McLaren’s Lando Norris set the pace in Sakhir’s 2025 F1 test, overcoming power outages and changing conditions in a dramatic opening day.
The first official day of the 2025 Formula 1 pre-season testing in Bahrain unfolded with intense on-track action, lineup changes, and unexpected technical disruptions. The ten teams rotated their drivers between morning and afternoon sessions, allowing all 20 drivers to get their first taste of the new season’s machinery at the Sakhir circuit. McLaren’s Lando Norris ultimately topped the timesheets, setting the fastest lap of the day in the closing stages.
Morning Session Recap: Antonelli Impresses for Mercedes
The morning session saw young Mercedes recruit Kimi Antonelli setting the fastest time, making an immediate statement on his F1 testing debut. The Italian’s performance reinforced expectations that he could be a strong asset for Mercedes in the post-Hamilton era. Liam Lawson impressed with the second-best time for Red Bull, showing promising pace. Williams’ Alex Albon, Racing Bulls’ Yuki Tsunoda, and Ferrari’s Lewis Hamilton were among those who got their first track action of 2025 before handing their cars over to their respective teammates for the afternoon.
Afternoon Session: Driver Swaps and Early Running
As the second half of the day began, the entire driver lineup changed. George Russell took over from Antonelli at Mercedes, while Max Verstappen replaced Lawson at Red Bull. Ferrari saw Charles Leclerc take over from Hamilton, and McLaren put Norris in the car after Oscar Piastri’s morning outing. Other driver swaps included Carlos Sainz in at Williams, Isack Hadjar stepping in for Tsunoda at Racing Bulls, and Pierre Gasly replacing Jack Doohan at Alpine.
Initially, track activity was limited as teams adjusted car setups for their second drivers. Conditions had also changed, with fog and stronger winds affecting the track. