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Pre-Season Testing Kicks Off in Bahrain with Lando Norris Leading the Charge
The first day of Formula 1 pre-season testing in Bahrain was marked by an hour-long interruption due to a circuit-wide power failure. This unexpected downtime hindered initial activities, affecting the floodlights and electrical systems in the main building, including garages and the media center.
Once the power was restored, Lando Norris emerged as the standout performer, recording a lap time of 1m30.430s that remained unbeaten despite late efforts from competitors like Max Verstappen and George Russell. This performance solidified Norris’s position at the top of the time sheets for the day.
Before the power outage, Williams driver Alex Albon had set an impressive pace early on, clocking in at 1m32.862s during an initial round of exploratory laps that included installation runs and aerodynamic testing. Following the first hour, Lewis Hamilton made headlines with his public debut for Ferrari, before Liam Lawson from Red Bull and Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso took over the top positions in rapid succession.
Lawson’s session had its challenges, as he experienced a spin at Turn 2 while navigating the kerbs, but managed to recover and continue on. Meanwhile, Mercedes rookie Andrea Kimi Antonelli led into the lunch break with a notable time of 1m31.428s.
After the break, the drivers exchanged places within their teams, which allowed Russell to surpass Antonelli’s time after the session resumed, finding over three-tenths of a second improvement. Shortly after, Charles Leclerc of Ferrari posted a time of 1m30.878s, just before a lengthy red flag period halted proceedings.
Upon resumption, Norris raised the bar further, delivering a lap nearly four-tenths of a second quicker while utilizing the C3 tyre compound, reinforcing his lead with a total of 52 laps completed. His effort put him 0.157 seconds ahead of Russell, who completed 70 laps overall.
The overall standings at the end of the day saw Verstappen, Leclerc, and Carlos Sainz fill the next three spots, all within six-tenths of a second of Norris. Sainz was notably ahead of sixth-placed Pierre Gasly by another four-tenths. Completing the top ten were Antonelli, Lawson, Albon, and Yuki Tsunoda.
In terms of lap counts, Esteban Ocon led the field with 88 laps while driving for Haas, finishing 19th in total times. The team appeared to prioritize longer runs, as they found themselves at the bottom of the standings, with Ollie Bearman in 20th place.
Day 1 Results: F1 Bahrain Pre-Season Test
As the pre-season unfolds, teams are working diligently to refine their setups and prepare for the upcoming competitive season, with each driver keen to establish their performance benchmarks heading into 2024.
Source
www.autosport.com