Grand Prix practice results: Verstappen tops Bahrain F1 sessions
Max Verstappen set the fastest time on the opening day of Bahrain Grand Prix practice at Sakhir for Red Bull Racing on Friday, the first race weekend track running for the 2021 Formula 1 World Championship season.
Both Friday practice sessions have been cut to one hour in 2021, instead of the usual 90 minutes each. Alpine’s returning two-time world champion Fernando Alonso was the first car out on track to set a laptime in FP1, which was topped by Verstappen, and the Dutchman then repeated the feat in FP2.
Bahrain Grand Prix FP1 results: Verstappen fastest from Bottas
| Cla | Driver | Chassis | Time | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Max Verstappen | Red Bull | 1'31.394 | |
| 2 |  Valtteri Bottas | Mercedes | 1'31.692 | 0.298 |
| 3 |  Lando Norris | McLaren | 1'31.897 | 0.503 |
| 4 | Lewis Hamilton | Mercedes | 1'31.921 | 0.527 |
| 5 |  Charles Leclerc | Ferrari | 1'31.993 | 0.599 |
| 6 |  Sergio Perez | Red Bull | 1'32.071 | 0.677 |
| 7 |  Pierre Gasly | AlphaTauri | 1'32.195 | 0.801 |
| 8 |  Carlos Sainz Jr. | Ferrari | 1'32.366 | 0.972 |
| 9 |  Daniel Ricciardo | McLaren | 1'32.434 | 1.040 |
| 10 |  Antonio Giovinazzi | Alfa Romeo | 1'32.786 | 1.392 |
| 11 | Kimi Raikkonen | Alfa Romeo | 1'33.134 | 1.740 |
| 12 |  Sebastian Vettel | Aston Martin | 1'33.157 | 1.763 |
| 13 |  Lance Stroll | Aston Martin | 1'33.233 | 1.839 |
| 14 |  Yuki Tsunoda | AlphaTauri | 1'33.329 | 1.935 |
| 15 | Esteban Ocon | Alpine | 1'33.528 | 2.134 |
| 16 | Fernando Alonso | Alpine | 1'33.872 | 2.478 |
| 17 | George Russell | Williams | 1'34.127 | 2.733 |
| 18 | Nicholas Latifi | Williams | 1'34.340 | 2.946 |
| 19 | Mick Schumacher | Haas | 1'34.501 | 3.107 |
| 20 |  Nikita Mazepin | Haas | 1'34.975 | 3.581 |
| View full results | ||||
What happened in Free Practice 1?
FP1 started well for McLaren, which held an early 1-2 with Lando Norris and new signing Daniel Ricciardo. Red Bull’s Sergio Perez took over at the top for a moment, before Lewis Hamilton went fastest on 1m32.844s.
His teammate Valtteri Bottas went to P1 briefly, before Max Verstappen rose to the head of the times. Hamilton pushed again on the same set of soft tyres and lowered the bar to 1m32.214s.
Just after the halfway mark, Norris jumped to the top of the times on 1m31.897s – three tenths faster than Hamilton. Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) and Pierre Gasly (AlphaTauri) vaulted to second and third, ahead of Hamilton.
In the closing 10 minutes of the session, Bottas improved to P1 on 1m31.692s, as Hamilton suffered a scruffy end to his lap and couldn’t even match Norris.
Verstappen then laid down the gauntlet with a lap of 1m31.394s, setting fastest overall sectors for the first two-thirds of the circuit – even getting a tow from an Alfa as he opened his run.
Bottas stayed second by 0.298s, ahead of Norris and Hamilton. Leclerc was fifth, from Perez, Gasly, Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz, Ricciardo and Alfa Romeo’s Antonio Giovinazzi.
