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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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