On the second day under the Bahraini sun, F1 teams delved into further refining their setups during a productive morning session. Key incidents included Pérez’s brake issue and track time adjustments.
The second day of winter testing kicked off under the Bahraini sun, providing teams with the opportunity to further refine their car setups. The morning session was notably industrious, encountering minimal disruptions from the teams.
Sergio Pérez, behind the wheel of the Red Bull RB20, faced a brake issue early in the session, leading to a minor fire on one of the brake ducts, which was quickly extinguished. This incident curtailed the Mexican driver’s track time in the opening minutes of the day.
Charles Leclerc concluded this first half-day, shortened to three hours due to a dislodged kerb piece caused by Leclerc himself, which Lewis Hamilton also encountered. Ferrari later confirmed the need to replace the floor on the SF-24 due to a broken drainage grille damaging the car’s underside.
Track marshals and officials spent considerable time attempting repairs, to no avail, leading to an adjusted schedule to allow for work on the issue and an earlier resumption, with a five-hour afternoon session.
Key Highlights
Oscar Piastri finished second, ahead of Logan Sargeant, who made up for the previous afternoon’s limited running without any issues on his Williams. Pérez placed fourth, with 20 laps making him the morning’s least prolific driver.
Fernando Alonso was fifth, ahead of Lewis Hamilton, who took to the Mercedes after George Russell completed Wednesday’s running. Guanyu Zhou ranked seventh after conducting long stints in the Kick Sauber C44.
Pierre Gasly, though less conspicuous, completed 33 laps and was followed in eighth by Nico Hülkenberg and Yuki Tsunoda. The latter, with 40 laps around the Bahrain circuit, was the morning’s most diligent driver.
The day will resume at 12 PM for a five-hour session following a three-hour morning. Teams may adjust their programs to compensate for drivers affected by the morning’s disruptions.
| Pos. | Driver | Car | Time | Laps |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | Charles Leclerc | Ferrari SF-24 | 1:31.750 | 36 |
| 02 | Oscar Piastri | McLaren Mercedes MCL38 | 1:32.328 | 35 |
| 03 | Logan Sargeant | Williams Mercedes FW46 | 1:32.578 | 30 |
| 04 | Sergio Perez | Red Bull Honda RBPT RB20 | 1:32.879 | 20 |
| 05 | Fernando Alonso | Aston Martin Mercedes AMR24 | 1:33.053 | 31 |
| 06 | Lewis Hamilton | Mercedes W15 | 1:33.225 | 39 |
| 07 | Guanyu Zhou | Stake F1 Kick Sauber C44 | 1:33.715 | 38 |
| 08 | Pierre Gasly | Alpine Renault A524 | 1:33.804 | 33 |
| 09 | Nico Hülkenberg | Haas Ferrari VF-24 | 1:37.509 | 31 |
| 10 | Yuki Tsunoda | RB RBPT VCARB 01 | 1:38.074 | 40 |
Day 2 of F1 Winter Testing: Leclerc Leads. Day 2 of F1 Winter Testing: Leclerc Leads
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