Red Bull had a mixed start to the Bahrain Grand Prix weekend as Daniel Ricciardo went quickest in opening practice after teammate Max Verstappen hit an early issue with its car.
Ricciardo's lap in the closing portion of the session, a 1:31.060, put him clear of Mercedes' Valtteri Bottas by 0.3s. It will be an encouraging lap time for Red Bull, which remains convinced it was unable to show its true pace during the Australian Grand Prix, although it is always worth noting engine modes are turned down during opening practice sessions. FP1 in Bahrain is also held with the sun still in the sky, a contrast to qualifying and the race, which are held in the evening under floodlights, meaning it is one of the least representative sessions of the year.