Max Verstappen set the pace to start the F1 2024 pre-season test in Bahrain, with Lando Norris slotting in second and Carlos Sainz being third.
The three-day F1 2024 pre-season test kicked-off in Bahrain where Red Bull’s Verstappen set the pace after a full day running for the Dutchman. He set a 1m31.344s lap on the C3 compound, completing a mammoth 142 laps in all.
Although he was more than a second quicker than McLaren’s Norris (1m32.484s, C3), it was not entirely representative especially with the competitors seemingly not showing their full hand. The Brit only ran in the afternoon session, completing 72 laps.
Ferrari’s Sainz – who also took over in the afternoon – was third after his 1m32.584s lap on the C3 compound, with 69 laps done. The afternoon runners list continued with Visa Cash App RB’s Daniel Ricciardo, Alpine’s Pierre Gasly and Aston Martin’s Lance Stroll.
There were some moments for the drivers above especially Stroll who did have big lock-up to go off. He also lost a wing mirror which was run over by Haas’ Nico Hulkenberg after Ricciardo escaped from hitting it in the run-up to Turn 1.
Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc was seventh from Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso and McLaren’s Oscar Piastri, where all three ran in the morning hours, as Stake F1 Team’s Zhou Guanyu rounded out the Top 10. The Chinese racer drove in the afternoon hour.
Williams’ Logan Sargeant was 11th but only managed 21 laps as he first had a spin to go off but upon returning, he faced a driveshaft issues which ended his running. This happened after teammate Alexander Albon faced fuel pressure issue in the morning.
Mercedes’ George Russell was another driver to run the full day to be 12th, with Visa Cash App RB’s Yuki Tsunoda in 13th from Stake F1 Team’s Valtteri Bottas, Albon, Alpine’s Esteban Ocon and the pair of the Haas drivers to round out 18 runners.
It was Kevin Magnussen ahead of Hulkenberg, where the Dane faced a fuel issue as well but was fixed quickly. The first day was relatively smooth apart from chunks of lock-ups for almost all of the F1 drivers at various stages of the day.
Here’s the F1 Bahrain Test line-up: https://formularapida.net/f1-2024-bahrain-test-driver-line-up-running-schedule-more/
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