Red Bull’s Max Verstappen gave his Formula One title defense a strong start by hitting Ferrari’s rival Charles Leclerc off fastest time during Friday’s practice for the season-opening Bahrain Grand Prix.
The 24-year-old crossed the 5.4-km Sakhir track in one minute, 31.936 seconds, beating Leclerc by 0.087 seconds.
Carlos Sainz was half a second in third place in the second Ferrari.
Verstappen’s benchmark time was set in the floodlight evening session and in the first session on Friday afternoon, Frenchman Pierre Gasly, the fastest for AlphaTauri, ousted from the top of the timesheet.
The Dutchman, who sealed his maiden title last year in a controversial season finale in Abu Dhabi, finished last week’s pre-season Test with the fastest time on the same Sakheer track.
Ferrari has also been fast and reliable in pre-season running and both teams appeared to live up to their billing as early favorites after Friday’s first day of in-season action.
Defending champions Mercedes have struggled to dial their car into the Sakhir circuit’s layout and with new recruit Georg Russell once again behind the pace of fourth-placed Verstappen half-a-second behind the team in charge. lamps.
Lewis Hamilton was 1.2 seconds slower than the Dutchman’s benchmark in ninth.
Nico Hulkenberg, standing in for Sebastian Vettel, who has tested positive for COVID-19, finished 17th, only tenth ahead of his teammate Lance Stroll in 16th.
Kevin Magnussen, who replaced sacked Russian Nikita Mazepin, finished the 10th day ahead of Hamilton.
His teammate Mick Schumacher was eighth, which gave Haas an encouraging start to the season.
Daniel Ricciardo, back in his McLaren after recovering from COVID-19, completed just 12 laps in the second session to finish the day on 18.
His teammate Lando Norris was ranked 11th.
Friday’s practice in Bahrain marked the start of a new era for Formula One, as part of the biggest rule change in decades featuring cars to improve the racing spectacle.
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