First part of free practice
Sunny. Dry. Air +27C, highway +42C
Just six days after the end of winter testing, the racers took to the circuit in Bahrain again – already in the spring, as part of the first practice of the first Grand Prix of the season. Many of them adhered to the latest innovations to the end – and used training to evaluate their effectiveness.
It was not without problems. Piastri drove off the track when a gust of wind sent the car skidding sharply. Sargent complained about the smell of fire in the cockpit, but continued. Stroll completed two laps and returned to the pits with a hydraulic leak, losing the first half hour.
Sainz’s car flipped after hitting a curb in turn nine – it slowly returned to the pits and took off again after a break.
Sergio Pérez took the lead in the first session with a lap time of 1:32.758 on soft tyres.
Results of the first session
| Pilot | Team | Time | Difference | Circles |
| 1. C. Perez | Red Bull | 1:32,758 | – | 21 |
| 2. F. Alonso | Aston Martin | 1:33.196 | 0.438 | 22 |
| 3. M. Verstappen | Red Bull | 1:33.375 | 0.617 | 21 |
| 4. L. Norris | McLaren | 1:34.165 | 1,407 | 21 |
| 5. Sch.Lecler | Ferrari | 1:34.257 | 1,499 | 17 |
| 6. L. Walk | Aston Martin | 1:34.298 | 1,540 | 17 |
| 7. K. Magnussen | hare | 1:34,402 | 1,644 | 20 |
| 8.G Zhou | Alfa Romeo | 1:34,575 | 1,817 | 18 |
| 9. V. Bottas | Alfa Romeo | 1:34,689 | 1,931 | 20 |
| 10. L. Hamilton | Mercedes | 1:34,917 | 2,159 | 13 |
| 11.D Russell | Mercedes | 1:34,966 | 2,208 | 20 |
| 12. O. Piastri | McLaren | 1:34.997 | 2,239 | 24 |
| 13. Y. Tsunoda | AlphaTauri | 1:35.015 | 2,257 | 20 |
| 14. N. Hulkenberg | hare | 1:35.043 | 2,285 | 22 |
| 15. E. Okon | Alps | 1:35.105 | 2,347 | 20 |
| 16.N. deVries | AlphaTauri | 1:35,402 | 2,644 | 25 |
| 17.P Gasley | Alps | 1:35,455 | 2,697 | 22 |
| 18. L. Sargent | Willems | 1:35,749 | 2,991 | 24 |
| 19. A. Albon | Willems | 1:36.018 | 3,260 | 15 |
| 20. K. Sainz | Ferrari | 1:36.072 | 3,314 | 21 |
Source: F1 News
I am Christopher Clyde, an experienced journalist and content writer with a passion for sports. I have been writing about Formula 1 news for the past five years and am currently employed as an author at athletistic.com, one of the top sports websites in the US.
