Sergio Perez ended day one of the final Formula 1 preseason test fastest of all in the Force India VJM07, as once again Mercedes powered teams dominated the top half of the timing screens at Bahrain International Circuit, while Renault teams continued to be firmly planted down the bottom.

Worse of all is that while the Mercedes brigade were covering serious miles – while the best Renault powered outfit could only manage 56 laps and the others, including world champions Red Bull fared even worse.

The opening day of this third stanza of preseason testing was relatively subdued, with the big guns – namely the Mercedes works team and McLaren – working on race specification and setup, focusing on long runs, and not bothered to do hot laps.