Verstappen Leads First Day of 2024 Bahrain F1 Test, Outpacing Norris by 1.1s

Verstappen Dominates Day One of Bahrain Testing

On the initial day of testing ahead of the season opener, Max Verstappen showcased his prowess by finishing over a second faster than his rivals, completing an impressive 142 laps in his new Red Bull RB20. The three-time champion set the tone in the morning session and maintained a strong performance throughout the day.

Lando Norris of McLaren briefly challenged Verstappen but eventually settled for second place, while Carlos Sainz impressed with a third-place finish for Ferrari. Daniel Ricciardo secured fourth position closely behind Sainz.

In fifth and sixth places were Lance Stroll (Aston Martin) and Pierre Gasly (Alpine), followed by Charles Leclerc from Ferrari. Fernando Alonso, Oscar Piastri, and Zhou Guanyu rounded out the top 10 positions.

Notable incidents included Alex Albon’s fuel pump issue that halted his run and Logan Sargeant’s limited track time due to technical problems. George Russell completed an extensive 121-lap session for Mercedes with a respectable lap time.

The test also saw Yuki Tsunoda, Valtteri Bottas, Esteban Ocon, Kevin Magnussen, and Nico Hulkenberg putting up their performances despite landing towards the bottom of timesheets.

Hamilton And Perez Await Debut on Day Two

Lewis Hamilton and Sergio Perez opted to skip day one activities but are scheduled to make their testing debut on Thursday as they gear up for what promises to be an exciting season ahead at Bahrain Grand Prix next weekend.