lower tier of the readings, confirming the preponderance at Sakhir of aero and balance over sheer engine power.
Interestingly, despite Ferrari claiming to have made a step forward with its power unit, both Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz, who qualified P4 and P8 respectively, were among the slowest in a straight line in qualifying and almost 10 mph slower than Leclerc's top speed at Sakhir in 2020.
The only conclusion one can derive from the numbers is that the best overall performance in Bahrain lies with the most efficient overall chassis/engine package. Yes, we know, that's pretty much stating the obvious. Especially for Red Bull and its Honda-powered RB16B.
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