P1racenews AI automatic summary:
2024 Bahrain F1 test: Verstappen tops opening morning as Albon stops on track
The reigning F1 world champion officially debuted the new-look Red Bull RB20, featuring Mercedes-style sidepods. He quickly reclaimed the top spot on the timesheet. Charles Leclerc set an early benchmark with a 1m33.685s, but Verstappen surged ahead with a 1m32.548s on C3 compound tires midway through the morning session. This lap time was three-tenths faster than his best time from the previous year’s pre-season test. Albon encountered track trouble when his Williams lost power near Turn 2. Leclerc secured second place, while Fernando Alonso of Aston Martin finished third. Other notable performances include Oscar Piastri in fourth for McLaren, and George Russell in sixth for Mercedes, focusing more on mileage than performance. Valtteri Bottas completed over a grand prix distance for Sauber, finishing seventh on the times. Despite a brief scare over the gravel trap, Esteban Ocon managed to secure ninth place for Alpine. Kevin Magnussen rounded out the morning session in tenth place for Haas. Overall, it was an eventful and competitive start to the testing season.
