F1 testing hit with first red flag for bizarre issue

A power cut has halted F1 pre-season testing in Bahrain, triggering the first red flag of the season. 

Shortly after the two-hour mark of the afternoon session in Sakhir, a circuit-wide power cut was reported with drivers forced to make their way back to the pits as red flags were flown. 

The issue affected the high-intensity floodlights around the circuit, leading to the first stoppage of the day after a relatively trouble-free day of running with only brief yellow flags for spins for Liam Lawson and Isack Hadjar.

Teams were forced to use torches in the garages to inspect their cars after the failure, with the lights finally coming back on with 1:30:00 left on the clock in the garages, much to the amusement of the engineers, but the circuit floodlights did not immediately come back on.

Charles Leclerc was top of the times for Ferrari, from George Russell and Lando Norris at the time of the red flag.