Max Verstappen sets a new benchmark at 2024 F1 preseason testing, beating his own time from last season

Reigning F1 champion Max Verstappen kicked off his 2024 campaign in the preseason test at Bahrain International Circuit, driving the new RB20 and topping the charts on the first day of testing.

The three-day test in the Sakhir desert is scheduled for February 21-23. Following the launch of liveries during the winter break, all teams pulled the covers off their 2024 challengers, with Red Bull making radical changes to its car.

Max Verstappen was behind the wheel of the RB20 for the entire day, completing a mammoth 143 laps, and raking in the highest mileage of any driver. He also set the pace on the leaderboard, with a time of 1:31.344s, which was 1.1 seconds faster than his nearest rival Lando Norris.

The Red Bull driver recorded a 1:32.548s on the C3 compound tire in the morning session to top the charts. As the sun set on the Sakhir desert, he got down to 1:31.344s in the second session, almost three-tenths quicker than his fastest time in the 2023 F1 preseason testing.

Verstappen in the RB20

McLaren ace Lando Norris put the new MCL38 second on the list but was more than a second behind the reigning champion's fastest lap time. Carlos Sainz Jr. dropped a quick lap time in the SF-24, rounding out the top three finishers on Day One of testing.

Verstappen's laptime is almost two seconds slower than his qualifying time for the Bahrain GP last year. A laptime of 1:29.708s helped him secure pole position in the season opener last year.

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How did Red Bull rivals fare compared to Max Verstappen's pace on day one?

The distinctive design approaches adopted by Red Bull and its rivals have built up anticipation for the 2024 F1 season, with preseason testing offering a glimpse into their relative pace.

While Verstappen topped the charts with his blistering pace, Norris and Sainz were a second behind the Dutchman. Daniel Ricciardo put VCARB (formerly AlphaTauri) fourth on the list, with a similar laptime to the Ferrari driver. Alpine driver Pierre Gasly put the A524 fifth on the leaderboard, 1.4 seconds behind the leader.

Lance Stroll was sixth, trailing Max Verstappen by 1.6 seconds, but four-tenths faster than his veteran teammate Fernando Alonso. Charles Leclerc was sandwiched by the two Aston Martin drivers trailing his teammate by six-tenths of a second.

Oscar Piastri and Zhou Guanyu rounded out the top-10 finishers, the latter being 2.5 seconds slower than Max Verstappen. Sergio Perez and Lewis Hamilton missed out on the action on day one, as their teammates were behind the wheel for the entire day.

Single lap times are not indicative of the pecking order in preseason testing as various teams adhere to their run plans over chasing outright speed. The focus is on validating components and ticking off boxes on their itinerary.

Verstappen will return behind the wheel of the RB20 for the final time in the second session on day two.