Autobayng News Team
World champion Lando Norris put McLaren on top of the times as pre-season testing resumes in Bahrain on Wednesday.
But while 10 of the 11 teams covered more than a grand prix distance, and several managed two, Aston Martin had a less productive day. Lance Stroll had only covered 33 laps by the mid-session break and managed just three more by the time the chequered flag fell. The team said Honda spotted a “data anomaly” relating to its power unit which limited their running.
Most teams opted to split their running between two different drivers. Aston Martin was one of the exceptions while another, Red Bull, ended the day second on the times sheets. Max Verstappen was just a tenth of a second off Norris’s time and covered the most laps of any single driver.
Norris’s session-topping time of 1’34.669 was within five seconds of his team mate’s pole-winning time from the previous season. Oscar Piastri ran in the morning before handing over to Norris and ended up fifth in the times.
Charles Leclerc was half a second off Norris’s best in his Ferrari. Lewis Hamilton drove in the morning and had a minor spin at turn one when his car swapped ends on him.
Aston Martin wasn’t the only team to miss out on some of the available running time. Andrea Kimi Antonelli spent over two hours in the Mercedes garage after the team discovered a suspension problem on their W17.
Pierre Gasly was eighth for Alpine after taking over from Franco Colapinto, who caused a red flag when his car stopped during the first part of the day. Nico Hulkenberg put Audi in ninth place, two seconds off Norris, as the team revealed a striking sidepod update to its R26. The best time for newcomers Cadillac, set by Sergio Perez, left them four seconds adrift.
Bahrain test one, day one results
| Pos. | Car number | Driver | Team | Model | Best time | Gap | Laps |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | Lando Norris | McLaren | MCL40 | 1’34.669 | 58 | |
| 2 | 3 | Max Verstappen | Red Bull | RB22 | 1’34.798 | 0.129 | 136 |
| 3 | 16 | Charles Leclerc | Ferrari | SF-26 | 1’35.190 | 0.521 | 79 |
| 4 | 31 | Esteban Ocon | Haas | VF-26 | 1’35.578 | 0.909 | 115 |
| 5 | 81 | Oscar Piastri | McLaren | MCL40 | 1’35.602 | 0.933 | 54 |
| 6 | 63 | George Russell | Mercedes | W17 | 1’36.108 | 1.439 | 56 |
| 7 | 44 | Lewis Hamilton | Ferrari | SF-26 | 1’36.433 | 1.764 | 52 |
| 8 | 10 | Pierre Gasly | Alpine | A526 | 1’36.765 | 2.096 | 49 |
| 9 | 27 | Nico Hulkenberg | Audi | R26 | 1’36.861 | 2.192 | 73 |
| 10 | 23 | Alexander Albon | Williams | FW48 | 1’37.437 | 2.768 | 68 |
| 11 | 12 | Andrea Kimi Antonelli | Mercedes | W17 | 1’37.629 | 2.960 | 30 |
| 12 | 41 | Arvid Lindblad | Racing Bulls | 03 | 1’37.945 | 3.276 | 75 |
| 13 | 55 | Carlos Sainz Jnr | Williams | FW48 | 1’38.221 | 3.552 | 77 |
| 14 | 11 | Sergio Perez | Cadillac | 1’38.828 | 4.159 | 58 | |
| 15 | 5 | Gabriel Bortoleto | Audi | R26 | 1’38.871 | 4.202 | 49 |
| 16 | 77 | Valtteri Bottas | Cadillac | 1’39.150 | 4.481 | 49 | |
| 17 | 18 | Lance Stroll | Aston Martin | AMR26 | 1’39.883 | 5.214 | 36 |
| 18 | 43 | Franco Colapinto | Alpine | A526 | 1’40.330 | 5.661 | 28 |
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