Mercedes dominate Bahrain practice, Verstappen sixth

SAKHIR, Bahrain :Lewis Hamilton led team mate George Russell in a surprise Mercedes one-two at the top of the Thursday practice timesheets for Formula One's season-opening Bahrain Grand Prix, with Red Bull's Max Verstappen only sixth.

Seven-times world champion Hamilton lapped the 5.4km floodlit Sakhir desert track in a best time of one minute 30.374 seconds with Russell 0.206 seconds adrift and Aston Martin’s double world champion Fernando Alonso in third.

Reigning triple world champion Verstappen, who won in Bahrain last year and chalked up 19 victories in 22 races, was

0.477 off the pace.

"It's a shock to see us where we are but we'll take it for now," said Hamilton.

"But we can't get ahead of ourselves. We need to keep our heads down and keep working on the setup...I think our long run pace is nowhere near the Red Bulls for example so we've got some work to do there."

Verstappen, who has led the Formula One standings for a record 39 races going back to May 2022, had headed into the weekend favourite to open his pursuit of a fourth consecutive title with victory on Saturday.

He ended up sixth in both sessions.

Carlos Sainz was fourth for Ferrari ahead of Australian Oscar Piastri in his McLaren.

Nico Hulkenberg put Haas in seventh ahead of Aston Martin’s Lance Stroll.

Charles Leclerc was ninth in the other Ferrari while Verstappen’s team mate Sergio Perez rounded out the top 10.

Mercedes, who endured their first winless campaign since 2011 last year, have redesigned their car for the 2024 season to make it less "spiteful".

Their practice showing will offer Russell and Hamilton, who last won a race in 2021 and is replacing Sainz at Ferrari next year, encouragement of a return to the top step of the podium.

Hamilton said he was