SAKHIR, Bahrain -- Lewis Hamilton set the fastest lap on the first day of Bahrain's two-day in-season test this week, clocking a time 0.626s faster than Ferrari's Antonio Giovinazzi.
In the intense heat of the desert sun, the lap times were some way off Saturday evening's qualifying session but the teams used the session to test and analyse new parts as well as gain a better understanding of Pirelli's new tyres. Hamilton's time was set in the afternoon once the intense track temperatures had dipped and it was quick enough to put a clear gap between Mercedes and rivals Ferrari in the timings.