F1 Bahrain pre-season test - Day 2

Hadjar is first away with his practice launch and the others follow at intervals. Interesting to note a smidge of flo-viz paint on the right hip of the McLaren and the entire right-hand side of Lance Stroll's Aston Martin - making the most of the formation laps. That's engineering for you!

Currently Leclerc, Antonelli, Lawson, Stroll, Hadjar, Norris out on track ahead of this procedural theatre.

Speaking of Norris, with just a few minutes left he's popped out on new C3s.

Lando Norris ends his race sim with a flurry of short (ie 1/2-lap) stints on C3s and a C4 (presumably all used). All for the purpose of doing practice pitstops. What with his long-run times and the number of laps completed – 44 for Oscar Piastri in a rain-affected morning, 75 for Norris so far this afternoon – this is looking like a good day for the reigning constructors' champions even if Lando has only set the 14th fastest overall lap so far.

Lando Norris, McLaren

Photo by: Steven Tee / Motorsport Images

Crops a bit unfortunately when seen as an embed, doesn't it?

It's been a while since we've seen Oliver Bearman out on track and, lo, someone has just fired a question into the Haas F1 media WhatsApp group wanting to know if there's a problem. Well, it's safe to assume the US-based team hasn't downed tools to debate whether the time is right for a reboot of TJ Hooker, and whether or not William Shatner would be prepared to have a cameo in it.

Oliver Bearman, Haas F1 Team

Photo by: Clive Mason/Getty Images

Norris has pitted after putting in 20 laps on that last set of C2s. Interesting to see him consistently in the 1m32s late on in that race simulation. Pretty impressive in comparison with some of the others on race sims using the same tyre, to the tune of 1-2s per lap. Earlier today Lando described the car as being "in the ballpark" but needing work on rear-end stability - maybe the team has made progress with that? 

Carlos Sainz essaying another stint on C2s. Just three laps in, he's now up to 112 completed so far today.

Liam Lawson back out, on C4s, after a long lay-up in the garage for setup tweaks.

Liam Lawson, Red Bull Racing

Photo by: Red Bull Content Pool

A snap at the exit of Turn 4 for Charles Leclerc, currently four laps into a stint on C2s. This is a tricky corner in the modern generation of cars because it pinches in at the exit - pretty much where Leclerc ran his outside-rear wheel over the kerb - and it's difficult to stay inside track limits. Especially if you're trying to maintain decent speed through a fairly slow corner in a heavy car.

A little lock and a skip at the rear, and Isack Hadjar misses the Turn 1 apex by such a distance he ought to send it a postcard. Perhaps he was distracted by wondering why the producers of 'new' Bergerac have decided to make its eponymous hero a recovering alcoholic. Quelle cliche! 

Bergerac, for the benefit of those readers not based in Europe, was a long-running 1980s detective series set on the Channel Island of Jersey. How much murder and mayhem can you squeeze into an island of 46.2 miles? You'd be amazed.

For the same reason, I'm always disappointed that Murder, She Wrote didn't finish on a surprise twist in which it was revealed that sleuthing novelist Jessica Fletcher was in fact a vicious criminal mastermind who had framed all the 'murderers' she'd supposedly caught.

Isack Hadjar now out - on medium rather than hard tyres! The C4 no less. I know - this is the biggest news since the reveletion that they're rebooting TV's Bergerac!

After 18 laps on C2s, Norris pits for another set and heads straight back out again.

Lando Norris, McLaren MCL39

Photo by: Erik Junius

Charles Leclerc now back out on C2s after a 17-lap stint on C3s. Carlos Sainz is eight laps into another stint on C3s after completing 10 on that compound earlier. Andrea Kimi Antonelli is 12 laps in on C3s, Jack Doohan 16...

In the comments, Leonardo Bizzotto asks "What can be the benefits to have a driver in the car for both morning and afternoon session instead of having two different?"

Good question, and Alex Kalinauckas has a good answer:

“First the teams don’t have to spend time adjusting the test chassis to accommodate a different driver, but the main thing is just the run plans are different based on the changing day/night conditions. You need the drivers to evenly experience conditions that best replicate races - so typically late morning here in Bahrain, if it’s hot - and qualifying. For that it’s the late evening session. If you have a driver chopping and changing it can disrupt their rhythm. Although, if a team has a big issue when keeping one driver in all day, it can seriously disrupt their preparations in the short modern pre-season.”

