Bahrain F1 test: Verstappen tops opening morning for Red Bull

Reigning world champion Max Verstappen topped F1’s first session of pre-season testing in Bahrain, the Red Bull charger leading Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc in the morning workout.

At the wheel of Red Bull’s RB20, Verstappen wasted no time asserting his dominance, setting a 1:32.548 flyer that gave him a commanding 0.699s lead over Leclerc’s SF-24.

The Dutchman, running on Pirelli’s C3 compound, surged past the Scuderia driver’s early benchmark halfway through the session.

Notably, his time was already three tenths faster than his best from last year's opening test day.

Bahrain Pre-Season Test - Day 1 morning

The session wasn't smooth sailing for everyone. Alex Albon's Williams FW46 suffered a power loss on the main straight, forcing him to stop with just 20 minutes remaining. Williams is investigating the issue that prevented him from restarting the car.

Behind Leclerc, Fernando Alonso impressed in third for Aston Martin, a further tenth back, the Spaniard achieving the greatest lap count of the morning with a tally of 77 laps.

After a slow start, McLaren's Oscar Piastri grabbed fourth ahead of VCARB’s Yuki Tsunoda.

Mercedes took a more reserved approach, focusing on mileage rather than outright speed. George Russell landed in sixth, while Valtteri Bottas clocked the equivalent of a full race distance for Sauber, securing seventh.

Other notable incidents included Esteban Ocon's brief off-track excursion in his Alpine and Kevin Magnussen's Haas facing minor setbacks with a loose aero rake and a suspected fuel issue. However, both managed to continue testing.

While it's too early to draw definitive conclusions, Verstappen's early pace is a promising sign for Red Bull.

Williams, on the other hand, will need to quickly resolve their technical issues to avoid hindering their testing program.

With more to come from every team, this afternoon’s session will perhaps offer a clearer picture of the 2024 F1 pecking order.

Several driver changes will take place during the one-hour lunch break, with Ferrari, McLaren, Aston Martin, Alpine, Williams, RB, Stake F1 and Haas all splitting their days.

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