Bahrain Grand Prix – FP1: Norris leads practice, Mercedes hit by technical problem with Antonelli

For the third consecutive practice session, Lando Norris topped the timesheets with a time of 1:33.204 on soft tires, ahead of Pierre Gasly (Alpine) by more than two-tenths and Lewis Hamilton (Ferrari) by nearly six-tenths.

Despite less than ideal conditions – air temperature at 35°C and track at nearly 48°C – McLaren’s performance seems to confirm their positive momentum seen in recent Grand Prix.

Technical problems for Mercedes

On the Mercedes side, the session was complicated for Kimi Antonelli. The young Italian reported a loss of power from the first laps, followed by overheating of the engine. The team attempted repairs, but Antonelli ultimately had to leave the session prematurely.

His teammate Frederik Vesti, who was replacing Russell for this session, also experienced difficulties, narrowly avoiding a spin at turn 1.

Hamilton dissatisfied

At Ferrari, Lewis Hamilton did not hide his displeasure. Despite an aerodynamic update on his single-seater, the Brit described the balance of his car as horrible, citing a persistent lack of grip. Despite these difficulties, Hamilton managed to set the third-fastest time on soft tires, confirming the potential of the Ferrari despite the still imperfect settings.

Many rookies on track

In accordance with the regulations requiring teams to hand over their steering wheels to rookie drivers during four race weekends this season, several young hopefuls were able to shine. Ayumu Iwasa replaced Max Verstappen at Red Bull, while Frederik Vesti took George Russell’s seat at Mercedes. At Ferrari, Dino Beganovic took the place of Charles Leclerc, and Luke Browning replaced Carlos Sainz at Williams. Ryo Hirakawa settled into Ollie Bearman’s seat at Haas, and Felipe Drugovich took over from Fernando Alonso at Aston Martin. The Japanese driver Hirakawa notably stood out by recording the 13th fastest time, the best performance among the rookies.

Difficult conditions for all drivers

Extreme heat made racing conditions challenging for the entire field. Several drivers reported grip issues, with cars difficult to handle on overheated asphalt. Oscar Piastri mentioned a complete lack of grip, while Liam Lawson described the balance of his Racing Bulls as particularly problematic.

The session was also marked by a few incidents, including a near-collision between the two Williams drivers, Luke Browning and Alex Albon, as well as a narrowly avoided clash in the pit lane between Tsunoda and Albon. These incidents were noted by the race stewards for investigation.

The results of FP1 in Bahrain Grand Prix