F1 Testing: Norris Tops Timesheets as Ferrari Debuts Radical Rear Wing

Lando Norris set the fastest time of pre-season testing so far in Bahrain, but the major talking point was Lewis Hamilton's brief debut of Ferrari's radical new rear wing featuring an active aerodynamic system that rotates the upper flap completely upside down on the straights. Hamilton's running was severely limited to just five laps due to an issue, while Norris logged a 1:33.453 to lead Max Verstappen and George Russell.

Why it matters:

Pre-season testing times are notoriously unreliable for predicting true performance, but innovative car designs offer genuine clues about a team's development direction. Ferrari's extreme rear wing concept, if reliable and effective, could provide a significant straight-line speed advantage. Meanwhile, McLaren's consistent pace with Norris at the wheel reinforces their status as a likely front-runner heading into the new season.

The Details:

• Norris on Top: Lando Norris's morning-best time of 1:33.453 for McLaren stood as the fastest lap of the entire Bahrain test session to that point, putting him 0.131 seconds ahead of Red Bull's Max Verstappen.
• Ferrari's Wing Innovation: Lewis Hamilton's SF-26 featured a new rear wing design that uses an active aerodynamic system. Unlike rivals, Ferrari's system rotates the entire upper flap of the wing 180 degrees on straights, effectively inverting it to drastically reduce drag and increase top speed.
• Hamilton's Limited Run: The seven-time champion managed only five installation laps before an issue forced Ferrari to bring the car back to the garage for extensive checks, shrouding the area with screens.
• Session Format: The morning concluded with an FIA-mandated practice start procedure on the grid, allowing all teams to gather data to address widespread launch issues encountered during testing. Hamilton returned to the track solely for this practice start.
• Other Notables: George Russell completed the most laps (77) for Mercedes. Valtteri Bottas's running for Cadillac was also heavily disrupted, leaving him at the bottom of the timesheets.

What's Next:

The focus will now shift to the final afternoon of pre-season testing, where teams will begin their more representative race simulation runs and qualifying simulations. All eyes will be on Ferrari to see if they can resolve whatever issue limited Hamilton's running and gather more data on their innovative rear wing. The true competitive picture will remain murky until qualifying for the Bahrain Grand Prix next week, but these final test sessions are crucial for establishing initial reliability and performance benchmarks.

Morning Session Times (Top 5):

1. Lando Norris (McLaren) – 1:33.453
2. Max Verstappen (Red Bull) – +0.131s
3. George Russell (Mercedes) – +0.658s
4. Alex Albon (Williams) – +1.677s
5. Oliver Bearman (Haas) – +1.826s