Further Track Repairs Halt Final Day of 2024 F1 Testing in Bahrain

The last day of 2024 Formula 1 pre-season testing in Bahrain faced another setback as track repairs disrupted the schedule once more.

During the previous day, morning sessions were cut short due to repairs on the kerbs at Turn 11. However, on day three, the testing lasted less than half an hour before being halted again, this time due to a loose drain cover.

Inspections and repairs were promptly carried out, leading to a lunch break and a rescheduled session end time at 7pm local time.

The estimated restart time was set for 11:45 am (2:15pm IST), with Carlos Sainz of Ferrari leading the session after the initial half-hour, clocking in at 1 min 31.247 seconds.

Under the red flag, the day's leaderboard reflected Sainz's dominance, followed by Lando Norris (McLaren) and Alex Albon (Williams), among others.

Day 3 Leaderboard Under Red Flag

This interruption adds to the challenges faced during the pre-season testing, highlighting the importance of track maintenance and readiness for the upcoming F1 season. It shows the importance of fixing issues early to prevent delays and ensure safety during races.

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On day one of testing, Max Verstappen concluded the first day of pre-season testing in Bahrain as the fastest driver, posting a time of 1:31.344. He outpaced Lando Norris by over a second. Carlos Sainz secured the third spot, followed by Daniel Ricciardo and Pierre Gasly in fourth and fifth places, respectively.

The second day of testing, Carlos Sainz put Ferrari at the forefront during the second day of pre-season testing at Bahrain International Circuit. His time of 1:29.921 was the fastest of the test so far, 0.7 seconds ahead of Sergio Perez from Red Bull. Lewis Hamilton followed closely in third for Mercedes, with Lando Norris and Daniel Ricciardo rounding out the top five.