The Haas Formula 1 team’s start to the Bahrain test has been delayed by the late arrival of freight, with the team now set to miss the first morning of running.
The freight’s departure from the UK was delayed by the plane that was due to arrive in the UK to transport it to Bahrain being grounded by technical problems in Istanbul.
The team has confirmed the freight arrived at the circuit late last night, but the delay will have an impact on its programme.
The three-day test starts tomorrow, with the team now “targeting” starting running in the afternoon with Pietro Fittipaldi behind the wheel following it parting company with Nikita Mazepin and title sponsor Uralkali.
Fittipaldi – who stood in for the injured Romain Grosjean in the run-in to the 2021 season – is the team’s official reserve driver and is expected to contest at least some grands prix in 2022.
But team owner Gene Haas has made it clear that the outfit is favouring a more experienced option to be the full-time team-mate to Mick Schumacher.
Haas has endured a tough time off track in 2022, with on-track struggles added to the upheaval in its driver line-up and freight problems.
