The latest from day one of 2021 pre-season Formula 1 testing in Bahrain. All times Sakhir local time.
18:15: Max Verstappen has improved his own best time with his first use of the medium tyre on Friday, notching a 1m30.674s.
He had earlier knocked morning pacesetter Daniel Ricciardo off the perch using the hards and has managed two Sakhir race distances in terms of laps.
Carlos Sainz ended a long stint in the pits but spun just as Verstappen completed his lap, while Lewis Hamilton has also returned to the track after a lengthy pause to improve on his 35 lap tally.
Behind Verstappen, Esteban Ocon took second earlier on as the second driver to use the soft tyre, moving to 0.472s behind Verstappen in second.
Lando Norris, Antonio Giovinazzi and Ricciardo’s morning lap round out the top five.
1 Verstappen (Red Bull) 1m30.674s
2 Ocon (Alpine) 1m31.146s
3 Norris (McLaren) 1m31.809s
4 Giovinazzi (Alfa Romeo) 1m31.945s
5 Ricciardo (McLaren) 1m32.203s
6 Gasly (AlphaTauri) 1m32.231s
7 Tsunoda (AlphaTauri) 1m32.727s
8 Sainz (Ferrari) 1m32.869s
9 Hamilton (Mercedes) 1m32.912s
10 Leclerc (Ferrari) 1m33.242s
11 Raikkonen (Alfa Romeo) 1m33.320s
12 Vettel (Aston Martin) 1m33.742s
13 Nissany (Williams) 1m34.789s
14 Mazepin (Haas) 1m35.798s
15 Schumacher (Haas) 1m36.127s
16 Bottas (Mercedes) 1m36.850s
17 Stroll (Aston Martin) 1m37.983s
Earlier updates:
17:35: Max Verstappen and Esteban Ocon have racked up over a 100 laps for Red Bull and Alpine respectively.
Verstappen is the fastest driver of the day so far owing to his 1m31.412s, and trying to avenge the honour who was fastest in the morning, Lando Norris has moved to within four tenths of the Red Bull for McLaren.
Ocon – who has done 107 laps – moved up to fourth in the just under 10 minutes ago, not able to beat the perhaps surprisingly rapid Antonio Giovinazzi of Alfa Romeo who lies third having taken over the car from Kimi Raikkonen this afternoon.
Lewis Hamilton has moved into the top 10 with a stint on the hard tyre, having just breached 20 laps for the afternoon in the Mercedes.
1 Verstappen (Red Bull) 1m31.412s
2 Norris (McLaren) 1m31.809s
3 Giovinazzi (Alfa Romeo) 1m31.945
4 Ocon (Alpine) 1m32.128s
5 Ricciardo (McLaren) 1m32.203s
6 Gasly (AlphaTauri) 1m32.231s
7 Tsunoda (AlphaTauri) 1m32.727s
8 Sainz (Ferrari) 1m32.869s
9 Hamilton (Mercedes) 1m32.912s
10 Leclerc (Ferrari) 1m33.242s
11 Raikkonen (Alfa Romeo) 1m33.320s
12 Vettel (Aston Martin) 1m33.742s
13 Nissany (Williams) 1m34.789s
14 Mazepin (Haas) 1m35.478s
15 Schumacher (Haas) 1m36.127s
16 Bottas (Mercedes) 1m36.850s
17 Stroll (Aston Martin) 1m37.983s
Earlier updates:
16:50: Max Verstappen has gone fastest of the day outright on the harder tyre, setting a lap of 1m31.412s to go 0.791s faster than Daniel Ricciardo’s morning best.
If he maintains this pace Verstappen should easily manage two Sakhir race distances for the day as he’s managed almost 100 laps.
Carlos Sainz, taking over from Charles Leclerc, managed the fifth fastest time but still couldn’t usurp the fastest Ferrari-powered car of the afternoon so far in Antonio Giovinazzi, fifth in the overall standings for the day behind morning drivers Ricciardo, Pierre Gasly and his AlphaTauri team-mate Yuki Tsunoda.
Rookie Tsunoda has racked up 20 laps this afternoon already and jumped into fourth just before this update.
The only other afternoon pacesetter in the top 10 was Lando Norris, eighth thus far after taking the McLaren from Ricciardo.
The rebranded team now known as Aston Martin finally got on track again after morning issues, missing 1h40 minutes of the action before Lance Stroll came out shortly before this update was written to take over from Sebastian Vettel who drove this morning.
Lewis Hamilton is back on track – presumably after the pedal change he asked for – and has initially moved up to 13th overall. He’s managed 12 laps.
