McLaren and Norris top Day 1 of pre-season testing in Bahrain

McLaren picked up in Bahrain where it left off at the end of last year with Lando Norris setting the pace on the opening day of pre-season testing at Sakhir.

The day, split into two four-hour sessions, hit a snag in the afternoon when a sudden power outage silenced the Bahrain International Circuit for over an hour.

The culprit? A failure in an external substation, according to the circuit operators, leaving teams and drivers twiddling their thumbs as the clock ticked on.

Heavy hitters like Norris, Red Bull’s Max Verstappen, Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc, and Mercedes’ George Russell saw their track time slashed by the glitch.

Yet, the FIA, Formula One Management, and the teams agreed to extend the session by an extra hour, ensuring the lost laps didn’t derail the day entirely. It was a small victory for pragmatism in a sport that thrives on precision.

Rock-Solid Reliability and the Usual Suspects

Once the lights flickered back on, the field showcased the kind of rock-solid reliability that’s become a hallmark of modern F1 machinery.

Aside from the external hiccup, the session unfolded without significant mechanical dramas – no smoking engines or stranded cars here.

That dependability allowed the sport’s usual suspects – McLaren, Mercedes, Red Bull, and Ferrari – to flex their muscles and maintain their iron grip at the top of the hierarchy.

These titans of the grid, perennial contenders for glory, wasted no time reminding everyone why they remain the teams to beat in 2025.

Before lunch, Mercedes’ young gun Andrea Kimi Antonelli stole the spotlight with a scorching 1’31.428, a lap that hinted at the Silver Arrows’ potential this season.

Norris Leads the Charge

The afternoon stint started quietly – almost too quietly. For the first 20 minutes, the track sat eerily silent, with teams seemingly reluctant to break the stillness.

McLaren, in particular, played it cool, keeping Norris tucked away in the garage for over an hour-and-a-half after the restart.

Patience paid off, though. When the papaya machine finally hit the asphalt, Norris unleashed a lap that left the timing screens ablaze, securing the day’s top spot.

Hot on his heels was Mercedes’ George Russell, a mere tenth of a second back, proving the sound base of the Brackley squad’s W16.
Verstappen, ever the metronome, slotted into third, another tenth adrift, while Leclerc rounded out the top four for Ferrari.

Williams’ Carlos Sainz Jnr, freshly departed from Maranello, nabbed fifth, offering a tantalizing glimpse of what the Grove outfit might achieve this year.

The Midfield Steps Up

While the usual suspects hogged the headlines, the chasing pack didn’t sit idly by. Pierre Gasly delivered a solid sixth-fastest time for Alpine, a promising sign for the Enstone squad as they look to claw their way up the grid in 2025.

The morning session’s standout laps from Andrea Kimi Antonelli, RB’s Liam Lawson, Williams’ Alex Albon, and Yuki Tsunoda filled out the top 10, each driver staking an early claim for attention.

The next tier of the timesheets brought fresh faces and seasoned hands into focus.

Isack Hadjar notched P11, with fellow rookie Gabriel Bortoleto hot on his heels in P12 for Kick Sauber—two debutants already showing they belong.

Morning runners Lewis Hamilton, Jack Doohan, and Fernando Alonso slotted into P13 through P15, their steady laps a reminder of the experience they bring to the table.

Aston Martin’s Lance Stroll, however, languished in P16, the Canadian managing just 41 laps—the day’s lowest mileage—as the team grappled with a quieter outing.

Tail Enders and Tactical Plays

McLaren’s Oscar Piastri and Haas’ Nico Hulkenberg held P17 and P18 with their earlier efforts, content to let their morning work speak for itself.

Further back, Haas duo Esteban Ocon and Ollie Bearman rounded out the field in P19 and P20.

The American outfit appeared to march to its own beat, running a distinct programme that prioritized data over outright pace—a strategic gamble that could pay dividends later. In a sport where every lap tells a story, even the tail end hinted at bigger plans brewing.

With the desert dust settled on an eventful opener, the teams and drivers now turn their sights to Day 2 of pre-season testing.

The action resumes Thursday at 10:00 (07:00 GMT) local time, promising another round of intrigue as the grid continues to shake off the off-season rust.

If Day 1 was a teaser, the next installment could reveal even more about who’s ready to rule the roost in 2025.

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