McLaren scrambling to rush new brake parts to Bahrain

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McLaren says it's in "a race against time" to manufacture and transport new parts to Bahrain to solve the brake issue encountered by its MCL36 at Sakhir.

After an encouraging first pre-season test in Barcelona, McLaren's programme in Bahrain was hampered on the opening day of running on Thursday by excessive brake temperatures.

Lando Norris was only able to undertake short runs on the day and insisted there was quick fix for the papaya squad's brake issues although its crews were hard at work to mitigate and hopefully solve the problem.

"After the good test we had in Barcelona, this first one-and-a-half days here definitely did not go to plan," admitted McLaren team boss Andres Seidl.

"We have unexpectedly an issue with the front axle with the brake, which we have to solve. So [it’s] a race against time at the moment in order to get upgraded parts.

"We will make steps with modifications that we could do here in the track, which still allow us to work on the car, working on the understanding of the car as well.

"We could run some small upgrades on the car as well, in order to extract more performance from the package."

Read also: Norris says McLaren brake issues not 'an easy fix'

While McLaren is sparing no effort to get on top of its brake problems for Saturday's final day of testing, Seidl is confident that even if it can't solve the issue, the team will head into next week's first race well prepared to do battle.

"I'm still optimistic that despite the running time we lost and the limited laps we can do that, in the end, we can leave the track here well prepared for the first race weekend," added Seidl.

The German was also hopeful that Daniel Ricciardo would finally spring into action on Saturday after a bout of illness sidelined the Aussie on Thursday and Friday.

"It is good to see that his condition is improving significantly and he is feeling better," he said. "So I am quite optimistic that we see him back in the car tomorrow."

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Phillip van Osten

Motor racing was a backdrop from the outset in Phillip van Osten's life. Born in Southern California, Phillip grew up with the sights and sounds of fast cars thanks to his father, Dick van Osten, an editor and writer for Auto Speed and Sport and Motor Trend. Phillip's passion for racing grew even more when his family moved to Europe and he became acquainted with the extraordinary world of Grand Prix racing. He was an early contributor to the monthly French F1i Magazine, often providing a historic or business perspective on Formula 1's affairs. In 2012, he co-authored along with fellow journalist Pierre Van Vliet the English-language adaptation of a limited edition book devoted to the great Belgian driver Jacky Ickx. He also authored "The American Legacy in Formula 1", a book which recounts the trials and tribulations of American drivers in Grand Prix racing. Phillip is also a commentator for Belgian broadcaster Be.TV for the US Indycar series.