After the winter test in Bahrain, Red Bull Racing seems favourite to start the F1 season, but Ferrari is said to be hiding well. According to La Gazzetta dello Sport the Italians have remained so in the shadows for a reason.

Red Bull was in the spotlight during the test days in Bahrain. Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez both managed to set fast times on different compounds. The RB19 was also impressive in the long runs, leading most people to suspect that the Austrian racing stable will once again run away with the world title in 2023.

Ferrari sandbagging

However, the Italian medium knows to report that Ferrari did not show the back of its tongue. In each stint, the team, which is led by Frederic Vasseur, reportedly poured 35 to 40 kilograms more fuel into the car than was needed. Even in the short runs. Ferrari never drove with less than 20 kilograms of petrol in the car.

The extra amount of petrol would explain the slower times in the various runs. Mercedes and Red Bull Racing also noticed that the SF-23 suffered a lot of tyre wear, but that too would be exacerbated by the extra amount of petrol, according to the Italian magazine. In Bahrain next weekend, it will become clear whether this 'sandbagging' Ferrari can also keep pace with Red Bull Racing.