Max Verstappen Leads Opening Morning Session
In the opening morning session of the Bahrain pre-season test, Max Verstappen from Red Bull Racing emerged as the fastest driver. His notable time was 1:35.433, achieved shortly before noon local time. The session ran from 10 AM to 2 PM, and Verstappen’s performance was on soft tyres.
Session Highlights
Verstappen’s impressive time stands out, especially considering it is five-and-a-half seconds slower than the 2025 pole position set by Oscar Piastri, which was 1:29.841. Piastri, driving for McLaren, secured second place with a time just 0.169 seconds behind Verstappen.
Top Performers
- Max Verstappen – Red Bull: 1:35.433 (65 laps)
- Oscar Piastri – McLaren: 1:35.602 (+0.169 seconds, 54 laps)
- George Russell – Mercedes: 1:36.108 (+0.675 seconds, 56 laps)
- Lewis Hamilton – Ferrari: 1:36.433 (+1.000 seconds, 52 laps)
- Esteban Ocon – Haas: 1:37.169 (+1.736 seconds, 64 laps)
- Arvid Lindblad – Racing Bulls: 1:37.945 (+2.512 seconds, 75 laps)
- Carlos Sainz – Williams: 1:38.221 (+2.788 seconds, 77 laps)
- Gabriel Bortoleto – Audi: 1:38.871 (+3.438 seconds, 49 laps)
- Valtteri Bottas – Cadillac: 1:39.150 (+3.717 seconds, 49 laps)
- Lance Stroll – Aston Martin: 1:39.883 (+4.450 seconds, 33 laps)
- Franco Colapinto – Alpine: 1:40.330 (+4.897 seconds, 28 laps)
Performance Summary
Despite the strong performances, many teams were not focused on setting their best times during this session, leading to noticeable gaps between competitors. Notably, Esteban Ocon finished fifth for Haas, while Arvid Lindblad and Carlos Sainz showed considerable mileage with 75 and 77 laps, respectively.
Red Flags and Other Notes
Franco Colapinto’s Alpine caused the only red flag of the session, halting progress on track. The last placed, Colapinto, recorded a time of 1:40.330, the slowest of the morning.
Overall, the session provided valuable insights into the performance of various teams as they adapt to new technical regulations ahead of the upcoming season.
