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No parece faltarle razón, en los simulacros de largada se ha visto algo horroroso, los vehículos parten como si estuvieran en la vuelta previa y la primera curva es un baile delicado. Otro excampeón, Fernando Alonso, ha dicho que su vehículo dobla tan lento que lo puede manejar cualquiera, hasta un chef. Briatore, el polémico jefe de Alpine, dice que tener que frenar en las rectas para gestionar la energía es algo que va contra la esencia de la Fórmula 1, la categoría se está convirtiendo más en un ejercicio de ingeniería que en una competencia a pura velocidad. "Si la gestión de la batería supera la importancia de pisar a fondo el acelerador, se corren serios riesgos de perder el alma y la historia de la categoría", sentenció.

Y hablando de largadas, en estos últimos días se ha modificado el reglamento dando mayor tiempo a los pilotos para recargar las baterías y se prohibió la utilización de la aerodinamia activa (la apertura de los alerones) en ese momento crítico para evitar que los vehículos se desestabilicen cuando aplican la potencia, algo que se ha visto en varias oportunidades durante los simulacros efectuados por los pilotos.

Ha sido un largo período de espera y especulaciones, es innegable que hay cierta decepción en el público amante de la categoría, aunque debemos tener paciencia, no sabemos qué puede ocurrir el 8 de marzo próximo, quizás tengamos carreras entretenidas después de todo, lo veremos.

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Conclusions

After the final round of official Formula 1 testing was completed last Friday, several impressions and conclusions have emerged. The latter term is somewhat risky, as these tests were conducted before the start of the season, and it's very likely that most teams held back some of their potential. It's almost as if they were saving the most significant achievements of their designers and engine builders for when the points are at stake, so as not to "stir up trouble," a popular proverb in these parts that seems to apply everywhere, including the advanced, technological, and highly cultured world of the pinnacle of international motorsport.

These tests have served, first and foremost, to solidify what had been observed since the end of January, when these completely new cars, compliant with the now-enforced regulations, began running: new dimensions, new engines, new tires, and new fuel—in short, everything new. But in this radical shift, one thing remains constant: the dominance of the top teams—McLaren, Red Bull, Mercedes, and Ferrari—who have consistently outperformed the rest of the field, who, it appears, will continue to struggle in the midfield.

Based on what we've seen, especially in the last two races, Ferrari seems to be the most consistent and fastest, although doubts linger about Mercedes. Has the German team been holding something back? Meanwhile, the other two teams in this leading group are vying for the remaining positions, with no clear indication of who will be third and who will be fourth. Of course, this will change from race to race, and we're not even sure that the Scuderia Ferrari can maintain its current performance. In two weeks, everything can change.

Of the other teams, I'm particularly surprised and pleased by Alpine's significant improvement. They're now battling Haas for the title of best of the rest, something unthinkable considering their disastrous performance last year. However, let's not get ahead of ourselves. Just like with those considered the best, everything can change. Others will improve, and if they don't focus, they could quickly fall behind.

Aston Martin has been an unpleasant surprise, having a decidedly poor start to the season, as has Cadillac. Cadillac, however, has the advantage of inexperience—a completely new team that needs to adapt to Formula 1, which isn't easy and usually takes its toll in the early stages.

After the tests concluded, and even before, several drivers expressed their dissatisfaction with these cars. The most emphatic has been former world champion Max Verstappen, arguably the best driver today, who has openly stated that the FIA ​​is making a mistake with these regulations by giving undue weight to the electric motor. Max says this category is like Formula E on steroids. Let's not confuse things; let's give Formula 1 a good internal combustion engine and leave the rest to Formula E, he added.

He doesn't seem to be wrong. In the practice starts, something horrendous has been seen: the cars take off as if they were on the formation lap, and the first corner is a delicate dance. Another former champion, Fernando Alonso, has said that his car corners so slowly that anyone could drive it, even a chef. Briatore, the controversial Alpine boss, says that having to brake on the straights to manage energy goes against the essence of Formula 1. The category is becoming more of an engineering exercise than a pure speed competition. "If battery management takes precedence over the importance of flooring the accelerator, there's a serious risk of losing the soul and history of the category," he concluded.

Speaking of starts, the regulations have been modified in recent days, giving drivers more time to recharge their batteries and prohibiting the use of active aerodynamics (the opening of the wings) at that critical moment to prevent the cars from becoming unstable when they apply power, something that has been observed on several occasions during the simulations carried out by the drivers.

It has been a long period of waiting and speculation, and there is undeniably some disappointment among the fans of the category. However, we must be patient; we don't know what might happen on March 8th. Perhaps we'll have some entertaining races after all. We'll see.