P1racenews AI automatic summary:
2024 Bahrain F1 test: Verstappen heads first day by 1.1s from Norris
Max Verstappen showcased an impressive performance during the first day of testing ahead of the upcoming season opener at Bahrain, finishing over a second ahead of the competition after completing 142 laps in the new Red Bull RB20. Verstappen set the pace early in the morning session and maintained his lead throughout the day, setting a blistering lap time of 1m31.344s on the soft C3 tires. Lando Norris from McLaren took second place, with Carlos Sainz from Ferrari closely behind in third. Daniel Ricciardo, Lance Stroll, and Pierre Gasly rounded out the top six in the standings. Williams’ Logan Sargeant faced limited running due to issues, while Mercedes’ George Russell completed 121 laps with a best time of 1m34.109s. Haas’ Kevin Magnussen and Nico Hulkenberg finished at the bottom of the timesheets. Lewis Hamilton and Sergio Perez did not participate on the first day, saving their testing debuts for Thursday.
