F1 preseason testing: Norris tops day 1 in Bahrain

Lando Norris tops day 1 of F1 preseason testing in Bahrain

McLaren's Lando Norris set the fastest time on the opening day of Formula 1's preseason test in Bahrain. Despite a power cut which disrupted the afternoon session, the British driver recorded a 1:30.430 lap time, outpacing Mercedes’ George Russell by 0.147 seconds.

All 20 drivers took part in the first of three days of preseason testing, providing them the opportunity to test their 2025 cars extensively. Although lap times on the opening day are not usually a clear indicator of performance, Norris’ performance around the Bahrain International Circuit stood out.

The afternoon session faced an unexpected halt due to a power failure at an external substation, causing the floodlights to go out just before sunset. This forced the FIA to red flag the proceedings while power was restored. After 30 minutes, power was back in the garages, and the floodlights gradually illuminated the circuit again, leading to an additional hour being added to the session to compensate for lost time.

The top three fastest laps — posted by Norris, Russell, and reigning champion Max Verstappen — were set after the power cut, despite occasional rain and dropping temperatures after sunset. Conditions in Bahrain typically improve under the lights, but the unusually cool temperatures saw the ambient reading drop below 59°F (15°C) by the session’s end.

The morning session’s attention centered on Lewis Hamilton, who made his official testing debut with Ferrari. The seven-time champion completed 70 laps, setting the fifth fastest time by lunch which fell to twelfth by the day’s end. His teammate Charles Leclerc, who took over in the afternoon, clocked the fourth fastest time and completed 71 laps.

Red Bull’s Liam Lawson and Racing Bull’s Isack Hadjar were notable for their spins during the day. Lawson lost control at Turn 2 but avoided significant damage, going on to set the second fastest time before lunch. Hadjar spun at Turn 4 but managed to recover the car without incident.

Testing activities in Bahrain will continue over the next two days before the teams head to Australia for the first race of the season on March 16.

Day 1 - Lap times, lap counts, and tyre compounds:

Driver	Team	Time	Laps
Lando Norris	McLaren	1:30.430	52
George Russell	Mercedes	1:30.587	70
Max Verstappen	Red Bull	1:30.674	74
Charles Leclerc	Ferrari	1:30.878	71
Carlos Sainz	Williams	1:30.955	68
Pierre Gasly	Alpine	1:31.353	72
Kimi Antonelli	Mercedes	1:31.428	78
Liam Lawson	Red Bull	1:31.560	58
Alex Albon	Williams	1:31.573	63
Yuki Tsunoda	Racing Bulls	1:31.610	79
Isack Hadjar	Racing Bulls	1:31.631	76
Gabriel Bortoleto	Sauber	1:31.690	59
Lewis Hamilton	Ferrari	1:31.834	70
Jack Doohan	Alpine	1:31.841	68
Fernando Alonso	Aston Martin	1:31.874	46
Lance Stroll	Aston Martin	1:31.949	41
Oscar Piastri	McLaren	1:32.084	67
Nico Hulkenberg	Sauber	1:32.169	55
Esteban Ocon	Haas	1:33.600	88
Oliver Bearman	Haas	1:35.522	72

Stay tuned for more updates from Bahrain as the preseason testing continues.

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