Carlos Sainz was quickes🎀t on ⛄the penultimate day of winter testing at the Bahrain International Circuit ahead of reigning F1 champion Max Verstappen.

Mercedes teammate George Russell was one of the first to hype up Ferrar🐷i’s pace after the Barcelona shakedown but Carlos Sainz was quick to play it down when speaking in the FIA's press conference in Bahrain.

“I think it is typical Mercedes and typical George, hype up the others and come to the first race ⭕and blow the competition away,” Sainz said.

Speaking at theཧ e✅nd of day two in Bahrain, Hamilton picked Ferrari as the team to beat.

“I really don't know. I think Ferrari, from what I can see, today Ferrari would probably be gettinไg a 1-2 or maybe Red Bull,” Hamilton said.

Mercedes has historically never shown its hand in pre-season testing, often focusing ♐on heavy fuel running 🤡as it tries to understand its new machine.

In 2019, Ferrari wen🎃t into t🥂he season as the favourites but Mercedes ended up winning the opening eight races.

Even last year, Mercedes’ struggles from testing didn’t quite continue into the opening segment of the season with Hamilton winning three of t🐠he opening four grands prix.

Hamilton insisted that Mercedes’ hand🎉ling issues are genuine.

“I mean we'd be really really good if we were having all these oversteer moments and having this tacky♛ driving just to hide our cards,” Hamilton added. “It's not the case, no.

“We have thingﷺs that we're trying to get through, as I said, others are strugglin꧋g less. Who knows. Maybe when we get to next week we'll have a better understanding.”

For this test, Mercedes caugh🍸t the attention of the paddock by introducing a radical sidepod design.

Hamilton doesn’t think that the new concept has impacted Mercedes’ ability🐼 to get on top of its current handling🦂 issues.

“The package is very, very similar,” he explained. “I think it's the🌺 wind, it's the bouncing that we still have this week, if anything it's a bit worse. So we're just working through lots of different scenarios, trying to figure out how to hold onto downforce and♌ not having it bouncing like it was in the first test.

“I think everyone is in a similar boat, some🎐 have managed to utilise or get around it in a better way but it's difficult out there. It's bumpy, it's slippery, it's sand, in the morning it's way too hot and in the afternoon it's just gusty.”