F1 LIVE – Lewis Hamilton aims to plug Max Verstappen gap in testing

Hamilton opens up on plans to remain in F1 ahead of new season

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Day two of F1 pre-season testing is underway with Lewis Hamilton out early in a bid to plug the gap to Max Verstappen. The Mercedes star was around seven-tenths slower than the Dutchman on day one in Bahrain as cars returned to action after the winter break.

However, teams are mainly focussing on reliability with performance gains set to come later in the three-day test. Hamilton will be behind the wheel this morning while George Russell will get behind the cockpit this afternoon.

Red Bull is the only team not to split their drivers each day meaning Verstappen’s pre-season running will end at lunchtime. Sergio Perez will get behind the cockpit later to begin his day and a half of action before the first Grand Prix.

KEY EVENTS

Christian Horner caught laughing at Wolff

It’s launch day for season five of Netflix’s Drive to Survive which gives behind-the-scenes access to the 2022 season.

In one episode, Horner is spotted laughing at Wolff as Mercedes realise how bad their W13 could be.

It would have been filmed just months after Red Bull pipped Mercedes to the 2021 crown in a brutal title duel.

He said: “Mercedes look in a bit of a mess. It’s a very different landscape for Toto.

“Something that he’s not been used to since he’s come into Formula One where suddenly he’s on the back foot.”

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Verstappen on top on day one

Verstappen topped the timesheets on day one of pre-season testing in Bahrain to continue where he left off last year,

Verstappen set a 1:32.837 to go just a few hundredths faster than Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso.

Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz was third-fastest, around four-tenths slower, followed by Charles Leclerc, and Lando Norris.

Hamilton was only P6 while Russell was P9 with a lap 1.3 seconds off Verstappen’s pace.

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