Following the positive wave from parent team Red Bull, confidence is also emerging from Racing Bulls after the first week of testing in Bahrain. The Faenza-based team has logged consistent mileage day after day, without major issues, putting itself in a better position than some direct competitors who faced various setbacks. Among the most satisfied are Team Principal Alan Permane, who at the end of the session confirmed positive impressions of the Ford powertrain, and Arvid Lindblad, who could find himself with a competitive car for his F1 debut.
Permane: “Impressive reliability. Focused on long runs and setup”
During the first week of testing in Bahrain, Racing Bulls completed a total of 327 laps. This number reflects the smooth, consistent work over the first three days at Sakhir. While it’s still difficult to make performance predictions, the impressions place the Red Bull Junior Team in a stronger position compared to teams like Aston Martin and Williams, who faced various issues during pre-season. “We had a really good week. We had a problem on the first day, and since then everything went perfectly. The third day was the best day,” said Team Principal Alan Permane. “We’re happy — every time we switch off the car we learn something. From the Power Unit to the tyres, there are many new aspects to learn. We ran a lot with high fuel load and almost nothing with low load. Our approach was: 15 laps at a time, rack up the mileage, to be sure about reliability. Next week, we’ll start focusing a bit more on performance.” Regarding the Ford power unit, which has already delivered strong results to Red Bull, Alan Permane confirmed: “It’s honestly really impressive. Of course, we had a few minor adaptation issues here and there, but reaching this number of laps is the best you can do in a test.”
Rookie Arvid Lindblad takes the wheel of the VCARB03
Another highlight for Racing Bulls is rookie Arvid Lindblad driving the VCARB03. Alan Permane also offered a glimpse into the learning process of the British 2007-born driver. “I wouldn’t say he has a leadership role, but Arvid is coping well. We know how drivers are — they want to push. They are pushing to the limit, but we haven’t even touched qualifying fuel levels.” At Racing Bulls, a lot of attention is also given to compressing the car’s optimal operating window. “Pirelli gave us plenty of tyres, so we can focus on making adjustments, then return to the original setup to seek confirmation. Of course, the track changes over the day — it gets hotter, and in the evening grip decreases. We take our time, even if it’s not always the most exciting for the drivers, but we need their feedback.”
Lindblad: “Lucky to debut in a year with so much testing”
The fact that Racing Bulls has approached the new F1 era on the right foot is evident from Arvid Lindblad’s first impressions, as he prepares to make his F1 debut in cars completely different from the junior categories. “I’ve spent my whole life thinking about F1, and the fact that it’s actually happening is exciting,” said the Brit. “This year I’ve been lucky to do many more tests than drivers in recent years, so I’m trying to make the most of it to learn as much as possible about the car and the PU. When you move from F2 to F1, there are already many more things to monitor, this year even more. I’m trying to understand how everything works and get the best out of it, but I think by the next test we’ll be able to go deeper into the details.”
The positive impressions of the Ford powertrain were confirmed by the Red Bull Academy graduate. “The aim of this test was to understand the car, the PU, and reliability. The next test will focus more on performance. It’s difficult to say exactly where we stand — it doesn’t make much sense to make predictions now — but the Power Unit is certainly good, which is positive. So credit to Red Bull and Ford.”
Leave a Reply