Bernhard Tops Free Practice 1 in Bahrain

Photo: Vision Sport Agency

Porsche has topped the time charts in Bahrain, with Timo Bernhard posting the quickest time in Free Practice 1 at an overcast Bahrain International Circuit.

Bernhard reeled off a best lap of 1:42.800 halfway through the 90-minute session, bumping the No. 7 Audi R18 e-tron quattro of Benoit Treluyer from the top spot.

It ended up being 0.017 seconds quicker than the No. 7 Audi, with the sister No. 8 entry ending up third, but six-tenths adrift.

The No. 18 Porsche 919 Hybrid and No. 1 Toyota TS040 Hybrid completed the top-five overall and in LMP1.

Signatech Alpine picked up where it left off in Shanghai, with its Alpine A450b Nissan of Nelson Panciatici leading the way in LMP2, 0.032 seconds quicker than Sam Bird in the No. 26 G-Drive Racing Ligier JS P2 Nissan.

AF Corse went 1-2 in GTE-Pro, with the No. 51 Ferrari F458 Italia of Toni Vilander quickest, while the No. 98 Aston Martin Vantage V8 of Pedro Lamy led GTE-Am.

The session saw two Full Course Yellows, both for debris.

Free Practice 2 gets underway at 7:30 p.m. local time, and will offer the only night-time running prior to Saturday evening’s race.

RESULTS: Free Practice 1

John Dagys

John Dagys is the founder and Editor-in-Chief of Sportscar365. Dagys spent eight years as a motorsports correspondent for FOXSports.com and SPEED Channel and has contributed to numerous other motorsports publications worldwide. Contact John