Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc set the fastest time as Formula One’s winter testing ended Friday on the same Sakhir circuit which will stage the season opener next week but he admitted world champion Max Verstappen and Red Bull have “a good head start”.

Leclerc was 0.046sec ahead of George Russell’s Mercedes while China’s Zhou Guanyu was a surprise third fastest in a Sauber.

Verstappen, the overwhelming favourite to make it four titles in a row in 2024, was only fourth fastest with Japan’s Yuki Tsunoda of Racing Bulls rounding out the top five.

However, Verstappen opted to drive on softer tyres, therefore making him relatively slower on the day.

The new F1 season starts in Bahrain on March 2 and will feature a record 24 races.

Read the full story on the Times of Malta sports website...

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