Red Bull P9 and P19 in Bahrain FP1 as Max watches from side line

Published on 11 April 2025 by Stefan Meens

Yuki Tsunoda and Ayumu Iwasa finished ninth and nineteenth in the opening practice session of the Bahrain Grand Pirx. The latter occupied regular Oracle Red Bull Racing driver Max Verstappen’s cockpit for FP1, with the reigning champion resuming driving duties for the rest of the weekend. Lando Norris was quickest in the morning session.

The Japanese driver Ayumu Iwasa is not the only rookie in action at the Bahrain International Circuit. Ferrari is running Dino Beganovic, Mercedes Frederik Vesti, Haas Ryo Hirakawa, Williams Luke Browning and Aston Martin Felipe Drugovich.

At the start of the session most drivers report low grip from the Bahrain track surface. At the front, McLaren continue their strong opening of the season with Lando Norris setting the pace. The British driver tops the leader boards after twenty minutes, having set his time on the medium Pirelli compound.

As the session progresses, more and more drivers opt to use the quickest tyre; the red side walled soft Pirellis. Sauber’s Gabriel Bortoleto is the first to do so with Pierre Gasly being one of the surprising pace setters.

Red Bull’s Tsunoda also clocked a timed lap on the softs but is only seventh fastest at the time of crossing the start-finish straight.

In the closing stages, Lando Norris sets a flying lap on the soft tyres, resulting in a 1:33.2, the quickest lap of the session. The McLaren driver heads the top three ahead of Pierre Gasly and Lewis Hamilton with the Red Bulls in ninth (Tsunoda) and nineteenth (Iwasa). The latter only used the medium Pirellis.

Contest GP Bahrain: win a by Max Verstappen signed Red Bull Racing 2025 cap!

Results first free practice Bahrain: