The drivers are itching to stretch their legs on the never-before-used Bahrain Outer Track, but the man who got to pound the asphalt first was Safety Car driver Bernd Maylander.
As is the case at every race, the German driver - who has led more than 700 laps in F1 - enjoyed some exploratory laps of the Sakhir Grand Prix venue on Thursday, and we were there to stick a camera on the car!
So sit back and enjoy a lap of this unique new layout, which at just 3.5km is the shortest of the season. Oh, and if you think this looks quick, just wait until the F1 drivers have a go on Friday...
Next Up
Related Articles
Facts and StatsVerstappen moves ahead of Senna with 47th pole/GettyImages-2241837160.webp)
Verstappen wins Austin Sprint as both McLarens retire/PRACTICE%20DEBRIEF%20V1%20(2).webp)
Friday DebriefCan Verstappen conquer McLaren again in Austin?
HighlightsWatch the Qualifying action as Verstappen takes US GP pole/GENERAL%20CROP%20-%202025-10-19T005234.741.webp)
Piastri ‘didn’t feel comfortable’ in US GP Qualifying/GENERAL%20CROP%20-%202025-10-18T195616.559.webp)
Stroll hit with five-place grid penalty in Austin