Sky Sports F1 pundit Anthony Davidson has named his most impressive team of the first day of pre-season testing – and didn’t name Red Bull.

Formula 1 cars are finally back on the track this week as teams head to the Bahrain International Circuit for a huge three days of data collection and checking their new 2024 cars are up to scratch.

While Max Verstappen continued from where he left off last season by storming to the top of the timesheets in both sessions on day one, times were not necessarily important as teams scrambled to get a hefty amount of laps in.

Davidson was in the commentary box for day one, and spotted that the Aston Martin car seemed to have the best balance going through the tricky first and second corner section of the Bahrain track.

The Silverstone-based team made huge gains in 2023, with veteran driver Fernando Alonso claiming eight podiums, and they are hoping to once again be a serious threat at the very front of the grid.
Max Verstappen topped day one of testing
Aston Martin have recently unveiled their new AM24 car
Fernando Alonso achieved great success in his first season with Aston Martin

Aston Martin’s testing success

Now, Davidson has said that he thought the Red Bull looked a bit off in that section of the track, despite Verstappen’s day one dominance.

“You’re scrubbing off a huge amount of speed from travelling at 185 miles per hour down to around 50 miles per hour at the apex and that’s all done within about 100, 120 metres,” he told Sky Sports viewers about that section of the track.

“Onto your first question, for me, the Aston Martin looked pretty good in that particular part of the track.

“It was well poised on the braking, it looked easy to tuck into the apex where you need it, the rear looks pretty good when you get on the power early on and then as you build up the speed through turn two, the rear was still nicely settled.

“That’s what you’re looking for. The Red Bull looked a bit of a handful in the very slow speed part with the rear sliding too much.

“But the braking was okay, but then as you build up speed through turn two, the car for me looked the best, But it also looked very heavy, it looked lethargic in its change of direction.”