Lando Norris Leads First Practice in Bahrain as Rookie Drivers Take the Spotlight
Lando Norris set the pace in the opening Free Practice session of the Bahrain Grand Prix weekend, placing his McLaren at the top of the timesheets ahead of Pierre Gasly and Lewis Hamilton. The session not only offered a glimpse into early weekend form but also highlighted the presence of six rookie drivers making valuable appearances under the FIA’s young driver mandate.
Following a chilly race weekend in Suzuka, teams returned to warmer conditions at the Bahrain International Circuit for FP1. With air temperatures soaring under a bright desert sun, Friday’s session began at 14:30 local time and was immediately shaped by the participation of young talents stepping in for some of F1’s biggest names.
Under the regulation requiring each team to run rookies in at least two FP1 sessions per car during the season, several drivers sat out this first hour of track action. Taking their places were Ayumu Iwasa (Red Bull), Dino Beganovic (Ferrari), Frederik Vesti (Mercedes), Felipe Drugovich (Aston Martin), Ryo Hirakawa (Haas), and Luke Browning (Williams), temporarily replacing the likes of Max Verstappen, Charles Leclerc, George Russell, Fernando Alonso, Ollie Bearman, and Carlos Sainz.
The newcomers wasted no time getting onto the track. Iwasa was first out of the pits, closely followed by Browning and Hirakawa. But not everything went smoothly, as early drama struck Mercedes stand-in Kimi Antonelli, who reported a complete lack of power and limped back to the pits just ten minutes into the session. The issue was later traced to a suspected water pressure problem that kept the young Italian in the garage for most of the session.
While Antonelli’s car was being attended to, several drivers struggled to find grip on the evolving surface. Liam Lawson, representing Racing Bulls, described the balance of his car as “shocking” over team radio, a sentiment echoed by others as teams tested both hard and medium compounds in the early running.
By the midway mark of the session, Alex Albon had taken provisional P1 with a 1:35.180s lap for Williams, narrowly ahead of Norris. Gasly slotted into third for Alpine, showing solid early pace before teams began shifting focus to performance runs on the soft compound.
Gabriel Bortoleto of Kick Sauber was among the first to go out on soft tyres and briefly jumped to the top of the standings, only to be displaced by teammate Nico Hulkenberg moments later. Meanwhile, Antonelli’s woes continued as Mercedes mechanics were seen inspecting and applying pressure to the rear wing in an effort to fix his car.
An incident in the pit lane involving Albon and Yuki Tsunoda added more drama to the session. Albon was released into Tsunoda’s path, prompting an apology from the Thai driver over the radio. Stewards later confirmed the incident would be reviewed post-session. Another investigation was triggered by a potential impeding moment between the two Williams drivers, as Browning had to jink out of the way to avoid a slow-moving Albon on track.
As the track continued to rubber in and drivers pushed on softs, Norris returned to the top of the standings with a 1:33.204s – a lap two-tenths quicker than Gasly. Lewis Hamilton, driving for Ferrari, completed his own soft tyre run later in the session to go third fastest, showcasing promising one-lap pace.
Hamilton’s session was particularly significant, as he was tasked with evaluating Ferrari’s new floor upgrade on the SF-25. The updated floor, designed to address the car’s instability issues, received its first real-world run on a track known for high tyre degradation and traction demands. Initial signs looked promising, with Hamilton reporting improved consistency during his soft tyre stint.
Also noteworthy for Ferrari was the FP1 debut of Dino Beganovic, who stepped into Charles Leclerc’s car for the session. The Swedish rookie completed a solid program, gathering valuable data for the Scuderia while avoiding mistakes and helping with comparative analysis between the upgraded and baseline setups. It marked an important milestone in Beganovic’s development within the Ferrari Driver Academy.
Albon retained fourth despite reporting a loss of power in the closing minutes. He was followed by Esteban Ocon in fifth for Haas, with Hulkenberg sixth. Alpine’s Jack Doohan took seventh, ahead of Lawson, Tsunoda, and Oscar Piastri, who rounded out the top ten for McLaren.
Just outside the top ten was Bortoleto in 11th, trailed by Isack Hadjar, Browning, and Beganovic. Aston Martin’s Lance Stroll and Felipe Drugovich ended the session in 15th and 16th respectively, while Hirakawa, Vesti, Iwasa, and Antonelli – who completed only a few laps – brought up the rear of the classification.
With the first hour of practice now complete, teams and drivers will pour over the data gathered – particularly regarding the performance of the rookies and the soft tyre runs – before returning to the track for Free Practice 2, scheduled for 18:00 local time. The hotter conditions and long-run simulations will provide further insights as the Bahrain GP weekend progresses.
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