First Winter Tests: Norris Tops Day One

The opening day of testing in Bahrain proved relatively calm overall, despite minor issues, technical glitches, and a couple of red flags.

Many had expected a repeat of 2014, when the introduction of hybrid power units led to chaotic sessions filled with reliability failures. However, after the private Barcelona tests, teams arrived well prepared, and on the very first day in Bahrain, many completed more than a full race distance (a race at Sakhir consists of 57 laps).

Compared to Barcelona, teams introduced significant updates to their cars. While the closed tests focused mainly on base chassis versions aimed at ensuring reliability, Bahrain saw the debut of numerous intriguing aerodynamic developments. In particular, Audi’s car stood out visually thanks to its distinctive sidepod configuration.

The morning session was largely dedicated to aerodynamic work, with drivers running aero paint and sensors. Later, teams shifted their focus to longer runs, evaluating different setups and accumulating mileage. The wide run-off areas proved forgiving, as drivers are still adapting to the new cars, but the overall program ran smoothly and productively.

Red flags interrupted testing twice. In the morning session, Franco Colapinto (Alpine) was forced to stop on track, and his car had to be recovered. The second interruption came after Nico Hülkenberg’s Audi encountered an issue, although he managed to return to the pits, and the stoppage was brief.

In the afternoon, most teams rotated drivers and made setup changes. Mercedes encountered a problem that delayed Kimi Antonelli’s return to the track after the break. Racing Bulls stopped early due to a leak, while Aston Martin ended its day prematurely following a telemetry-detected issue with its Honda engine.

On the first day, 18 drivers from 11 teams took to the track. Lando Norris set the fastest time with a 1:34.669, while Max Verstappen completed the most laps — 136. Among the teams, Williams covered the greatest distance with 145 laps.

The new cars already appear reasonably reliable. As for outright pace, questions remain — the fastest time of the day was roughly three seconds slower than last year’s benchmark. However, teams have yet to focus on extracting maximum performance.

Testing continues tomorrow.