1 Verstappen (Red Bull) 1m31.412s
2 Ricciardo (McLaren) 1m32.203s
3 Gasly (AlphaTauri) 1m32.231s
4 Tsunoda (AlphaTauri) 1m32.727s
5 Giovinazzi (Alfa Romeo) 1m32.860s
6 Sainz (Ferrari) 1m32.869s
7 Ocon (Alpine) 1m32.959s
8 Norris (McLaren) 1m33.004s
9 Leclerc (Ferrari) 1m33.242s
10 Raikkonen (Alfa Romeo) 1m33.320s
11 Vettel (Aston Martin) 1m33.742s
12 Nissany (Williams) 1m34.789s
13 Hamilton (Mercedes) 1m34.875s
14 Mazepin (Haas) 1m35.478s
15 Schumacher (Haas) 1m36.127s
16 Bottas (Mercedes) 1m36.850s
17 Stroll (Aston Martin) 1m37.983s
Earlier updates:
16:15: Despite the circuit remaining extremely dusty, all of the heavy-hitters have been out to get some running. That includes Lewis Hamilton, taking over from Valtteri Bottas who had only a handful of laps this morning owing to Mercedes gearbox issue.
Hamilton called for his “other pedals” on the radio after four laps of sliding the Mercedes around Sakhir but didn’t pit until he’d managed seven tours.
Champ on track! đź’Ş@LewisHamilton heads out for his first laps of 2021#F1 #F1Testing pic.twitter.com/5QwwQpZMfE
— Formula 1 (@F1) March 12, 2021
Carlos Sainz has been out in place of Charles Leclerc at Ferrari, the issue that brought out the first red flag of testing this morning seemingly fixed.
Session topper Daniel Ricciardo has made way for Lando Norris at McLaren, but the former’s benchmark time is not under threat while the track remains this sandy.
Max Verstappen has gone fairly under the radar today but he was out in the sandy early in the session and has racked up some long runs on the harder tyre. He managed a lap half a second shy of his morning best just over 30 minutes into the afternoon running despite the conditions.
In a slightly surprising development, Antonio Giovinazzi has jumped to fourth on the timing charts on the medium tyre, showing that there is some value to being out on track.
1 Ricciardo (McLaren) 1m32.203s
2 Gasly (AlphaTauri) 1m32.231s
3 Verstappen (Red Bull) 1m32.245s
4 Giovinazzi (Alfa Romeo) 1m32.860s
5 Ocon (Alpine) 1m32.959s
6 Norris (McLaren) 1m33.004s
7 Leclerc (Ferrari) 1m33.242s
8 Raikkonen (Alfa Romeo) 1m33.320s
9 Vettel (Aston Martin) 1m33.742s
10 Tsunoda (AlphaTauri) 1m33.767s
11 Nissany (Williams) 1m34.789s
12 Mazepin (Haas) 1m35.478s
13 Schumacher (Haas) 1m36.127s
14 Sainz (Ferrari) 1m36.495s
15 Bottas (Mercedes) 1m36.850s
16 Hamilton (Mercedes) 1m38.227s
Earlier updates:
15:25: What can only be described as a mild sandstorm blanketed the circuit before the afternoon session resumed at 1500hrs local time, meaning only Esteban Ocon of Alpine and Haas’s Nikita Mazepin have completed any sort of significant running in the first 25 minutes.
Esteban Ocon heads out to assess the conditions ⏳#F1 #F1Testing pic.twitter.com/Y1xC8FrdYB
— Formula 1 (@F1) March 12, 2021
With only three days of pre-season testing this has to be hurting the teams, especially the likes of Mercedes which only managed six laps this morning after a gearbox issue.
The track may be quiet, but keep your eyes on The Race as many of the drivers and team bosses were speaking in the afternoon break which means we’ll be bringing you a busy afternoon of updates, features, news and insights.
1 Ricciardo (McLaren) 1m32.203s
2 Gasly (AlphaTauri) 1m32.231s
3 Verstappen (Red Bull) 1m32.245s
4 Ocon (Alpine) 1m32.959s
5 Leclerc (Ferrari) 1m33.242s
6 Raikkonen (Alfa Romeo) 1m33.320s
7 Vettel (Aston Martin) 1m33.742s
8 Nissany (Williams) 1m34.789s
9 Schumacher (Haas) 1m36.127s
10 Bottas (Mercedes) 1m36.850s
13:50: Charles Leclerc and Ferrari caused the first red flag of 2021 Formula 1 testing with 10 minutes of the opening morning left.
The Ferrari pulled off on the exit of the opening complex. Leclerc was fifth-fastest at the time.
Daniel Ricciardo holds the top spot for McLaren heading towards the lunchbreak, 0.028s ahead of Pierre Gasly’s AlphaTauri, with Max Verstappen’s Red Bull another 0.014s back.
