Motor racing-Verstappen leads Alonso on first day of F1 testing

Formula One F1 - Pre-Season Testing - Bahrain International Circuit, Sakhir, Bahrain - February 23, 2023 Red Bull's Max Verstappen during testing REUTERS/Hamad I Mohammed

(Reuters) -Red Bull's double world champion Max Verstappen was fastest, with Fernando Alonso close behind for Aston Martin, as Formula One started three days of pre-season testing in Bahrain on Thursday.

The Dutch 25-year-old was top of the timesheets before and after lunch at Sakhir as teams mainly focused on aerodynamics with prominent rakes attached to the cars in their first proper running.