F1 Testing Results: Verstappen sets the pace on HECTIC first day

Max Verstappen races through the Bahrain sunset in his RB20 — Photo: © IMAGO

F1 Testing 2024

F1 Testing Results: Verstappen sets the pace on HECTIC first day

The first day of F1 2024 testing in Bahrain has come to a close

Cal Gaunt

Wednesday 21 February 2024 17:09 Updated: 17:20

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Max Verstappen topped the time sheets in Bahrain when the first day of pre-season testing concluded, hinting that he'll be no less dominant in the upcoming season.

The defending world champion completed a total of 142 laps in Sakhir, setting a quickest time of 1:31.344.

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Both sessions were fairly free of incidents, although in the morning Alex Albon pulled to the side of the track in sector one to bring out the first yellow flag of the season with a reliability issue with just over twenty minutes to go.

There were further Williams issues in the afternoon as Logan Sargeant took a dramatic spin at Turn 9 and narrowly avoided a collision with a trackside barrier.

Overall, Lando Norris finished more than a second behind Verstappen in second, with outbound Ferrari star Carlos Sainz rounding off the top three. Lewis Hamilton's future team-mate Charles Leclerc was seventh fastest on the first day.

VCARB's Daniel Ricciardo sat fourth, with Alpine's Pierre Gasly fifth.

The next F1 testing session gets underway on Thursday morning and is set to begin at 7am UK time.

F1 Testing Results: Day One

Below is the full classification from the first day of testing in Bahrain:

1. Max Verstappen (Red Bull): 1:31.344, 142 Laps
2. Lando Norris (McLaren): +1.140s, 72 Laps
3. Carlos Sainz (Ferrari): +1.240s, 69 Laps
4. Daniel Ricciardo (Visa Cash App RB): +1.255s, 51 Laps
5. Pierre Gasly (Alpine): +1.461s, 60 Laps
6. Lance Stroll (Aston Martin): +1.663s, 53 Laps
7. Charles Leclerc (Ferrari): +1.903s, 64 Laps
8. Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin): +2.041s, 77 Laps
9. Oscar Piastri (McLaren): +2.527s, 57 Laps
10. Zhou Guanyu (Stake F1 Team): +2.314s, 62 Laps
11. Logan Sargeant (Williams): +2.538s, 21 Laps
12. George Russell (Mercedes): +2.765s, 121 Laps
13. Yuki Tsunoda (Visa Cash App RB): +2.792s, 64 Laps
14. Valtteri Bottas (Stake F1 Team): +3.087s, 68 Laps
15. Alex Albon (Williams): +3.243s, 40 Laps
16. Esteban Ocon (Alpine): +3.333s, 60 Laps
17. Kevin Magnussen (Haas): +4.348s, 66 Laps
18. Nico Hulkenberg (Haas): +4.562s, 82 Laps