It is important to mention that due to the time of day when FP1 takes place, the recorded times may not accurately represent the overall performance. However, there is no denying that the RBs have made significant progress.
Ricciardo was followed by Lando Norris in second place and Oscar Piastri in third place. Yuki Tsunoda, on the other hand, achieved the fourth fastest time in the VCARB 01.
The top four drivers set their times using the Soft compounds, and they were the only teams, along with the Saubers, to utilize the red-walled Pirelli tires in FP1.
Max Verstappen, the reigning F1 Champion, expressed dissatisfaction with his RB20 throughout the session and had numerous complaints relayed to the pitwall. He finished the session in sixth place.
Formula 1 is making its comeback, and all ten teams are now prepared for the serious business of racing. This will be the first opportunity to truly assess their brand new 2024 machines.
While pre-season testing hinted at Red Bull and Max Verstappen maintaining their dominance, we should remain hopeful and hope that Ferrari’s speed was not merely for show, that Mercedes has made the correct calculations with the W15, and that McLaren was intentionally holding back.
The off-season was filled with turmoil, including Andretti Cadillac’s rejected bid by Formula One Management, Guenther Steiner’s departure from Haas, Lewis Hamilton bidding farewell to Mercedes and heading to Ferrari in 2025.
Lastly, the story that overshadowed all others was the investigation into Christian Horner for alleged “inappropriate behavior” towards a female colleague, which was ultimately proven to be false. The Horner controversy caused a stir in F1 and led to various speculations and rumors. Fortunately, Red Bull concluded their investigation before the Bahrain action began, clearing Horner of any wrongdoing and allowing us to focus on the racing.
There is so much to anticipate this season. How far ahead are Red Bull and Verstappen? Will Sergio Perez perform better? What can we expect from Hamilton’s final season with Mercedes? How will Carlos Sainz fare in his last season with Red Bull before making way for the seven-time F1 Champ?
Will McLaren continue their resurgence? What about Aston Martin? Will the RBs or VCARBs, or whatever they may be called, give us a reason to overlook their peculiar name?
These are just a few of the many questions that lie ahead. But for now, let’s rejoice in the return of F1 and enjoy the season.
The session commenced under clear conditions, although the wind was quite strong. The track temperatures hovered around the mid-thirties, while the air temperature was approximately 20 degrees Celsius.
Within five minutes of the session starting, more than half of the cars were already on the track, setting their initial lap times using the Medium tires.
Speaking of tires, Pirelli has provided the C1 (Hard), C2 (Medium), and C3 (Soft) compounds for the season opener.
Just one week after the conclusion of pre-season testing, Formula 1 returns to Sakhir. The first round of the 2024 season will feature the C1, C2, and C3 tire compounds. This race weekend marks the 20th Bahrain Grand Prix.
During the daytime session, the teams experimented with various modifications on their cars. Some of them attached aero rakes as they left the pits. Valtteri Bottas was the first driver to hit the track, but his teammate Zhou Guanyu encountered brake issues and returned to the pits after completing his lap.
Reigning F1 Champion, Verstappen, took to the track ten minutes into the session and immediately claimed the top spot, finishing over six tenths ahead of the second fastest driver, Sainz. Despite setting the fastest time, Verstappen expressed dissatisfaction with his performance, stating, “Everything is terrible, like miles off.”
It is worth noting that the drain covers at the Sakhir track caused problems during preseason testing, but the track officials have since resolved the issues. Less than 30 minutes into the session, Kevin Magnussen’s Haas and George Russell’s Mercedes both encountered problems and were forced to stop.
Midway through the session, Oscar Piastri became the first driver to use the Soft compound tires and quickly rose to the top of the timing screens. His McLaren teammate, Lando Norris, also set the fastest time on the same tires, surpassing Piastri by over two tenths of a second. Norris had previously expressed concerns about McLaren’s performance in Bahrain, but McLaren CEO Zak Brown remained optimistic, stating that they expect to be competitive this season based on testing.
Brown has been critical of the RBs and their relationship with Red Bull Racing, claiming that it gives them an unfair advantage over the competition. Daniel Ricciardo and Yuki Tsunoda further fueled Brown’s frustration by outperforming Norris, with Ricciardo setting a time 0.032 seconds faster and Tsunoda finishing fourth, albeit a few tenths slower than Piastri. This occurred with 20 minutes remaining in the session.
Meanwhile, Zhou stayed in the Sauber garage, and Verstappen continued to express dissatisfaction with his RB20, specifically mentioning “positive torque” under braking. Sainz also made a mistake during braking and locked heavily.
With less than 20 minutes left in FP1, Zhou rejoined the action, and Verstappen and Russell engaged in a mini-race. In the final ten minutes, Esteban Ocon reported inconsistency with his A524, and Lance Stroll experienced significant locking in Turns 1 and 2, describing his car as “super snappy.”
Verstappen’s grievances persisted as he informed his engineer, with just one minute remaining, about the “highly erratic downshift” he experienced.
At the conclusion of the session, all the drivers proceed to the start/finish line to engage in some practice starts.
Ongoing report…