Max Verstappen looked like a reigning champion on a mission on Saturday, as with less than an hour to go of the three-day Official Pre-Season Test on Bahrain, the Dutchman wound up his Red Bull RB18 and clocked the fastest time of anyone in Sakhir.
Verstappen’s eventual lap of 1m 31.720s was a full 0.695s quicker than the next best effort, that of Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc. Yes, it’s only testing – but it was still a fairly major shot across the bows of his rivals nonetheless.
READ MORE: Verstappen sets blistering benchmark to go top on final day of 2022 pre-season testing
Watch up top as Verstappen guides the #1-emblazoned Red Bull around the fastest lap of Bahrain pre-season testing.
Next Up
Related Articles
UnlockedInside the F1 driver’s bubble: The driver manager
The story behind these 12 striking images from the 2026 season.webp)
UnlockedAsk Lawrence Barretto a question in our exclusive reader Q&A
UnlockedHill on winning the 1996 title & getting dropped by Williams
UnlockedInside the F1 driver’s bubble: The reserve driver.webp)
How Williams' 2026 season has played out so far