Tobia is a Formula 1 journalist at GPblog with experience at international circuits. Since 2022, he has covered Grands Prix across Europe, delivering reliable coverage and insights from the paddock.
Williamswas the most active team on track during the opening morning of the Bahrain test.
Williams were expected to deliver some answers after skipping the behind-closed-doors Barcelona test, and at least on the reliability front, those answers have come through.
The Williams driver, at the wheel of the FW48 in what was effectively the Grove-based team’s first official on-track session, racked up an impressive 77 laps — covering almost one and a half race distances. It was then Alex Albon's turn in the afternoon, and the team set a total of 145 laps.
Max Verstappen completed the most laps today, as he participated in both the morning and the afternoon session as well. The Dutchman put up a total of 136 laps in Sakhir.
A data anomaly meant that Aston Martin could only do 36 laps today with Lance Stroll behind the wheel.
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Photo: Race Pictures
Lap count standings in opening morning session of Bahrain test
| Position | Team | Lap count |
| P1 | Williams (Sainz / Albon) | 145 |
| P2 | Red Bull (Verstappen) | 136 |
| P3 | Ferrari (Hamilton / Leclerc) | 132 |
| P4 | Audi (Bortoleto / Hulkenberg) | 122 |
| P5 | Haas (Ocon) | 115 |
| P6 | McLaren (Piastri / Norris) | 112 |
| P7 | Cadillac (Bottas / Perez) | 107 |
| P8 | Mercedes (Russell /AntonellI | 86 |
| P9 | Alpine (Colapinto / Gasly) | 77 |
| P10 | Racing Bulls (Lindblad) | 75 |
| P11 | Aston Martin (Stroll) | 36 |
Mercedes set the benchmark for reliability
| Power unit manufacturer | Total laps |
| Mercedes | 420 |
| Ferrari | 354 |
| Red Bull Powertrains | 211 |
| Audi | 122 |
| Honda | 36 |
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How the first afternoon session in Bahrain unfolded
Lando Norris topped the first day of the Bahrain test, finishing just ahead of Max Verstappen. Around a tenth separated the two drivers.
Charles Leclerc completed the top three, while two teams encountered technical issues.
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