Pre-Season Testing Day One Recap - Here's What You Missed

A round-up of the first day of pre-season testing in Bahrain.

The first day of pre-season testing in Bahrain has concluded, and here's a recap of the highlights.

Max Verstappen set the fastest lap of the day and dominated the session by completing more than 150 laps. Carlos Sainz was a close challenger, as well as Fernando Alonso later on, but they couldn't keep up with the Dutchman's pace.

The testing got off to a rough start for Aston Martin, as Felipe Drugovich was forced to stop just eight minutes into the first session due to an electrical issue. Although he was able to return to the track later, precious testing time was lost. McLaren also had a slow start, with Oscar Piastri failing to set a time early on, but the team didn't report any problems.

Aston Martin's performance improved over time, but McLaren's didn't. Lando Norris completed only five laps before spending more than an hour in the garage, as the team worked to fix cracks near the brakes. Despite the setback, Norris was able to return to the track and climb up the leaderboard. 

As the day progressed, teams began focusing on performance runs, with Mercedes and Lewis Hamilton testing long fuel runs. Aston Martin caught everyone's attention when Fernando Alonso came close to Verstappen's fastest lap. 

Most teams completed a high number of laps, suggesting that reliability may not be a major concern this season. The last 15 minutes of the session were spent testing yellow flags and virtual safety car systems.

Overall, Red Bull Racing had a successful day, while McLaren struggled. Aston Martin was able to recover from a difficult start, but it's hard to say whether other teams were satisfied with their performance.