Despite the back-and-forth battle for the World Champion title last season, Lewis Hamilton played down his chances of fighting for wins early on in the upcoming Formula One season after preseason testing ended on Saturday.
During the three days of testing in Bahrain, Hamilton and Mercedes seemed to falter compared to Red Bull and Ferrari, who both showed a more promising pace. Mercedes has won the last eight constructors’ championships.
Remember: testing times can be skewed during the preseason in the overall competitive picture. It's led some to wonder if Mercedes is intentionally holding back on lap times ahead of the Bahrain GP next week.