Larsen revels in Day 1 pace in Bahrain as she looks to get on top of Qualifying technique

Alba Larsen delivered a satisfying end to the opening day of Bahrain in-season testing as the Tommy Hilfiger driver secured back-to-back fourth-fastest times.

Despite embarking on her first visit to the Bahrain International Circuit, Larsen and her MP Motorsport team quickly got into a rhythm. The Dutch squad’s trio all wound up in the top six across both sessions, with the 16-year-old finishing 0.453s and 0.584s off her teammate and Day 1 pacesetter Maya Weug in the morning and afternoon segments.

Speaking at the end of the day's running, Larsen said: “The whole team was on it from the beginning and I was on it from the beginning. Starting the day off in P4 and finishing the day off in P4 is really good, having been in the top four all the time during the day.

“It’s been a really fun track to learn. It’s very hot here, not as hot as Singapore, but still hot. It’s been a really fun day, I’m enjoying working with everyone and learning the track. I’m learning all the time and keep finding lap time.”

Although she was pleased to have started out in strong form, Larsen acknowledged there was still time for her to find going into the next two days of running. Top of the Dane’s priority list is bettering her understanding of how to make the most out fresh tyres, with an eye to Las Vegas’ limited track time with only one Free Practice session prior to Qualifying.

READ MORE: Weug sweeps the opening day of Bahrain in-season testing

“The last run I could have done more,” admitted Larsen. “Tomorrow is all about putting it together and really trying to maximise those laps that we get on new tyres. I think that will be the same for everyone, all the time trying to improve.”

She added: “Putting a lap together is so important in every Qualifying, especially in Vegas because we only have one Practice and then Qualifying, so very few laps. That’s what we’ll be focusing on and what I think everyone is focusing on in getting the preparation in for Vegas.”