Kimi Antonelli topped the time sheets of the first session on Day 1 of F1 pre-season testing in Bahrain in his Mercedes. Behind him were Liam Lawson and Alex Albon.
Cars were back on track in Bahrain for the first time in the 2025 F1 season for pre-season testing. With one car between each pair of drivers. The morning and evening sessions across the three days will see ten drivers on track at a time.
In the first morning session, Hamilton headed onto the track in the Ferrari. Switching the silver arrows for the prancing horses. Since making the shift to Maranello the fire of Lewis Hamilton has reappeared. Hamilton has talked openly about how the move has reinvigorated him.
We also saw a handful of the rookies taking the mantle first with Bearman, Doohan, Antonelli and Lawson all taking part in the morning session. Only four of the ten drivers on track in the morning session were repeat drivers, with the six making a team change for 2025.
This means that the majority of drivers on the track were using the morning running to understand the new cars and embed themselves further in their new teams.
First two hours
At the beginning of the session, all teams opted for the medium tyres, using the tyres as an opportunity to figure out both degradation and speed.
Hamilton set an early fast lap with a time of 1:32.614 but the times in the early stages of testing are not to be taken seriously due to the mystery of engine modes and fuel loads.
The Ferrari looked comfortable although Hamilton ran wide in turns 4 and 11. Potentially due to the famed crosswind around the Bahrain international circuit. However, there was no damage to the Ferrari and the moment was forgettable.
Testing sees the prominent aero rakes and vibrant flow-vis make a return to Formula 1 as teams take every opportunity to figure out their 2025 machinery.
Lawson was the first car to put on the hard tyres around Bahrain and it worked well for the Red Bull as he went fastest. It didn’t last long though as Fernando Alonso on the medium compound took the line 0.040 seconds faster than the Kiwi.
With no big issues, crashes or stops the first two hours of the session passed with Alonso heading the times.
Second half of the session
The temperature had slightly dropped as the morning session progressed. A change of conditions no doubt affects the timings and tyre degradation.
There was a major split from Piastri in the ninth to Bearman in the tenth with an eye-watering three seconds between them. These are the sorts of differences that are indicative of different run plans between teams.
Another indication of separate run plans was Alex Albon putting his Williams in P1. Liam Lawson stayed close second just 0.001 second behind the Brit.
Fernando Alonso was out of his Aston Martin as mechanics worked on the cockpit of the 2025 Aston. There were no indications of what they were working on but Alonso was missing vital track time.
In the pitlane, a slew of team personnel is a familiar sight. Beyond looking at their progress as a team and watching their data, F1 pre-season testing is the time to watch your rivals. This is the first opportunity the teams have had to take a look at their competition’s cars.
Lewis Hamilton headed into the garage and the screens were brought out as the car was being worked on. Another driver in the garage was Yuki Tsunoada as they had an issue with the brakes. The mechanics working on the front end of the RB.
Bearman came onto the radio to complain about the wind picking up and the cold. The temperature hit 16 degrees around the Bahrain International Circuit. The sky is overcast and there is a chance of rain forecast for Day 2 and 3.
Haas and Aston Martin were the only teams that opted to bring wet and intermediate tyres. If the rain does come, the two will be taking a lot of screen time.
Last hour
Antonelli was the next driver to have his car wheeled into the garage to be observed. With the car jacked up and mechanics rooting around the brake ducts. The Mercedes features a lot of changes, taking aspects of the Red Bull design for 2025.
Liam Lawson left turn 3 with the first big moment of testing. The car got loose at the apex, but the car was fighting the Kiwi and with an overcorrection the back went and the car spun.
He avoided the barriers but took a major turn off the track and into the gravel. With flat spots on his tyres, he recovered quickly and made his way back to the pits.
Kimi Antonelli took the top of the timing sheets, putting in a 1:31.428 on the medium compound. With 53 laps under his belt, the Italian is beginning to figure out the silver arrow underneath him.
However, there is still a long way to go before we see the true potential of the driver or car. Haas seems to be the current outlier on the grid, being the only car not hitting the same fast laps as the rest of the grid.
Last year they took a similar approach to testing, taking a slow methodical step up throughout the three days. This paid off last year and they’ll be hoping it happens again.
Williams headed back out on track with 52 laps clocked so far for Alex Albon. It will be a big year for Albon, with the introduction of Carlos Sainz into the team. 2025 will be Albon’s chance to stand his ground in the team and against Sainz.
The final part of the morning session went smoothly for the ten drivers, with no big issues and steady reliability.
Featured Image Credit: Clive Mason | Red Bull content pool
