In the opening morning of the Formula 1 pre-season test held in Bahrain, Max Verstappen from Red Bull Racing clocked the fastest lap, showcasing his prowess on the track.
Just before noon local time, with the session running from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., Verstappen achieved a lap time of 1 minute 35.433 seconds on soft compound tires.
This time, however, falls short by five and a half seconds compared to Oscar Piastri’s record pole time of 1 minute 29.841 seconds from the previous season.
Piastri, driving for McLaren, finished the morning in second place, trailing Verstappen by a mere 0.169 seconds, in the newly designed MCL40.
Following closely was George Russell of Mercedes, who secured third with a time of 1 minute 36.108 seconds, while teammate Lewis Hamilton landed in fourth, exactly one second behind Verstappen, despite experiencing a minor spin at Turn 1.
Esteban Ocon rounded out the top five for Haas, posting a time of 1 minute 37.169 seconds. The teams appeared to be focusing more on data collection rather than outright speed, which accounts for the noticeable gaps observed between the competitors.
Arvid Lindblad and Carlos Sainz, finishing sixth and seventh respectively, logged the most laps of the session, with 75 and 77 circuits completed for Racing Bulls and Williams, respectively. This is particularly beneficial for Williams, as they had missed the Barcelona shakedown prior due to production delays.
In eighth place, Gabriel Bortoleto drove a newly revamped Audi R26, which features innovative sidepod designs. Meanwhile, Valtteri Bottas from Cadillac and Lance Stroll of Aston Martin took the ninth and tenth spots, respectively, both sporting recently unveiled liveries after their cars were delayed in Barcelona.
The only disruption of the day came from Alpine’s A526, when Franco Colapinto’s car halted on track, resulting in a red flag. Colapinto’s time of 1 minute 40.330 seconds placed him at the bottom of the standings, with the fewest laps completed at just 28.
Results from Bahrain Pre-Season Test Day 1 Morning
Photographs capturing the action from Bahrain’s pre-season sessions reveal the intense preparations teams are undertaking ahead of the upcoming season.
