McLaren Sets Early Benchmark
Lando Norris set the fastest lap of Formula 1’s Bahrain pre-season testing, edging out Max Verstappen in a tightly contested morning session. The reigning world champion clocked a 1m33.453s on C3 compound tyres, narrowly beating George Russell’s previous benchmark by just 0.006 seconds.
Norris’ effort placed him 0.131 seconds clear of Red Bull’s Verstappen, who finished second on the timesheets. With most teams focusing on long runs and race simulations in the latter half of the session, the headline time remained unbeaten, securing Norris the top spot for McLaren.
Ferrari’s Rear Wing Innovation
Ferrari drew early attention with the debut of a rotating rear wing that pivots 180 degrees under the sport’s new active aerodynamics regulations. The wing reverts to its standard configuration during braking, a design aimed at maximizing straight-line speed while maintaining stability in corners.
However, Ferrari’s promising start was disrupted by mechanical trouble. Lewis Hamilton completed only five laps before returning to the garage with an unspecified chassis issue. The seven-time world champion later rejoined the session in its closing minutes to participate in FIA systems checks and practice starts.
Midfield Mileage and Reliability Tests
George Russell placed third and logged the most laps of the session with 77 trouble-free tours for Mercedes. Alex Albon followed in fourth for Williams, completing 71 laps in a productive outing.
Audi faced setbacks as Gabriel Bortoleto was restricted to 29 laps due to a hydraulics issue requiring extended garage checks. Despite limited mileage, the Brazilian secured fifth fastest time after returning to the track in the final 40 minutes.
Bortoleto’s late improvement pushed Oliver Bearman into sixth for Haas and Franco Colapinto into seventh for Alpine.
Struggles for Some Teams
Liam Lawson finished eighth for Racing Bulls but completed only 27 laps after spending significant time in the garage. Fernando Alonso endured another subdued session for Aston Martin, placing ninth and four seconds off Norris’ benchmark, with 40 laps completed.
Hamilton ultimately ended the session 10th for Ferrari, while Cadillac’s Valtteri Bottas rounded out the order. Bottas missed early running due to technical issues but recovered to log 58 laps by the end of the session.
