Ricciardo leads the pack in FP1 as 2024 F1 season commences in Bahrain
Daniel Ricciardo and the newly rebranded RB team showcased their prowess by leading the field in the first practice session of the 2024 Formula 1 season at the Bahrain International Circuit. Ricciardo topped the timesheets ahead of McLaren's Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri amid varied run plans among the teams.
At precisely 14:30 local time, the green light at the end of the pit lane marked the official start of the F1 season, as all 10 teams and 20 drivers quickly hit the track on Pirelli’s medium compound tyres.
Initially, it was Max Verstappen who set the pace with a 1m 33.535s lap, finishing a couple of tenths ahead of Mercedes' George Russell despite voicing his frustration over the radio. "The car is miles off what I want with very bad downshifts and upshifts," Verstappen complained.
As the session progressed, teams from RB, McLaren, and Kick Sauber switched to soft tyres, allowing Ricciardo to clock the fastest lap of 1m 32.869s. He was closely followed by the McLaren duo, Norris and Piastri, and his teammate Yuki Tsunoda.
Fernando Alonso, leading the medium-tyre runners, placed fifth for Aston Martin. Behind him were Verstappen, Russell, Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc, and seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton in his Mercedes.
Valtteri Bottas, utilizing soft tyres, secured 10th position, followed by Ferrari's Carlos Sainz and Red Bull’s Sergio Perez. Alex Albon was the fastest Williams driver in 13th place, with Lance Stroll finishing 14th, just 0.999s off Ricciardo's pace.
Read next ❯ Ferrari to reveal Hamilton's debut F1 car on February 19 at MaranelloZhou Guanyu recovered from early brake issues to place 15th in the second Kick Sauber on soft tyres. Logan Sargeant’s Williams and the Alpine drivers, Esteban Ocon and Pierre Gasly, finished 17th and 18th respectively.
Following their managerial reshuffle during the winter break, Haas began the season in expected fashion, finishing 19th and 20th as Kevin Magnussen and Nico Hulkenberg focused on long-run pace.
With FP1 concluded, drivers and teams will now analyze the data and prepare for the more representative evening second practice session.