The teams that had suffered problems earlier in the morning all got back on track during the preceding half-hour.
Valtteri Bottas has now covered six laps for Mercedes having lost over three hours while the car’s gearbox was changed following a gearshift problem on its installation lap.
Haas also carried out a gearbox switch after a hydraulic issue for Mick Schumacher, who is ninth fastest ahead of Bottas.
Sebastian Vettel lost running to what Aston Martin told the official F1 TV broadcast was a “small” problem but rejoined after just under an hour and is seventh quickest.
1 Ricciardo (McLaren) 1m32.203s
2 Gasly (AlphaTauri) 1m32.231s
3 Verstappen (Red Bull) 1m32.245s
4 Ocon (Alpine) 1m32.959s
5 Leclerc (Ferrari) 1m33.242s
6 Raikkonen (Alfa Romeo) 1m33.320s
7 Vettel (Aston Martin) 1m33.742s
8 Nissany (Williams) 1m34.789s
9 Schumacher (Haas) 1m36.127s
10 Bottas (Mercedes) 1m36.850s
13:25: Mercedes finally rejoined the opening morning of 2021 Formula 1 testing with 35 minutes of the session to run in Bahrain.
Valtteri Bottas had only managed an installation lap at the start of the day before a gearshift concern led to a precautionary gearbox change that kept the car in the garage for over three hours.
Daniel Ricciardo remains fastest for McLaren with his earlier 1m32.203s time on the C2 (second-hardest) tyre.
Pierre Gasly is second for AlphaTauri, while Max Verstappen improved Red Bull’s best time to condense the top three to within 0.042s – but remains third fastest.
Aston Martin has also resumed running, having been parked in the garage for just under an hour after Sebastian Vettel stopped at the pit exit when trying to begin a run.
1 Ricciardo (McLaren) 1m32.203s
2 Gasly (AlphaTauri) 1m32.231s
3 Verstappen (Red Bull) 1m32.245s
4 Ocon (Alpine) 1m32.959s
5 Leclerc (Ferrari) 1m33.242s
6 Raikkonen (Alfa Romeo) 1m33.320s
7 Vettel (Aston Martin) 1m33.742s
8 Nissany (Williams) 1m35.837s
9 Bottas (Mercedes) 1m36.850s
10 Schumacher (Haas) 1m37.163s
13:00: Daniel Ricciardo and McLaren remain on top in 2021 Formula 1 testing despite Pierre Gasly putting on medium tyres for two fast laps.
Gasly became the first to try a more seriously effort on anything other than the second-hardest tyres.
But on both the AlphaTauri-Honda driver’s runs with the C3 tyres, he set new bests in sectors one and two then fell short of Ricciardo’s McLaren-Mercedes at the end of the lap.
That means Ricciardo remains on top by 0.028s with his earlier 1m32.203s lap.
Gasly tops the mileage chart so far with 55 laps, eight ahead of next-best Charles Leclerc.
Aston Martin became the second team to encounter a visible problem when Sebastian Vettel parked in the pit exit when trying to begin a run. He was taken back to the garage.
Mercedes has not run at all since Valtteri Bottas encountered a gearshift issue on his installation lap at the start of the day. A gearbox change remains in progress nearly three hours later.
Max Verstappen, who has had a couple of trips off the road, is third fastest with a C2-tyre time, ahead of Esteban Ocon’s Alpine and Leclerc’s Ferrari.
1 Ricciardo (McLaren) 1m32.203s
2 Gasly (AlphaTauri) 1m32.231s
3 Verstappen (Red Bull) 1m32.565s
4 Ocon (Alpine) 1m33.030s
5 Leclerc (Ferrari) 1m33.242s
6 Raikkonen (Alfa Romeo) 1m33.320s
7 Vettel (Aston Martin) 1m33.742s
8 Nissany (Williams) 1m35.837s
9 Schumacher (Haas) 1m37.163s
10 Bottas (Mercedes) no time
12:10: Daniel Ricciardo swiftly put McLaren back on top in Formula 1 testing in Bahrain having been briefly deposed by Pierre Gasly’s AlphaTauri.
A 1m32.203s lap from Ricciardo outpaced Gasly’s effort by 0.322s a few minutes after the AlphaTauri had gone quickest.
Max Verstappen, Charles Leclerc and Sebastian Vettel complete the current top five. All the leading times have been set on the C2 tyre, the second hardest in use.
Mercedes is still stuck in the garage carrying out a gearbox change, while Williams has yet to set a time but is completing systems check laps.
