Lando Norris topped the opening day of F1 Pre-season testing, leading home Max Verstappen and Charles Leclerc in an educational opening day of testing for the teams.
Morning session
It was Max Verstappen who took to the track first for the morning session in Bahrain. The Dutchman’s RB22, sporting the aero rakes, was followed out by Williams with Carlos Sainz behind the wheel.
The Spaniard getting his first real taste of the FW48 after his team missed the shakedown in Barcelona due to delays in their car’s production.
Despite this, the Grove based team found themselves tallying 77 laps in the morning, the most of any team.
After half an hour only one Alpine was yet to take to the track. After an hour, the French team took to the track with Colapinto.
It wasn’t long though before the car was at a standstill as the Argentine pulled over to the side of the track.
Having tried to restart the car, Colapinto was forced to return to the pits, a suspected engine issue curtailing his session. The team managed 23 laps across the morning session, the fewest of any team.
As the green flag flew it was clear the biggest challenges the teams had to deal with was the introduction of active aero.
Featuring the overtake and boost systems which, in Bahrain, are available down the main straight and into turn 1 which claimed several victims throughout the session.
Lewis Hamilton suffered a spin heading into turn 1. Elsewhere, the Audi of Gabriel Bortoleto appeared to struggle into the first turn suffering several violent lockups.
F1’s newest team Cadillac also took to the track with Valtteri Bottas claiming the morning session. The Fin also locked up into turn 1, on his way to ninth overall with 49 laps to his name.
Verstappen finished the session fastest, a 1.35.433 putting him 0.169s clear of McLaren’s Piastri in second. George Russell rounded out the top three, 0.675s adrift but with 56 laps to his name.
Afternoon session
All eyes were on reigning world champion Lando Norris as the British driver took over from teammate Piastri for the afternoon session.
A 1.34.669 was enough to see him finish the session 0.129s clear of Verstappen’s morning time.
As the session began focus shifted to the other new team debuting this year. Audi, formally known as Sauber, featured a drastic new sidepod design on the R26.
A brief mechanical scare hampered the team’s progress with Hulkenberg pulling off to the side before turn 14. Yet, the German was able to restart the car and return to the pits.
That was the only stoppage throughout the four hour session as teams raked in the laps.
Verstappen ended the day with an impressive 130 laps. Only Esteban Ocon was able to also boast a tally of over 100 laps.
The Frenchman finished fourth, 0.909s adrift of Norris and just under half a second behind Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc who completed the top three.
Despite their troubles in the morning, Alpine returned to the track in the afternoon with Pierre Gasly, the Frenchman finishing eighth overall, behind Hamilton and Russell.
At the rear of the field it was a testing day for Aston Martin and Lance Stroll. The Canadian bought up the rear ahead of only Colapinto as the new Adrian Newey era suffered a testing opening day.
Teams will regroup ahead of the second day of testing tomorrow where the likes of Fernando Alonso and Isack Hadjar will take ton the track for their first laps.
Feature Image courtesy of Formula 1