Ricciardo tops first practice at Bahrain season opener

Daniel Ricciardo has proved the shock title on the high of the time sheet in System One’s first apply session of the brand new season in Bahrain.

The Australian – driving for the newly rebranded RB group – noticed off Lando Norris by simply 0.032 seconds, together with his compatriot Oscar Piastri third within the different McLaren.

Max Verstappen, who complained concerning the dealing with of his Purple Bull all through the one-hour apply session, completed sixth, with George Russell seventh and Lewis Hamilton ninth for Mercedes.

Verstappen heads into the curtain raiser right here within the Gulf kingdom because the favorite to say a fourth consecutive world championship.

However the Dutch driver appeared unsettled within the opening operating at a gusty Sakhir circuit.

“All the pieces is s***,” he yelled over the radio. “Like miles off.”

Ricciardo was dropped by McLaren on the finish of 2022, however was handed a lifeline by Purple Bull’s junior group halfway by final season.

And though occasions in testing need to be handled with warning because the groups trial various gasoline hundreds – certainly Ricciardo set his speediest lap on the softest tyre compound – RB might show a shock package deal.

Ricciardo’s teammate Yuki Tsunoda completed fourth, three tenths again.

Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso took fifth spot and was the primary of the drivers to not use the tender compound. Verstappen, Russell, Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc – who completed eighth – and Hamilton additionally didn’t publish a lap on the speediest rubber.

Hamilton completed 4 tenths off Ricciardo, however the Mercedes camp are quietly optimistic that they might have the pace to carry out on the sharp finish.

On the different finish of the grid, Alpine and Haas propped up the order with Nico Hulkenberg final of the 20 runners, 5 seconds off the tempo.

The second apply session of the day, happening at 6pm native time, was to be held in circumstances extra consultant of what the drivers can anticipate in Friday’s qualifying and Saturday’s race.