Bahrain Speed Trap: Who is the fastest of them all?

The introduction of an entire new set of technical regulations in F1 has produced a long-expected reset, and a few unexpected performances.

From lower-tier teams suddenly running among the top 10 in Bahrain to Mercedes blighted by the handling issues of its W13 Silver Arrow, F1's first race weekend has so far delivered an interesting verdict.

F1's new rulebook has been devised around a radical approach to aerodynamics, with ground effects now relied upon to produce the bulk of a car's downforce rather than its wings.

It was anticipated that the wholesale changes would produce less drag and therefore faster cars in a straight line.

• Read also - Hamilton: Frontrunners 'in another league' than Mercedes

But based on Saturday's speed trap readings from qualifying, maximum velocity in Bahrain hasn't changed compared to 2022.

A year ago, in roughly similar conditions, Aston Martin's Sebastian Vettel clocked in with the highest top speed, or 323.1 km/h. And that's approximately the same number that was achieved by Red Bull's Sergio Perez yesterday in qualifying.

The performance also confirms the strong output of Honda's engine, or rather the unit now supplied by Red Bull Powertrains.

Looking at the rankings, one will note that Ferrari's F1-75 suffers an approximate 7 km/h deficit to its Red Bull counterpart, which logically implies that the Italian outfit's car making up in the corners what it's losing relative to its rival on the straights.

Furthermore, Mercedes' W13 is planted well down the order. Many have suggested that one of the benefits of the new Silver Arrow's "zero sidepod" concept is a significant reduction in drag, theoretically conferring to the car a healthy top speed.

But the W13's impressive slim bodywork also exposes a much greater surface area of the rear tyres, which potentially also creates more drag.

Regardless of the offset, one must believe that Mercedes had a good reason to introduce its sidepod upgrade.

Or is Mercedes' relatively weak top velocity linked to its power unit? Curious minds would like to know...

As usual, it's all just a snapshot from one session on one specific circuit, and more races will need to come and go before a clearer picture can be drawn.

Keep up to date with all the F1 news via Facebook and Twitter