1 Ricciardo (McLaren) 1m32.203s
2 Gasly (AlphaTauri) 1m32.525s
3 Verstappen (Red Bull) 1m32.565s
4 Leclerc (Ferrari) 1m33.570s
5 Vettel (Aston Martin) 1m33.742s
6 Ocon (Alpine) 1m33.845s
7 Raikkonen (Alfa Romeo) 1m34.085s
8 Schumacher (Haas) 1m37.163s
12:05: Pierre Gasly went fastest for AlphaTauri just over halfway through the opening morning of 2021 Formula 1 testing.
Gasly produced a 1m32.525s lap on the harder C2 tyre to edge Daniel Ricciardo’s McLaren by 0.012s.
Max Verstappen is only 0.028s slower in third, using the same tyre.
Mercedes is the only team in conspicuous trouble so far, still working on changing its car’s gearbox after a gearshift problem was encountered following Valtteri Bottas’s initial installation lap.
Williams hasn’t set a time yet either, but has covered 12 in/out laps with test driver Roy Nissany working through systems checks.
11:30: Daniel Ricciardo now heads the first morning of 2021 Formula 1 testing for McLaren, by 0.028s over Max Verstappen’s Red Bull.
All the leading times so far have been set on the C2 tyres, the second-hardest in the range available.
Behind Verstappen, Pierre Gasly’s AlphaTauri, Esteban Ocon’s Alpine and Sebastian Vettel’s Aston Martin complete the early top five.
Mercedes remains in the garage while a precautionary gearbox change is carried out following a gearshift problem that developed before Valtteri Bottas could set a time.
1 Ricciardo (McLaren) 1m32.537s
2 Verstappen (Red Bull) 1m32.565s
3 Gasly (AlphaTauri) 1m33.157s
4 Ocon (Alpine) 1m33.845s
5 Vettel (Aston Martin) 1m34.430s
6 Raikkonen (Alfa Romeo) 1m34.686s
7 Leclerc (Ferrari) 1m34.803s
8 Schumacher (Haas) 1m37.163s
11:15: Max Verstappen hit the front in Formula 1 testing for Red Bull early in the second hour.
In a flurry of quick times from cars using the C2 variant of the hard tyre, Verstappen went fastest with a 1m32.565s, 0.592s ahead of Pierre Gasly’s AlphaTauri.
Esteban Ocon was briefly fastest for Alpine before Verstappen and Gasly’s laps soon afterwards.
Early pacesetter Kimi Raikkonen is now down to fifth for Alfa Romeo behind Sebastian Vettel’s Aston Martin.
Mercedes has yet to do a flying lap as a gearshift problem has forced an early precautionary gearbox change.
1 Verstappen (Red Bull) 1m32.565s
2 Gasly (AlphaTauri) 1m33.157s
3 Ocon (Alpine) 1m33.845s
4 Vettel (Aston Martin) 1m34.430s
5 Raikkonen (Alfa Romeo) 1m34.686s
6 Leclerc (Ferrari) 1m34.803s
7 Ricciardo (McLaren) 1m35.197s
8 Schumacher (Haas) 1m37.163s
10:50: Mercedes has had to abort its early running and put the screens up in front of its garage.
The team told the official F1 TV feed that a gearshift problem had been discovered as Valtteri Bottas prepared to head out and that the gearbox would be changed as a precaution.
Kimi Raikkonen remains fastest with his early 1m34.686s lap, with Charles Leclerc and Max Verstappen (who has already had a half-spin out of Turn 2) second and third.
Only Mercedes and Williams are yet to set times.
1 Raikkonen (Alfa) 1m34.686s
2 Leclerc (Ferrari) 1m34.803s
3 Verstappen (Red Bull) 1m35.008s
4 Gasly (AlphaTauri) 1m35.111s
5 Ocon (Alpine) 1m35.150s
6 Ricciardo (McLaren) 1m35.197s
7 Vettel (Aston Martin) 1m36.367s
8 Schumacher (Haas) 1m37.163s
10:30: Kimi Raikkonen heads the times for Alfa Romeo after the first half hour of 2021 F1 running.
Raikkonen, who was also first on track when the session began, deposed initial pacesetter Sebastian Vettel’s Aston Martin with a 1m34.686s lap on medium tyres.
Esteban Ocon is now second for Alpine ahead of Vettel, with Charles Leclerc and Pierre Gasly having also set times.
All 10 teams have already taken to the track for an installation lap at least.
1 Raikkonen (Alfa) 1m34.686s
2 Ocon (Alpine) 1m35.673s
3 Vettel (Aston Martin) 1m36.367s
4 Leclerc (Ferrari) 1m37.481s
5 Gasly (AlphaTauri) 1m39.780s
