Although it's still early to gauge what it means in the grand scheme of things, Dr. Helmut Marko was in good spirits regarding Red Bull's efforts on the first day of testing in Bahrain. Max Verstappen ended the session in top spot with the fastest time of 1:30.674. Perhaps more impressive was the fact that the Dutchman finished 139 laps, which stands in stark contrast to rivals Mercedes. The reigning constructors' champions could only amass 48 laps between Lewis Hamilton and Valtteri Bottas - the fewest of the 10 teams - after the Finnish driver was forced to sit in the garage after suffering gearbox problems during the morning session. Although Hamilton helped things somewhat by completing 42 laps in the afternoon, the W12 looked twitchy and nervy as the seven-time world champion struggled to match the pace set by Red Bull, who Marko lauded. "That was the best first test day we've ever had," he told F1-Insider.com. "There were no problems, Max was even able to play with the car a bit." Sergio Perez will look to keep the good times rolling for Red Bull on Saturday, as the Mexican will take part in both morning and afternoon sessions while Verstappen watches on.
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