Mercedes AMG Petronas
World Champion Lewis Hamilton was upbeat following Friday practice in Bahrain despite his deficit to Mercedes team-mate Nico Rosberg.
Hamilton finished as runner-up to Rosberg during both sessions at Sakhir, finishing 0.241s adrift of his rival in the evening running.
Hamilton, who has emerged victorious in Bahrain across the past two years, expressed his optimism about the pace of the W07 Hybrid.
"That was a good Friday overall," he said. "The car is performing really well here. There were no surprises or issues to report throughout both practice sessions, which is always a good sign.
"Understanding the tyres has been key to our work today as they'll be a big factor this weekend.
"There's some work to do tonight in terms of finding a few improvements from the car and also my driving style. I'm looking forward to getting back out there and making some more progress tomorrow."
Rosberg continued his good form, having claimed victory across the most recent four Grands Prix.
"I couldn't wait to get back in the car after a great weekend in Melbourne and I felt really good out there," he added.
"It's been an encouraging first day for the team. We were very quick on one lap and also on the longer runs, so I'm really looking forward to qualifying and the race."
