On Saturday, the penultimate test day before the start of the season was on the agenda for the ten Formula 1 teams in Bahrain . Slowly all teething troubles should be eradicated. We show you the highlights of the day in the gallery.

The engineers have to completely change their test program this year. The drastic reduction in scope in the wake of the corona pandemic requires everyone involved to develop at lightning speed. On Saturday (March 13th) the second test day was on the program, which was also the penultimate test day before the start of the season in two weeks.

In the morning, the engineers tried again to get on the track of aerodynamics. Several cars equipped with sensors were sent out on the track. However, the data collection has been significantly shortened compared to previous years. There is simply not enough time for extensive basic work.

And so for most of the teams the comparison of different setup options was on the agenda. In addition to the setting options in terms of landing gear, there was also repeated back and forth between different wing elements and feedback from the pilots was queried.

Change of bed on Saturday

As for the driving staff, the main focus on Saturday was Fernando Alonso's big comeback . The 39-year-old Spaniard returned to the big racing stage in winter after a two-year break and surviving jaw surgery. Like his teammate Ocon, Alonso was allowed to run the whole day at Alpine.

We were also excited about Sergio Perez's first appearance at Red Bull . Like all the other pilots who were in action on the second day of the test , the Mexican was able to look forward to significantly improved conditions compared to the start. The wind eased a little and was now blowing from the front on the home straight. The temperatures dropped noticeably, which increased grip on the slopes.

Most of the teams split the test day between the two regular pilots and changed the seat shells in the cockpits during the lunch break. Sebastian Vettel took over the early shift at Aston Martin, while Haas reserved the new VF-21 for Mick Schumacher in the afternoon. The rookie hoped to get a little more driving than he did on his first appearance on Friday.

In the gallery we show you the highlights of the day.