Fueled by the thrill of a new season, Daniel Ricciardo stormed to the top of the timesheets in the opening free practice session for the 2024 Formula One season at the Bahrain International Circuit.
Cloaked in the colors of the rebranded Visa Cash App RB team, Ricciardo carved his way to a time of 1 minute 32.869 seconds on the soft tires, leaving the chasing pack of McLaren’s Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri in his wake. His teammate, Yuki Tsunoda, followed closely behind in fourth, while Fernando Alonso, piloting the Aston Martin, rounded out the top five.
Defending champion Max Verstappen came sixth and his teammate Sergio finished twelfth. Read the entire FP1 Results here
Also Read: Formula 1 Bahrain Grand Prix Winners List
The session unfolded with a strategic mix of tire choices, with some teams opting for the more durable medium compound and others gambling on the faster, but less enduring, soft tires. This strategic diversity is likely to continue throughout the weekend, as teams fine-tune their race strategies for the Bahrain Grand Prix.
Despite setting the fastest time, Ricciardo wasn’t entirely pleased with his car’s performance, reporting issues with downshifts and upshifts over the radio. Nevertheless, his time atop the leaderboard suggests that RB is a force to be reckoned with this season.
Meanwhile, Lewis Hamilton, the seven-time world champion, settled for eighth place in the other Mercedes. The session also saw encouraging signs from the midfield, with Fernando Alonso putting in a strong performance for Aston Martin and the young guns at McLaren, Norris and Piastri, showcasing their potential.
With FP1 complete, teams will now dissect the data gleaned from the session and make adjustments to their cars in preparation for the crucial FP2, which gets underway later under the floodlights.
Will we see non-Max Verstappen champions this season? Is Red Bull supremacy coming to the beginning of the end? Comment your thoughts down below
