Verstappen Sets Early Benchmark in Opening Morning of Bahrain Pre-Season Test
Max Verstappen kicked off Formula 1’s first official pre-season test in Bahrain by setting the fastest time of the opening morning session, placing Red Bull at the top of the order as teams began serious preparation for the new campaign. The four-time world champion led the field after a busy and incident-filled few hours at the Bahrain International Circuit, where all 11 teams were finally in action together.
Following last month’s shakedown event in Barcelona — which Williams did not attend — the full grid assembled in Bahrain for the first of two three-day pre-season tests. The sessions are crucial for gathering performance data, validating new components, and allowing drivers to get comfortable with their latest machinery under representative track conditions.
Because testing regulations allow only one car per team on track at a time, most squads divided driving duties between their two race drivers. Some teams scheduled split-day programs, while others assigned a full day to one driver. Verstappen was among those selected for a complete day’s running and wasted little time getting started, leading the field out when the green light signaled the start of the morning session at 10:00 local time.
He was quickly joined on track by Audi newcomer Gabriel Bortoleto and Racing Bulls driver Arvid Lindblad, as installation laps and early systems checks began. Within the first 30 minutes, nearly the entire grid had appeared on circuit, with many cars fitted with large aero rakes and flow-measuring equipment — clear signs that aerodynamic data gathering was a top priority. Alpine were the last team to send their car out, with Franco Colapinto eventually leaving the garage to begin his program.
The first interruption of the test came after Colapinto stopped at the side of the circuit, triggering a red flag. Marshals recovered the car without major delay, and the session resumed with teams continuing their planned run schedules.
As expected for an early test session, drivers explored grip levels cautiously while also pushing enough to learn about braking behavior and balance. There were a few minor moments: Lewis Hamilton spun during one run, while Verstappen experienced a lock-up into Turn 1 but continued without damage. These small errors are typical during early testing phases as drivers probe the limits of new cars and tire compounds.
Verstappen’s benchmark lap of 1m 35.433s held firm through most of the session, keeping him at the top of the timing screens. Activity increased significantly in the final portion of the morning as teams switched to more performance-focused runs and short simulations. Traffic built up, leading to additional lock-ups and wide corner exits. Several teams also practiced running in dirty air behind other cars to better understand how closely the new-generation machines can follow — a key factor under the updated regulations.
When the checkered flag ended the morning segment, Verstappen’s earlier lap remained unbeaten, putting him 0.169 seconds ahead of McLaren’s Oscar Piastri in second place. Mercedes showed solid early pace with George Russell securing third, around six-tenths slower than the Red Bull. Hamilton followed in fourth, suggesting encouraging early reliability and balance for the Silver Arrows.
Haas driver Esteban Ocon completed the top five, while Racing Bulls rookie Lindblad and Williams’ Carlos Sainz took sixth and seventh respectively. Notably, Lindblad and Sainz logged the highest lap totals of the session — 75 and 77 laps — underlining a strong focus on durability and long-run data collection from both teams.
Bortoleto placed eighth for Audi, with Cadillac’s Valtteri Bottas, Aston Martin’s Lance Stroll, and Alpine’s Colapinto rounding out the classification after the disrupted morning.
Teams then broke for a one-hour lunch interval before the afternoon session, scheduled for 15:00 local time. Most outfits planned driver changes for the second half of the day, although Red Bull, Racing Bulls, Aston Martin, and Haas opted to keep the same drivers in the cockpit to maximize continuity and mileage.
