F1 pre-season testing: Max Verstappen more than a second clear on day one in Bahrain

Max Verstappen from Red Bull had an impressive beginning to the pre-season Formula 1 testing by setting a fast lap time that was over one second faster than all the other drivers. This is a promising outcome for Verstappen and his team.

The person who has won three world championships was faster than Lando Norris from McLaren by 1.14 seconds, and Carlos Sainz from Ferrari was behind by only 0.1 seconds in third place.

It is widely known that lap times during testing cannot be completely trusted as indicators of performance due to the many factors that can affect them.

Nonetheless, Verstappen's vehicle seemed calm and speedy every time it hit the racetrack.

As they step into 2024, Red Bull is still basking in the glory of their exceptional performance in the previous season of F1. They managed to emerge victorious in all bar one of the 22 races, creating an unprecedented level of dominance.

Despite the team stating that the new RB20 car is an "evolution" of last year's model, it has still caught the attention of many due to the numerous innovative features included. Admiring glances have been directed towards the car along the pit lane.

Verstappen spent the entire day driving the Red Bull vehicle and successfully completed 143 laps, which is equivalent to over two race distances. This was achieved without any apparent issues. Meanwhile, numerous other teams opted to divide their driving between two different drivers.

When he achieved his quickest time, his race engineer Giampiero Lambiase could be observed smiling contentedly while stationed in the Red Bull garage.

Various factors such as the amount of fuel in the car, the condition of the track, the time of day, the type of tires used, and the settings of the engine can affect the outcome of testing. Teams use testing to perfect their cars before the first race.

The beginning race of the season is scheduled to happen on March 2nd at the Bahrain International Circuit, which is the location for the current week's testing that goes on for three days.

Those who participated in the initial session on Wednesday, when the track was hotter and slower, had a clear disadvantage when it came to achieving the best lap times.

Charles Leclerc from Ferrari and Fernando Alonso from Aston Martin, who were placed second and third respectively behind Verstappen during the lunch break, maintained their overall ranking of seventh and eighth at the end of the day even though they had their team-mates take over their cars after lunch.

Despite this, Verstappen performed just as well in the morning as he did in the afternoon. Leclerc trailed behind by 0.8 seconds, while Alonso was only 0.1 seconds slower than him.

Sainz's lead over Daniel Ricciardo, who drives for Red Bull's secondary team, now referred to as RB, was only 0.015 seconds. Pierre Gasly from Alpine came in fifth place, while Lance Stroll from Aston Martin came in right after him.

In the recent practice session, George Russell was not the fastest among the Mercedes team, ranking only 12th. Mercedes decided to focus their efforts on making significant adjustments to their set-up, primarily on the car's flooring. Additionally, they prioritized completing longer runs on more durable tires rather than pursuing individual fast laps like many of the other teams. Notably, Lewis Hamilton did not participate in Wednesday's practice.

Williams' day was challenging. They had their car tested last during the initial shakedown, which only ran a day before the actual testing began. Meanwhile, every other team had their cars tested beforehand.

Logan Sargeant's speed was ranked 11th, but he was only able to complete 21 laps due to driveshaft issues. His running was interrupted by a spin at Turn Nine.

During the initial session, Alex Albon, a member of the team, managed to complete forty rounds, but unfortunately had to stop prematurely due to a malfunctioning fuel pump.

- had the fastest lap in the Formula 1 Bahrain Grand Prix qualifying session, securing pole position for the race. 2. The competition was tight, with just a few tenths of a second separating the top drivers. All eyes are now on the race itself, as Verstappen looks to convert his pole position into a victory. 3. This is a promising start to the season for Verstappen and the Red Bull team, who will be hoping to challenge the dominance of Mercedes in the coming races. 4. However, anything can happen in a Formula 1 race, and there are no guarantees of success. It's sure to be an exciting event, and fans around the world will be tuning in to see who comes out on top.

Lando Norris, a driver for McLaren, recorded a time of 1 minute and 32.484 seconds.

For the third place finishing time of 1 minute and 32.584 seconds in the latest race, the driver Carlos Sainz represented the Ferrari team.

Number 4 on the list is attributed to Daniel Ricciardo, who set a lap time of 1 minute and 32.599 seconds while driving for the RB team.

Pierre Gasly from the team Alpine recorded a time of 1 minute and 32.805 seconds.

Lance Stroll from the Aston Martin racing team achieved a notable time of 1 minute and 33.007 seconds on the track.

In seventh place on the grid is Charles Leclerc, driving for the Ferrari team, with a lap time of 1 minute and 33.247 seconds.

In this blog section, we talk about the recorded time of Fernando Alonso, who drives for Aston Martin. His time recorded in the race circuit was 1 minute and 33.385 seconds.

Oscar Piastri from McLaren achieved a lap time of 1 minute and 33.658 seconds.

Number ten on the leaderboard is Zhou Guanyu from Sauber with a lap time of one minute, thirty-three seconds, and eight hundred seventy-one milliseconds.

In the Williams racing team, Logan Sargeant achieved a time of 1 minute and 33.882 seconds.

On number 12, we have George Russell driving for Mercedes and he completed a lap at 1 minute and 34.109 seconds.

In the latest record, Yuki Tsunoda from RB was able to achieve a time of 1 minute and 34.136 seconds.

Valtteri Bottas from the Sauber team achieved a time of 1 minute and 34.431 seconds.

Alex Albon from the Williams team finished the race with a time of 1 minute and 34.587 seconds.

Esteban Ocon from the Alpine team achieved a time of 134.677*.

In the latest motorsport event, Kevin Magnussen from Haas achieved a time of 1 minute and 35.692 seconds.

For the eighteenth spot on the leaderboard, Nico Hulkenberg from the team Haas completed the racing track in one minute and thirty-five point nine seconds.

The morning session is the only time slot scheduled in the morning. All other time slots are in the afternoon or evening.

Albon recorded his lap time using C4 tires, while Russell used C2 and Ocon utilized C1. The rest of the racers opted for C3 tires. It's worth noting that C5 is the softest type of tire, while C1 is the most challenging.