Looking over the shoulder of the Mercedes W13 to see the extreme sidepod solution introduced by the team at the second test. It’s also a great way of seeing just how wide the upper side impact spar (SIS) fairing is when compared with the main sidepod bodywork.

Rearward shot of the Mercedes W13 gives us a clear view of the rear cooling outlet and the supplementary cooling gill panels on the sidepods and engine cover.

This three-quarter view of the W13 gives a little more perspective on how narrow the main body of the car is by virtue of how the floor expands outwards from it. Also note the pitot tubes that have been placed around the leading edge of the rear wing to help collect flow field information that can be studied later.

Ferrari F1-75 sidepods detail

Ferrari has a small update for the F1-75 in Bahrain, with a strake extending upwards from the leading edge of the floor to help divert the airflow in that region (blue arrow).

Ferrari F1-75 side detail

A look beneath the covers of the Ferrari F1-75 gives us a great view of what’s going on inside the sidepods. Note the flow conditioning vanes housed in the panel behind the radiators.

Another view, this time from the right-hand side, of the Ferrari F1-75 with the bodywork off, this time including the engine cover.

Let’s take a look at the Williams FW44 too, as the team had the bodywork off as it worked on the car. It’s clear to see how mounting some of their coolers in the saddle position above the power unit has helped narrow the sidepod bodywork.

Without the bodywork attached on the Mercedes W13 we can see it hasn’t placed a great deal on the car’s centreline, even though it features those very narrow sidepods.

A look at the floor edge details on the Haas VF-22 with a cutout just ahead of the rear wheel, also note the floor stay that’s been deployed to help try and reduce how much the floor flexes at speed.

At the front of the floor we can see the strake setup that Haas has gone for, which includes two strakes with sections above the floor level.

Haas VF-22 front wing detail

A close-up of the front wing on the Haas VF-22, complete with its interesting endplate design, which features the scalloped leading edge and wishbone-like diveplane.

McLaren’s floor stole some of the headlines during the first test owing to a more complex design than some of its rivals, so here’s a closeup of the floor and its edge wing.

Steering wheel for the Alfa Romeo C42

Photo by: Mark Sutton / Motorsport Images

The back of Valtteri Bottas’ Alfa Romeo steering wheel shows that the Finn has adopted the wishbone-style clutch paddle layout with finger sockets that his ex-teammate at Mercedes uses, albeit he’ll use his left hand to modulate the paddle and Lewis Hamilton uses his right.

Mechanics wheel the Pierre Gasly AlphaTauri AT03, fitted with a sensor rig, out of the garage

Photo by: Mark Sutton / Motorsport Images

A kiel probe rake fitted behind the AlphaTauri AT03 as the team looks to gather data on the airflow as it passes by the rear wheel assembly and through the diffuser.

Mechanics wheel the Pierre Gasly AlphaTauri AT03, fitted with a sensor rig, out of the garage

Photo by: Mark Sutton / Motorsport Images

A much taller kiel probe rake was mounted behind the front wheel assembly, placed to gather data about the airflow's passage in that region of the car.

Photo by: Mark Sutton / Motorsport Images

Alpine with a slightly revised livery and both the cooling gill panels open in Bahrain, whereas the engine cover ones were covered up in Barcelona.

Sergio Perez, Red Bull Racing RB18, with test equipment attached

Photo by: Mark Sutton / Motorsport Images

Kiel probe rakes behind the front wheel and suspension assembly on the Red Bull RB18 - also note the cooling gills that appeared in Barcelona and will help deal with higher temperatures in Bahrain.

Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes W13, with test equipment fitted

Photo by: Mark Sutton / Motorsport Images

Kiel probe rake behind the front wheel and suspension assembly on the Mercedes W13 – also note the sensor mounted on the edge of the floor, ahead of the rear tyre.

Charles Leclerc, Ferrari F1-75, with technical equipment fitted

Photo by: Mark Sutton / Motorsport Images

Kiel probe rake in front of the rear wheel and suspension assembly on the Ferrari F1-75.

Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes W13, with technical equipment fitted

Photo by: Mark Sutton / Motorsport Images

This side-on view of the Mercedes W13 shows how large the SIS fairing is, as it forms a manta ray-like wing profile. Also note the team was only running the forward cooling gills during this run too.

Guanyu Zhou, Alfa Romeo C42, with technical equipment fitted

Photo by: Mark Sutton / Motorsport Images

A rear three-quarter view of the Alfa Romeo C42 which is outfitted with kiel probe rakes behind the front wheel assembly and flo-viz paint on the rear suspension.

Mercedes W13 front wing and front suspension

A look at the internal details of the front brake assembly on the Mercedes W13, noting the difference in size given the larger wheel well from the introduction of the 18” wheels.

For comparison, here’s a look at the arrangement on the McLaren MCL36, who has opted to enclose the brake disc.

Williams has fitted the FW44 with a large cooling gill panel in Bahrain to provide additional assistance.

A close-up of the floor section ahead of the rear tyre on the Mercedes W13. Also note the ‘mouse house’ hole in the sidewall of the diffuser, which helps with the intense converging flow structures in this region.

Aston Martin AMR22 side detail

The gills on top of the Aston Martin AMR22 sidepods, some of which have been closed off as the team don’t require the maximum amount of cooling they provide.

Red Bull Racing RB18 sensor details, front suspension

Kiel probe rake behind the front wheel assembly on the Red Bull RB18 – also note the double element outer edge strakes.

