Lando Norris finished FP1 in Bahrain two-tenths ahead of Pierre Gasly, with Lewis Hamilton rounding out the top three performers during the session.
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Rookies on Track
Six different reserve drivers took part in the first Bahrain practice, shaking up the grid. Ayumu Iwasa for Redbull, Fredi Vesti for Mercedes, Felipe Drugovich for Aston Martin, Luke Browning for Williams, and Ryo Hirakawa for Haas stepped up for the practice session, with Dino Beganovic making his Formula One debut during the session with Ferrari.
Browning’s appearance with Williams leaves Carlos Sainz sitting out of the first Friday practice despite the ex-Ferrari driver stating he needed more time to find success in the FW47. Browning, however, set the best time of the session’s rookie drivers, finishing the practice 13th.
Green Flag & Power Problems
Only fourteen minutes in, Kimi Antonelli boxed his Mercedes after reporting losing all power in the car. The incident left Antonelli in the garage for majority of the session, with mechanics unable to reconcile the issue before the end of the session.
Much later into the session, Alex Albon also reported power issues. However, he stayed out on track to finish fourth in the session.
Low Grip All Around
After worries over the grip this weekend, the concerns were voiced by several drivers, including Lewis Hamilton and Oscar Piastri. Having issues with their balance and front wing respectively, they both voiced their frustration at the track heat leaving the tires with low grip on track.
Later into the session, Piastri demonstrated just how difficult finding good grip on track is this weekend, going wide into turn 14. While the track is hotter during this session than during the twilight race, this could be an ongoing issue across the weekend.
On-Track Scuffles
Yuki Tsunoda seemingly forgot which Red Bull team he now has a seat at, speeding past Red Bull’s earlier position in the pit lane in the middle of the session and having to complete another lap to box correctly.
After finally pitting with the right team, Alex Albon was released from his garage directly into Tsunoda’s path. There was a slight scuffle as both drivers avoided collision. The incident will be investigated after the session.
Another incident involving Albon is also being investigated after the session, involving his stand-in teammate Will Browning. Albon’s slower pace on the racing line during a cooldown lap meant the rookie had to swerve under high speeds to avoid colliding with his teammate.
Fast Finish
The last twenty minutes of the session saw teams testing the speed of the soft tyres in the Bahrain heat. Lando Norris had set lap times across the session that showed Mclaren’s knockout speed. Finishing clear by over two-tenths, the British driver displayed his continued dominance after last weekend’s podium finish.
Gasly set a surprising time after Alpine’s struggle for performance this season. The question remains if this performance can be translated into qualifying and Sunday’s race, and if the team can claim their first points this season.
Featured Image Photo By Mclaren Racing Media