Mercedes F1’s start to pre-season testing has gone from bad to worse. Having only managed to run six laps in the first session on the opening day due to a gearbox issue on Valtteri Bottas’ car, day 2 of testing saw Lewis Hamilton beach his W12 into the gravel trap off Turn 13 at the Bahrain International Circuit.

Hamilton was given first dibs of Mercedes’ 2021 title challenger on day 2. However, after completing 35 laps, Lewis spun off the circuit and went straight into the gravel where he was unable to remove his car from.

Although the scenario may not appear all that serious, what is important to note is that during a season where only three days of testing are permitted, time is of the essence.

But what makes this worse for Mercedes is the part relating to the rescue of Hamilton’s beached W12. With the car being picked up and taken away, rival teams got a good luck at the underside of the Silver Arrow.

That’s the side of the car that the German team wouldn’t have wanted to show off. After all, that’s where all the new aerodynamic bits are.

This is far from the ideal start that the Brackley-based outfit would have desired. Even though it is still pre-season, teams that tend to win titles always have some kind of winner’s luck with them. However, just two days in, are Mercedes’ problems pointing to a turning of the tide in Red Bull F1’s favor?

Red Bull are enjoying quite the opposite testing sessions to Mercedes

Where Mercedes appears to be plagued by ill luck, everything seems to be going smoothly for Red Bull. The Milton Keynes-based team had a flawless opening day of testing.

Max Verstappen topped the time charts and also completed the most laps. More importantly, he spoke glowingly about the RB16B. He believes that the problems that plagued its predecessor are now solved.

This only raises the optimism of Red Bull fans; it feels as though the stars are finally aligning for them after years of Mercedes dominance. It is still early days, but these incidents serve as morale boosters for the Austrian team ahead of what is set to be a pivotal season.

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