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MANAMA, Bahrain - Lewis Hamilton picked up where he left off by leading Nico Rosberg in a Mercedes 1-2 in first practice for the 2014 Bahrain Formula 1 GP on Friday April 4 - exactly 10 years since the track opened.
The 2008 F1 champion, winner in steamy Malaysia a week earlier ahead of championship leader Nico Rosberg, completed 14 laps and was fastest around the Sakhir circuit with a best time of 1min37.502.
Rosberg's time, on an day during which the track temperature hovered around 33 degrees on a bright and breezy afternoon, was 0.231sec slower.
SUPERIORITY REINFORCED
Ferrari's Fernando Alonso was third-fastest ahead of Germany's Nico Hulkenberg for Force India and McLaren's Jenson Button, the 2009 champion, who will start his 250th race on Sunday.
The time sheets reinforced Mercedes' early-season superiority with four cars powered by Mercedes engines in the top five.
Red Bull's quadruple champion Sebastian Vettel was 10th fastest but Australian team mate Daniel Ricciardo in 14th, more than a second back.
Alonso, fourth in both races so far in 2014, provided some amusement when Ferrari accidentally sent him out with one soft tyre and three mediums on his car. The Spaniard stopped in the pits lane and was pushed back.
Three reserve drivers made debut appearances for the season, with Brazilian Felipe Nasr given track time at Williams, Dutchman Giedo van der Garde at Sauber and compatriot Robin Frijns at Caterham.
Second practice will be cooler and held under newly floodlights, with the race celebrating its 10th anniversary by switching from an afternoon to day-to-night format for the first time.
FULL FIRST PRACTICE RESULTS
1 Lewis Hamilton (Britain) Mercedes 1min37.502
2 Nico Rosberg (Germany) Mercedes 1min37.733
3 Fernando Alonso (Spain) Ferrari 1min37.953
4 Nico Hulkenberg (Germany) Force India 1min38.122
5 Jenson Button (Britain) McLaren 1min38.636
6 Kimi Raikkonen (Finland) Ferrari 1min38.783
7 Kevin Magnussen (Denmark) McLaren 1min38.949
8 Daniil Kvyat (Russia) Toro Rosso 1min39.056
9 Sergio Perez (Mexico) Force India 1min39.102
10 Sebastian Vettel (Germany) Red Bull 1min39.389
11 Felipe Massa (Brazil) Williams 1min39.533
12 Jean-Eric Vergne (France) Toro Rosso 1min39.862
13 Felipe Nasr (Brazil) Williams 1min40.078
14 Daniel Ricciardo (Australia) Red Bull 1min40.406
15 Adrian Sutil (Germany) Sauber 1min40.652
16 Pastor Maldonado (Venezuela) Lotus 1min40.793
17 Jules Bianchi (France) Marussia 1min40.889
18 Giedo van der Garde (Netherlands) Sauber 1min40.913
19 Romain Grosjean (France) Lotus 1min41.036
20 Max Chilton (Britain) Marussia 1min41.794
21 Robin Frijns (Netherlands) Caterham 1min42.417
22 Marcus Ericsson (Sweden) Caterham 1min42.711
Stay with Wheels24 for the 2014 2014 Bahrain F1 GP weekend.
The 2008 F1 champion, winner in steamy Malaysia a week earlier ahead of championship leader Nico Rosberg, completed 14 laps and was fastest around the Sakhir circuit with a best time of 1min37.502.
Rosberg's time, on an day during which the track temperature hovered around 33 degrees on a bright and breezy afternoon, was 0.231sec slower.
SUPERIORITY REINFORCED
Ferrari's Fernando Alonso was third-fastest ahead of Germany's Nico Hulkenberg for Force India and McLaren's Jenson Button, the 2009 champion, who will start his 250th race on Sunday.
The time sheets reinforced Mercedes' early-season superiority with four cars powered by Mercedes engines in the top five.
Red Bull's quadruple champion Sebastian Vettel was 10th fastest but Australian team mate Daniel Ricciardo in 14th, more than a second back.
Alonso, fourth in both races so far in 2014, provided some amusement when Ferrari accidentally sent him out with one soft tyre and three mediums on his car. The Spaniard stopped in the pits lane and was pushed back.
Three reserve drivers made debut appearances for the season, with Brazilian Felipe Nasr given track time at Williams, Dutchman Giedo van der Garde at Sauber and compatriot Robin Frijns at Caterham.
Second practice will be cooler and held under newly floodlights, with the race celebrating its 10th anniversary by switching from an afternoon to day-to-night format for the first time.
FULL FIRST PRACTICE RESULTS
1 Lewis Hamilton (Britain) Mercedes 1min37.502
2 Nico Rosberg (Germany) Mercedes 1min37.733
3 Fernando Alonso (Spain) Ferrari 1min37.953
4 Nico Hulkenberg (Germany) Force India 1min38.122
5 Jenson Button (Britain) McLaren 1min38.636
6 Kimi Raikkonen (Finland) Ferrari 1min38.783
7 Kevin Magnussen (Denmark) McLaren 1min38.949
8 Daniil Kvyat (Russia) Toro Rosso 1min39.056
9 Sergio Perez (Mexico) Force India 1min39.102
10 Sebastian Vettel (Germany) Red Bull 1min39.389
11 Felipe Massa (Brazil) Williams 1min39.533
12 Jean-Eric Vergne (France) Toro Rosso 1min39.862
13 Felipe Nasr (Brazil) Williams 1min40.078
14 Daniel Ricciardo (Australia) Red Bull 1min40.406
15 Adrian Sutil (Germany) Sauber 1min40.652
16 Pastor Maldonado (Venezuela) Lotus 1min40.793
17 Jules Bianchi (France) Marussia 1min40.889
18 Giedo van der Garde (Netherlands) Sauber 1min40.913
19 Romain Grosjean (France) Lotus 1min41.036
20 Max Chilton (Britain) Marussia 1min41.794
21 Robin Frijns (Netherlands) Caterham 1min42.417
22 Marcus Ericsson (Sweden) Caterham 1min42.711
Stay with Wheels24 for the 2014 2014 Bahrain F1 GP weekend.