Bahrain Grand Prix FP2 results: Verstappen fastest from Norris
| Cla | Driver | Chassis | Time | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Max Verstappen | Red Bull | 1'30.847 | |
| 2 | Lando Norris | McLaren | 1'30.942 | 0.095 |
| 3 | Lewis Hamilton | Mercedes | 1'31.082 | 0.235 |
| 4 | Carlos Sainz Jr. | Ferrari | 1'31.127 | 0.280 |
| 5 | Valtteri Bottas | Mercedes | 1'31.218 | 0.371 |
| 6 | Daniel Ricciardo | McLaren | 1'31.230 | 0.383 |
| 7 | Yuki Tsunoda | AlphaTauri | 1'31.294 | 0.447 |
| 8 | Lance Stroll | Aston Martin | 1'31.393 | 0.546 |
| 9 | Pierre Gasly | AlphaTauri | 1'31.483 | 0.636 |
| 10 | Sergio Perez | Red Bull | 1'31.503 | 0.656 |
| 11 | Esteban Ocon | Alpine | 1'31.601 | 0.754 |
| 12 | Charles Leclerc | Ferrari | 1'31.612 | 0.765 |
| 13 | Antonio Giovinazzi | Alfa Romeo | 1'31.740 | 0.893 |
| 14 | Sebastian Vettel | Aston Martin | 1'31.769 | 0.922 |
| 15 | Fernando Alonso | Alpine | 1'31.770 | 0.923 |
| 16 | Kimi Raikkonen | Alfa Romeo | 1'31.862 | 1.015 |
| 17 | George Russell | Williams | 1'32.331 | 1.484 |
| 18 | Mick Schumacher | Haas | 1'33.297 | 2.450 |
| 19 | Nicholas Latifi | Williams | 1'33.400 | 2.553 |
| 20 | Nikita Mazepin | Haas | 1'33.449 | 2.602 |
| View full results | ||||
What happened in Free Practice 2?
In FP2, the medium tyres were used by the majority of teams at the start, with Verstappen setting the early pace at 1m31.842s – as both Mercedes drivers had their first flying lap times deleted for exceeding track limits at Turn 4.
At his second attempt, Bottas beat that by 0.339s to take over the top spot after 10 minutes, before Hamilton produced 1m31.261s to grab P1.
Kimi Raikkonen suffered a half spin at Turn 2, swiping the front wing from his Alfa Romeo against the barriers.
As teams switched to soft tyres and lower fuel in the middle of the session, Hamilton lowered his fastest time to 1m31.082s despite a poor first sector, with Sainz only 0.045s slower. Norris went quickest on 1m30.942s, shortly before Verstappen took P1 away for good with 1m30.847s.
Verstappen ended his session with a new-medium-tyred long run along with the majority of the others. That meant the order stayed static over the last 20 minutes, in the order Verstappen, Norris, Hamilton, Sainz and Bottas. Ricciardo was sixth, ahead of leading rookie Yuki Tsunoda (AlphaTauri), Lance Stroll (Aston Martin), Gasly and Perez.
Alonso could only manage 16th and 15th places across the two sessions on his return.
Related video
Previous article
Hulkenberg takes on dual reserve role with Aston, Mercedes
Next article
Aston Martin revamps floor amid low rake rules hit
About this article
| Series | Formula 1 |
| Event | Bahrain GP |
| Author | Charles Bradley |
What Mercedes must do to keep its F1 title challenge on track
Mercedes may find itself leading the drivers' and constructors' standings after Lewis Hamilton's victory in the Bahrain Grand Prix, but it is well aware that it came against the odds, with Red Bull clearly ahead. Here's what the Brackley team must do to avoid its crown slipping .
The double whammy that is defining Vettel’s F1 fate
It's been a tough start to Sebastian Vettel's Aston Martin F1 career, with a lack of pre-season testing mileage followed by an incident-packed Bahrain GP. But two key underlying factors mean a turnaround is no guarantee.
The themes to watch in F1's Imola return
Three weeks is a long time in Formula 1, but in the reshaped start to the 2021 season the teams head to Imola to pick things up after the frenetic Bahrain opener. Here's what to look out for and the developments to follow at the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix
The 'new' F1 drivers who need to improve at Imola
After a pandemic-hit winter of seat-swapping, F1 kicked off its season with several new faces in town, other drivers adapting to new environments, and one making a much-anticipated comeback. Ben Anderson looks at who made the most of their opportunity and who needs to try harder…
The delay that quashed Aston Martin’s last F1 venture
Aston Martin’s only previous foray into Formula 1 in the late 1950s was a short-lived and unsuccessful affair. But it could have been so different, says Nigel Roebuck.
Verstappen exclusive: Why lack of titles won't hurt Red Bull's ace
Max Verstappen’s star quality in Formula 1 is clear. Now equipped with a Red Bull car that is, right now, the world title favourite and the experience to support his talent, could 2021 be the Dutchman’s year to topple the dominant force of Lewis Hamilton and Mercedes?
Is Formula 1 as good as it has ever been now?
For many, many years Formula 1 has strived to do and to be better on all fronts. With close competition, a growing fanbase, a stable political landscape and rules in place to encourage sustainability, 2021 is on course to provide an unexpected peak
How Williams’ new structure adheres to a growing F1 trend
Williams held out against the tide for many years but, as MARK GALLAGHER explains, the age of the owner-manager is long gone
