The first free practice session of the Bahrain Grand Prix weekend delivered a mix of extremes — blistering heat, swirling sand, and a heavily altered driver lineup featuring six reserve drivers. As the field tackled the scorching Sakhir circuit, it was Lando Norris who set the pace, topping the timesheets in his McLaren ahead of Pierre Gasly’s Alpine and Lewis Hamilton’s Ferrari.
A Session of Little Value, But a Big Statement from Norris
With qualifying and the race scheduled for the cooler evening hours, FP1 was never going to offer representative conditions. Still, Norris, the current World Championship leader, made his presence known by clocking a 1m33.204s, nearly two-tenths clear of Gasly and over half a second ahead of Hamilton.
His teammate Oscar Piastri struggled to string together a clean lap on the soft tyres, ending up 10th. The rest of the top 10 was an eclectic mix, with strong showings from Alex Albon, Esteban Ocon, Nico Hulkenberg, Jack Doohan, Liam Lawson, and Yuki Tsunoda.
Rookies Step In, Heat Turns Up
As per the FIA’s rookie mandate, several teams handed FP1 duties to young talents. Ayumu Iwasa (Red Bull), Dino Beganovic (Ferrari), Frederik Vesti (Mercedes), Felipe Drugovich (Aston Martin), Ryo Hirakawa (Haas), and Luke Browning (Williams) all took the wheel in place of full-time drivers. Browning emerged as the fastest among them in 13th, followed closely by Ferrari junior Beganovic.
However, it was a rough start for Mercedes rookie Andrea Kimi Antonelli. The Italian reported “no power” just minutes into the session and spent most of FP1 in the garage as the team dealt with a suspected water pressure issue. He ultimately recorded the slowest time of the session.
Extreme Conditions, Limited Data
The intense heat — approaching 50°C — combined with strong winds sweeping sand across the track made for treacherous conditions. Grip was nearly nonexistent, with drivers across the field struggling to find balance. McLaren, too, appeared hard to manage despite Norris’ pace. As Liam Lawson bluntly put it, the balance on his Racing Bulls car was “shocking.”
Teams dealt with overheating, aggressive bottoming on the straights, and an unusually high level of understeer.
Ferrari Strategy and Upgrades
For Ferrari, the session posed additional challenges. Charles Leclerc sat out FP1 to make room for Beganovic as part of the rookie program, leaving him only one practice session to refine setup before heading into qualifying. Meanwhile, Hamilton’s car featured Ferrari’s latest aerodynamic upgrade, with a revamped floor and redesigned vortex generators aimed at improving airflow efficiency. The diffuser’s central section has also been reduced, indicating a clear shift in aerodynamic philosophy.
All teams were seen opening their engine covers to maximize airflow and prevent overheating — a clear sign of how taxing the conditions were.
A Cool Solution: Mercedes and Adidas Debut New Tech
In response to the extreme heat, Mercedes’ new technical sponsor Adidas has developed an innovative cooling jacket. Designed to be worn 20 minutes before a session, the jacket brings the driver’s core body temperature down to optimal levels. Kimi Antonelli was the first to test the jacket, followed by George Russell. Both drivers gave it the green light, and it was officially used for the first time during the Australian GP. The team plans to deploy it again during the drivers’ parade in Bahrain.
Looking Ahead
As FP1 ends, teams will now dig into the limited but crucial data collected in these harsh conditions. Free Practice 2, set for 18:00 local time, will offer more relevant insights as the sun sets and track conditions begin to resemble those of qualifying and race day.
Until then, the story of Sakhir remains one of unpredictability: from rookies making waves, to veterans struggling for grip, and teams scrambling to adapt under an unforgiving desert sun.