In the scorching heat of Sakhir, Lando Norris emerged as the fastest in a problematic first practice session for the Bahrain Grand Prix, setting the pace with a time of 1:33.204.
As the Bahrain Grand Prix weekend kicked off, the Sakhir circuit provided a formidable challenge for the drivers in Free Practice 1. Lando Norris took the lead, clocking the fastest lap time while competitors struggled with their vehicles’ balance and grip. The hot track conditions added to the difficulties, leaving championship leaders and newcomers alike battling their cars.
Rookies made their presence known with six new drivers taking part in this opening practice, although not all teams had filled their mandatory slots for young drivers. Ayumu Iwasa was quick to replace Max Verstappen, though he only managed a position down in 16th within the first ten minutes. Meanwhile, Lando Norris and Alex Albon were showing strong performances, holding the top two spots early in the session.
The high temperatures were proving challenging, with Kimi Antonelli facing a suspected water leak issue and Lewis Hamilton lamenting the lack of grip. Hamilton’s initial struggles saw him complaining, ‘Feels like the car is not working at all.’ Over at Williams, Luke Browning, substituting for Carlos Sainz, made a promising debut but faced his own challenges as he returned to the pits without setting a time early on.
As drivers endeavored to find the right setups, Hamilton, despite describing his Ferrari as ‘horrendous,’ managed to climb up to third place. Other drivers faced their own mechanical and setup issues, with Yuki Tsunoda experiencing throttle responsiveness problems, and Liam Lawson characterizing his car’s balance as ‘shocking.’ Nico Hulkenberg briefly captured the lead position before being surpassed by Esteban Ocon and Pierre Gasly.
Toward the session’s end, Norris reclaimed the top spot, outperforming Gasly by two-tenths while Hamilton secured third, albeit six-tenths behind Norris. Rookie Browning secured the 13th fastest time, making him the best performer among the new faces.
The first practice at Bahrain GP highlighted both the potential and challenges each team faces as they gear up for the race. Lando Norris set the tone with his strong performance, though the struggles with balance and grip remain a significant hurdle for many teams to overcome.
