#BahrainGP FP1 report: @LewisHamilton heads @MercedesAMGF1 one-two. #F1

Newly crowned Seven-time World Champion Lewis Hamilton has topped the opening FP1 session at the Bahrain GP ahead of Mercedes team-mate Valtteri Bottas and Racing Point’s Sergio Perez as drivers trialled Pirelli’s new tyres for 2021.

After initially leading the time-sheets on a set of testing-rubber that Pirelli gave to all outfits to prepare for the 2021 season, Hamilton was able to improve his effort after switching to the medium compound halfway through the 90 minute first practice.

Hamilton posted the benchmark of a 1:29.033 on the mediums to finish the session ahead of Mercedes team-mate Bottas by 0.449 seconds, with the Finn also completing his flyer on the yellow side-walled rubber.

Turkish GP podium finisher Perez claimed third place for BWT Racing Point F1 Team, and was 0.967 seconds adrift of Hamilton’s Bahrain GP FP1 best effort and was running the softer tyres. The Mexican was able to narrowly finish opening practice in-front of McLaren’s Carlos Sainz who was fourth and Scuderia AlphaTauri’s Pierre Gasly who rounded out the top five.

Red Bull Racing’s Max Verstappen was sixth quickest after struggling to match the quick Mercedes F1 W11’s at the top, wounding up 1.261 seconds off of Hamilton’s Bahrain GP FP1 benchmark time. The Dutchman also suffered a spin exiting the last corner while accelerating near the hour-point of the session, causing him to flat-spot his rubber.

Verstappen’s Red Bull team-mate Alexander Albon finished only eight-thousandths of a second adrift of the sister Honda-powered RB16, leaving him in seventh place in-front of Renault’s Esteban Ocon who was eighth.

The second Racing Point RP20 of Lance Stroll was ninth and ahead of Renault’s Daniel Ricciardo who completed the top ten.

Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc ended FP1 11th on the time-sheets as the Monegasque-youngster struggled with Pirelli’s new compounds throughout the session. All ten teams were given two sets of next season’s C3 tyre to run in opening practice, and were required to complete six laps on each set.

Leclerc however, edged clear of Ferrari team-mate Sebastian Vettel who was 12th with the latter ending up 1.595 seconds off off Hamilton’s Bahrain GP FP1 benchmark time.

Reserve Robert Kubica filled in for regular Kimi Raikkonen in the Alfa Romeo finishing 13th and ahead of Haas F1 Team duo Romain Grosjean and Kevin Magnussen who were 14th and 15th respectively.

The other Alfa Romeo C39 of Antonio Giovinazzi was 16th and in-front of Scuderia AlphaTauri’s Daniil Kvyat who took 17th.

McLaren’s Lando Norris ended FP1 a low-18th and in-front of Williams Racing pairing Nicholas Latifi and Roy Nissany (In-place of regular George Russell who returns in FP1) who brought up the rear.

You can read the full Formula 1 Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix Free Practice 1 Results Classification at the link: https://www.formula1.com/en/results.html/2020/races/1059/bahrain/practice-1.html

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