February 27, 2025 – Second day of Bahrain Formula 1 testing saw plenty of action, even as the drivers continue to fine-tune their vehicles ahead of the start of the season. Rookies and veterans both, including some world champions, were on the track, and the morning session saw a sequence of outstanding moments and performances.
A Competitive Start to Formula 1 Testing
The action started to heat upright from the start. At minute 11, we saw the first overtake of the day as Liam Lawson used DRS to overtake Lewis Hamilton along the main straight. While not strictly a racing lap, it did give us a hint of what is to be seen once the season properly commences.
Times and Tensions
As the testing session progressed, Lewis Hamilton was quick to lay the marker down in a 1:33.680. Russell was only two-tenths behind and followed him very closely. Esteban Ocon, Pierre Gasly, and Liam Lawson all posted respectable times, however, they still had not come close to keeping up with Hamilton’s pace.
The session wasn’t without its near-misses. At minute 27, Carlos Sainz came close to an embarrassing incident in the pits when he made a practice start at the exit, almost crashing into Liam Lawson. Fortunately, Lawson managed to avoid a disaster.
By lap 28, Russell had laid down a tremendous lap of 1:30.379 and topped the time sheets—albeit by just a fraction ahead of Hamilton. Lawson also moved up dramatically, taking P2.
Meanwhile, Fernando Alonso was not quite so smooth with his new AMR25. The Spanish driver struggled through the second turn, his car seeming to be on the verge of instability. Aston Martin had already set the lowest lap tally among all teams on Day 1, and it looked like the team was still struggling to get the perfect setup for the green car today.
A Shifting Weather Dynamic
By the 49th minute, the weather began to change. The temperature dipped to as low as 13.5°C, while track conditions also cooled significantly. Rain drops began to fall on the track, introducing an extra element to the session of Formula 1 testing.
Despite the rain, Hamilton continued to shave precious seconds from his lap time, ending up with a 1:30.080 and returning to the summit. Hülkenberg, meanwhile, posted a solid 1:31.631 and found himself in the top 10.
A Setback to McLaren’s Plans
After one hour of racing, Oscar Piastri was still not able to set competitive times. He had completed just five laps, the lowest on any car, and was the last to still have only an uncompetitive time to display. Apparently, McLaren was not sorted yet, and the team had not yet hit its pace.
At 1:05 hours, Russell experienced a small off-track moment, losing grip briefly at the challenging second and third turns, but then re-establishing it to continue with his task. Meanwhile, Gasly made improvements in his Alpine, moving up into P4 and delivering a lap just 7.5 tenths behind Hamilton’s pace.
With the passing of time beyond the two-hour mark, drivers began to get into rhythm. Hamilton was as good as ever, setting the bar higher again with a staggering 1:29.675. Russell, however, was a hair’s breadth behind his ex-teammate by two-tenths of a second.
Russell’s Near-Miss and Piastri’s Struggles
A small error by Russell on his next flying lap meant he went off track, effectively ruining a potential quick time. Meanwhile, Piastri had another off-track moment, over-judging the brake point at the end of the main straight and going wide.
With rain still present and the track conditions shifting by the minute, it was clear that drivers had to adapt quickly if they were to make the most of their time.
A Last-Minute Rush
When the final 15 minutes of the session began to wind down, Alonso made a strong push lap, coming into the top five with a 1:30.700, as Tsunoda also came into P6. Meanwhile, the FIA began conducting a sequence of tests towards the end of Formula 1 testing, including Virtual Safety Car training and flag procedure testing.
Just minutes remained when the red flag ended the session. This came after the FIA performed some more procedural drills, including formation laps and aborted starts in succession.
Afternoon Session
Isack Hadjar was the first rookie on track during the afternoon session. The runner-up in last year’s F2 championship to Gabriel Bortoleto, used a lot of the session to familiarize himself with his car. His lap times were not as aggressive as some of the other drivers out, but the small improvement was evident. He was able to shave a few tenths over the course of the afternoon and completed on the timesheets in 15th place as the session came to an end. Though he wasn’t at the top of the board, his lap times of consistent high speed meant good progression.
Red Bull’s Progress Under the Microscope
Red Bull’s team principal, Christian Horner, provided an insight into how the team’s car was performing after one year of fiddling. The team had worked hard to fix the deficits of the RB20, which was quick but occasionally finicky to drive. With the new setup, Max Verstappen had reported that the car was much easier to handle this year, after his testing session yesterday.
“The car is much easier to drive now,” Horner said, “we’ve worked hard on its performance, and it shows.”
The Rookies Overcome the Obstacles
Kimi Antonelli, Mercedes’ 18-year-old rookie, had a challenging start to the afternoon but continued to push. He had a slight lock-up early in the session, but after making adjustments, he moved up to fifth place, just behind George Russell and ahead of Red Bull’s Liam Lawson. Antonelli’s commitment to the car was clear, and although he struggled with braking, his speed and consistency began to show.
It was a more challenging day for Lawson, though. The New Zealand driver had achieved a good amount of laps, but a sequence of small setbacks, including two lock-ups, impacted his pace overall. Team principal Christian Horner was nonetheless optimistic about his development, though, stating that while Lawson was no longer a rookie, he was still getting to know the team.
A Glimpse of What’s to Come
There remained less than one hour of the session when rain became more settled, and groups began to settle down. While some used the time to practice long-run pace, others tested new configurations. The session ended with Sainz leading the timesheets ahead of Hamilton, Leclerc, and a steadily improving Antonelli.
Carlos Sainz, who had already set the pace in the morning session, continued his strong form into the afternoon. By the end of the session, Sainz had completed 107 laps and was still leading the timesheets on a 1:29.348. To be that consistent for so long was a testament to his experience and what he felt was possible with this year’s Williams. Lewis Hamilton, who was also quick, was second with a 1:29.379, and Charles Leclerc was not far behind in third.
While some of the rookies have provided us with glimpses of their potential, the unequivocal message was that the experienced drivers were still superior when it came to raw speed. But now that proper testing has begun, all the teams had gained rich knowledge to prepare for the first event of the year. It’s going to be an interesting season ahead, and the rookies, including Hadjar, have plenty of time to settle in and assert their dominance over the next few months.