Leclerc, Ferrari flawless in Bahrain morning as Red Bull hit by major troubles

The Scuderia Ferrari driver set a benchmark lap of 1:33.739 to secure top spot at the Sakhir circuit, laying down an early marker in the morning session.

The session began in a relatively quiet fashion, with the Monegasque among the first to venture out. In what appeared to be a flawless Ferrari, Leclerc quickly rose to the summit of the standings and remained the driver to beat.

Reigning world champion Lando Norris slotted into second for McLaren with a 1:34.052, finishing just over three tenths adrift of Leclerc. The order on the pylon shuffled several times as the session progressed, with Norris and Kimi Antonelli trading positions in the early stages. However, Norris ultimately had the edge over the young Italian.

Alex Albon put in a solid showing for Williams Racing to claim fourth, ahead of Pierre Gasly, who rounded out the top five.

One of the key talking points of the morning involved Isack Hadjar and Red Bull Racing. Although the young Frenchman managed a 1:36.188, good enough for sixth, he recorded the lowest mileage of the session after encountering technical issues with his car.

Esteban Ocon, Fernando Alonso, Nico Hülkenberg, Arvid Lindblad and Sergio Perez, who endured another difficult outing in his Cadillac, completed the order for the morning session.