#F1 Hamilton fastest in Bahrain F1 testing as Honda problems continue

Lewis Hamilton set the fastest lap on the first day of Bahrain’s two-day in-season test this week, clocking a time 0.626s faster than Ferrari’s Antonio Giovinazzi.

In the intense heat of the desert sun, the lap times were some way off Saturday evening’s qualifying session but the teams used the session to test and analyse new parts as well as gain a better understanding of Pirelli’s new tyres. Hamilton’s time was set in the afternoon once the intense track temperatures had dipped and it was quick enough to put a clear gap between Mercedes and rivals Ferrari in the timings. An “electrical disconnection” saw the W08 stop on track early in the session, but it did not take long for the problem to be resolved and the car to return to the track.

Unlike the other nine teams, Ferrari had two cars running on Tuesday as Sebastian Vettel kicked off Pirelli’s tyre testing programme in one SF70H and Giovinazzi completed the team’s normal test plan in another. A mechanical issue on Vettel’s car kept him in the garage for four hours in the middle of the day, resulting in Pirelli asking the other teams if Vettel could continue to test under the floodlights once the normal daytime session had finished. A decision was reached to allow the car to continue on track for an extra three hours until 21:00, extending Vettel’s session beyond the 89 laps he had to his name at the chequered flag.

The Red Bull of Daniel Ricciardo was third fastest, 0.991s off Hamilton’s pace, but the Australian only completed 45 laps due to an engine issue in the afternoon. After focusing on aero testing and a few short runs in the morning, the Red Bull pulled up on the run down to Turn 1 in the mid-afternoon just as the team was about get stuck into some long runs…

Times at close:

1. Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes, 1:31.358, 97 laps
2. Antonio Giovinazzi, Ferrari, 1:31.984, 93 laps
3. Daniel Ricciardo, Red Bull, 1:32.349, 45 laps
4. Romain Grosjean, Haas, 1:32.452, 87 laps
5. Felipe Massa, Williams, 1:32.509, 56 laps
6. Nico Hulkenberg, Renault, 1:33.624, 74 laps
7. Lance Stroll, Williams, 1:33.729, 35 laps
8. Sean Gelael, Toro Rosso, 1:33.885, 78 laps
9. Sebastian Vettel, Ferrari, 1:33.894, 89 laps+ (Pirelli test car)
10. Alfonso Celis, Force India, 1:33.939, 71 laps
11. Marcus Ericsson, Sauber, 1:34.550, 106 laps
12. Oliver Turvey, McLaren, 1:35.011, 17 lap

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