[ad_1]
Max Verstappen swept the first day of pre-season testing at the Bahrain International Circuit and followed up his morning mark with another pace-setting effort in the afternoon.
With a time of 1m 32.548s in the books during the warmer midday conditions, Verstappen dropped to 1m 31.344s as the second session progressed and the sun began to set over the Sakhir Desert.
READ MORE: Verstappen leads first morning of pre-season testing in Bahrain
Verstappen also continued his impressive mileage as he moved up two race distances as one of only two drivers, along with Mercedes’ George Russell, to spend the full day behind the wheel.
McLaren and Ferrari were next on the timesheets with Lando Norris and Carlos Sainz taking over from teammates Oscar Piastri and Charles Leclerc for the afternoon/evening action.
Daniel Ricciardo finished fourth for RB after some late drama saw him narrowly avoid a rear-view mirror that had broken free from Lance Stroll’s Aston Martin; Haas driver Nico Hulkenberg failed to do the same and passed him.
Alpine’s Pierre Gasly, having nearly collided with a slow-moving Sainz at Turn 12 late in the afternoon, finished fifth, while Stroll and Leclerc finished sixth and seventh respectively.
WATCH: Check out the 2024 cars hitting the track for pre-season testing in Bahrain
Fernando Alonso’s morning efforts put him eighth overall, behind Piastri, leader Zhou Guanyu’s Kick Sauber and Williams’ Logan Sargeant, who enters his second season in the sport.
However, Sargeant’s preparations were interrupted twice, first by a sharp turn in Turn 9 that sent him to the starting zone and then by a suspected driveshaft problem that sent him back to the pits.
George Russell was the only Mercedes driver in action en route to 12th, followed by the other RBs, Kick Sauber, Williams and Alpine of Yuki Tsunoda, Valtteri Bottas, Alex Albon and Esteban Ocon.
HOW IT HAPPENED: All the action from day 1 of preseason testing
Haas pairing Kevin Magnussen and Hulkenberg brought up the rear in 17th and 18th, adrift of the pack, with Lewis Hamilton and Sergio Perez set to undertake their first pre-season test on Thursday.