Gasly, Leclerc and Sainz goes tops in Bahrain GP practice

Lewis Hamilton was only seventh in first practice for Sunday's Bahrain Grand Prix as Pierre Gasly finished fastest.

Hamilton arrived for the opening round of the Formula One season, fearing his Mercedes machine would not be a contender for victory.

And, while the second session later on Friday will be more representative of the conditions for Saturday's qualifying and the race – both of which take place at dusk – Hamilton might be alarmed by his apparent lack of pace.

Hamilton finished 0.750 seconds adrift of AlphaTauri's Gasly, with Ferrari's Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz second and third, respectively.F1 WRAP | 2022 Bahrain Grand Prix - Pierre Gasly goes fastest in 1st Practice session

Hamilton's Mercedes teammate George Russell took fourth, one place ahead of world champion Max Verstappen.

However, both Hamilton and Russell set their fastest times on the quickest softest compound. But neither Ferrari driver nor Verstappen opted for the quickest rubber, posting their best laps on the medium, more durable tyres.

Ninety-six days on from the contentious season finale in Abu Dhabi, Hamilton was back on track as he gears up for his 16th campaign on the grid and his pursuit of a record-breaking eighth world crown.

The sport has undergone its most significant rule change in a generation, with the cars radically revised in a bid to provide closer racing.

Hamilton's Mercedes team has dominated in recent times, winning the past eight constructors' championships, but there is a growing feeling they will not start the new campaign at the top of the tree.

Leclerc, the 24-year-old from Monegasque, finished 0.364 sec adrift of Gasly, who also set his best time on the speediest soft rubber, as Ferrari bid to win their first drivers' crown