Title favorite Lando Norris showcased his speed for McLaren during the initial day of pre-season testing in Bahrain, despite interruptions from a power outage caused by a substation failure. The outage brought chaos to the garages, enveloping them in darkness until backup generators were activated and mechanics started using torches to continue their work.
Notable responses came from drivers including Mercedes’ George Russell, who shared the surprising experience of realizing there were no floodlights to guide them during the unexpected disruption. “It would have been hectic if this was an hour later and the sun had already set,” he remarked, reflecting on how crucial timing was during the testing.
Seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton had a productive day, completing 70 laps before lunchtime, more than the distance of a full race, as he began testing with Ferrari after his recent switch from Mercedes. Hamilton’s morning session was impressive, and he placed fifth overall among the day’s times, with an emphasis on experimenting with the new car and gathering performance data.
Norris led the session, recording the fastest lap at 1:30.430 seconds: “It was a good, fun day on track, and we progressed through a lot of the tests that we wanted to do,” he stated, highlighting his anticipation for the upcoming days of testing.
Other familiar names included Red Bull’s Max Verstappen and his new teammate Liam Lawson, with Verstappen displaying confidence in the new car, having completed 74 laps. Lawson faced a minor setback after spinning on the track but secured a strong performance with a second-fastest time in his session.
The day concluded with plenty of action on the track, setting a promising tone for the remaining two days of testing ahead of the season opener in Australia on March 16.
As teams prepare for the challenges that lie ahead, this pre-season testing is crucial for understanding their performance and fine-tuning their strategies for the coming races, bringing hope for an exciting season ahead in Formula One.
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