P1racenews AI automatic summary:
George Russell set a new fastest lap across two Bahrain tests on the opening day of the second test at the Bahrain International Circuit.
On the opening day of the second test in Bahrain, Mercedes set a new benchmark with George Russell posting the quickest time. Russell’s 1:33.459 lap was the fastest seen at the Bahrain International Circuit, outpacing last week’s best by two tenths. Mercedes had a strong day, contrasting Aston Martin’s struggles with both Alonso and Stroll encountering issues. Stroll’s spin into a gravel trap at Turn 11, caused by an issue, brought out a red flag. McLaren also impressed, with Piastri and Norris delivering competitive lap times and completing 124 laps in total. Russell led in laps completed with 76, while Hadjar faced a power-unit problem but managed to finish the day with 66 laps. Aston Martin lagged in laps completed with just 54 between Alonso and Stroll, while Leclerc set the pace in the morning but dropped to third by day’s end after being replaced by Hamilton, who also faced issues. The day concluded with a new start procedure test, requiring all drivers to be stationary for five seconds before the lights went out.