Red Bull Racing RB18 side detail

Overview of the Red Bull RB18’s floor and sidepods.

Close-up of the SIS fairing on the Mercedes W13 along with the vortex generators which are mounted atop it and will work in combination with the mirrors and their associated aero tricks.

Red Bull Racing RB18 front brake

A look at the front brake assembly on the Red Bull RB18 without the brake drum attached gives us a view of their solution that encloses the brake disc.

Guanyu Zhou, Alfa Romeo C42

Photo by: Mark Sutton / Motorsport Images

Guanyu Zhou at the wheel of the Alfa Romeo C42. Note the ride height sensor mounted on the edge of the floor.

Sergio Perez, Red Bull Racing RB18

Photo by: Mark Sutton / Motorsport Images

Flo-viz painted on the Red Bull RB18 rear wing as the team looks to get visual confirmation that the airflow is behaving as predicted.

Photo by: Mark Sutton / Motorsport Images

Williams with a pair of kiel probe rakes mounted behind the outboard section of the diffuser on the FW44.

Photo by: Mark Sutton / Motorsport Images

A nice overview of the Williams FW44 from the side with the large cooling gill panel and the passthrough duct on the edge of the sidepod. Also note the triangular shaped edge wing that’s detached from the floor.

Photo by: Zak Mauger / Motorsport Images

A rearward shot of the Mercedes W13 showing the sloping, jelly mould-like sidepod design.

A good view of the rear brake and suspension assembly on the Mercedes W13, along with the addition of a metal stay to help prevent the floor from flexing too much.

Mercedes W13 front wing comparison

A comparison of the two front wing specifications we’ve seen so far at Mercedes, with the upper image from Barcelona and the lower from Bahrain. The upper flap has been altered on the trailing edge in order to promote a revised flow regime across the front tyre (red arrow), while the inner section of the wing that’s connected to the body of the nose is now more loaded (blue arrow).

Guanyu Zhou, Alfa Romeo C42

Photo by: Mark Sutton / Motorsport Images

Flo-viz painted on the rear suspension and outer body of the diffuser on the Alfa Romeo C42.

Guanyu Zhou, Alfa Romeo C42

Photo by: Mark Sutton / Motorsport Images

More flo-viz on the Alfa Romeo C42, this time on the rear quarter of the floor, just ahead of the tyre.

Alfa Romeo C42 diffuser detail

A nice clear overview of the Alfa Romeo C42’s rear end, including the beam wing, diffuser and rear brake duct winglets.

For comparison, a clear shot of the Alpine A522’s rear end, including the beam wing, diffuser and rear brake duct winglets.

Alfa Romeo C42 rear detail

A close-up of the diffuser and rear brake duct winglet on the Alfa Romeo C42.

Bottas: Alfa Romeo's Barcelona F1 test struggles behind us

Norris: McLaren brake issue in Bahrain F1 test "not an easy fix"

Bahrain F1 2022 testing: Latest technical images on Day 3

Red Bull reveals sidepod update in Bahrain F1 test

Bahrain F1 2022 testing: Latest technical images on Day 2

Brundle ‘doesn’t buy’ idea Hamilton would have quit F1

Hamilton planning to change name to include mother's surname

Ferrari: F1 2022 car not a race winner just yet

Verstappen: New F1 cars no longer "uncontrollable" following

The key tech talking points at the end of F1 pre-season testing

From porpoising to pods, Formula 1's new technical regulations have created surprises from teams up and down the grid. Here's a dive into the key talking points from the Bahrain pre-season test...

How Honda achieved F1 redemption through Verstappen’s title

When Honda was dropped by McLaren, Red Bull took a leap of faith by switching from its tried and tested Renault customer units. The key players involved in the decision explain how their gamble brought rewards in abundance.

Why Bottas is excited by life in F1 after Mercedes

Mercedes dumped him for George Russell, so Valtteri Bottas has reunited with old boss Fred Vasseur in a bid to bring Formula 1 glory back to Alfa Romeo. And as Oleg Karpov finds out, Bottas has “learned a lot” from a driver who knows a thing or two about achieving success…

Why Red Bull and Ferrari really start as F1’s early 2022 ‘favourites’

The business of predicting outcomes based on testing results fraught with peril. But while Red Bull ended Bahrain's pre-season test on top, it appears to have different company at the front of the new ‘favourites’ group, with Ferrari enjoying a strong start to its 2022 campaign and Mercedes seemingly off the pace. But the reasons why are deeper than the headline times suggest.

Can Alpine's latest F1 personnel shuffle turn the tide?

Since Renault returned to F1 as a manufacturer, barely a winter seems to have passed without a management restructure – or, indeed, a rebrand of the entire team. MARK GALLAGHER examines the latest moves at ‘Team Enstone’ as Laurent Rossi's impact begins to be felt

The teams seeking urgent answers as F1 testing time runs out

Ferrari led the way on the second day of Formula 1's pre-season Bahrain test, but the picture of who is out front remains murky. However, there are signs that a few teams are in danger of being cut adrift from the midfield with only one day of running remaining

What kind of champion will Verstappen be for F1?

Max Verstappen says it doesn’t change anything, but becoming world champion inevitably does exactly that – in many ways. So what can we expect from F1’s 34th title winner in 2022?

What we learned on day one of the second 2022 F1 test

With the second Formula 1 test of 2022 underway in Bahrain, the rivalry between Red Bull and Mercedes has once again been reignited. Matt Kew looks at the latest episode in their fierce fight, this time centring around Mercedes' radical new sidepod design...