We've reached the dizzy heights of seven cars on track as Lance Stroll joins a fray consisting of Charles Leclerc, Andrea Kimi Antonelli, Jack Doohan, Lando Norris, Gabriel Bortoleto and Oliver Bearman. Isack Hadjar has just parked after a 16-lap stint on C1s.

Aston Martin completed the fewest laps of all teams yesterday. For the cat fans out there, here's how Willow greeted one of Lance's fleeting appearances yesterday.

Jack Doohan dawdling near the pit exit in the 'practice start' spot; after what seems like an age he finally gets going. Perhaps he was trying to find Radio 2.

Seems unlikely that he was waiting for a gap in traffic since: (a) there wasn't that many cars out there; and (b) there was a bigger gap behind, after Liam Lawson, into which Gabriel Bortoletoo has just slotted after making his own practice start.

Bortoleto is back after just two laps on the C1s. Curious.

In cat news, Hazel has finished glaring at neighbourhood activity and relocated to the armchair for a snooze; she has broken this position of repose just once, to scowl at the TV as if she were disagreeing with the point Jolyon Palmer was making about brake 'feel'.

Gabriel Bortoleto and Oliver Bearman just out on C1s and C4 respectively.

Also currently engaged in lappery are Lando Norris (12 laps, C3) and Jack Doohan (2 laps, C3). Jack did 8 laps on C2s earlier on, then 6 on C4s, but hasn't strung together more than 3 laps since.

Jack Doohan, Alpine

Photo by: Clive Mason/Getty Images

Isack Hadjar has also hit 'pause' after running 25 laps on his C2s - and it was a brief pause since he's out again. 57 laps under his wheels already today.

Carlos Sainz pits after a 10-lap stint on the C3s. Andrea Kimi Antonelli is another visitor, albeit with just three laps done on a set of C4s; we've just seen him understeer past the apex of Turn 4, having carried too much speed in. Begs the question as to whether this was the planned end to the run or a response to the 'moment'.

Liam Lawson now out on track. 76 laps covered by him so far today. Ditto Carlos Sainz. Perhaps they're making a tilt for Employee Of The Month...

For those wishing to know about the cats, I regret to reveal that our two recently arrived rescue moggies, Hazel and Willow, appear considerably less interested in F1 than their predecessors. Both currently taking in the view up the street (an uneventful cul-de-sac) than the spectacle on screen.

For those wondering about how the current going reflects on Mercedes' recent bias towards cold conditions, Alex Kalinauckas has a handy explainer here.

Andrea Kimi Antonelli, Mercedes

Photo by: Peter Fox - Getty Images

Ferrari didn't do much in the way of long runs yesterday and has continued that pattern today. The longest stint was Lewis Hamilton's eight laps this morning.

At the opposite end of the spectrum, Isack Hadjar is cranking out a long run for Racing Bulls - currently 13 laps into a stint on C2s. He was briefly the only driver out on track but has just been joined by Carlos Sainz, Lando Norris and Gabriel Bortoleto.

Isack Hadjar, RB F1 Team VCARB 02

Photo by: Red Bull Content Pool

Spin! Charles Leclerc loops his SF-25 in the final corner after completing just two timed laps on his new C4s. 

Looks like the back end broke away as he applied throttle at the apex. Straight back into the pitlane, thence to the garage. Spots of rain are continuing to fall at the circuit.

Whatever your thoughts on the burning issues of today - the visual semantics of salmon pink trousers, cats' magnetic attraction to easily knocked-over objects – let us know in the comments or via 'social media' (@CoddersF1).

Lando Norris emerges from the McLaren garage on a fresh set of C3s. It's been a while and he's only completed 8 laps since getting in the car today.

Still, that adds to the net amount of cars on track. Relatively quiet out there - just Liam Lawson, Isack Hadjar, Charles Leclerc and Jack Doohan circulating with Norris at the moment.

An important question for this afternoon: how many times will the cats knock over the iPad with the live timing on?

Fred Vasseur's big boss is here. Ferrari chairman John Elkann has come out to support the troops at Ferrari. 

"It's important for everybody in the team that we feel the support of the group and the support of Mr Elkann," Vasseur said. "This is positive energy. And I'm more than happy that he could join today."

Photo by: Kemal Sengul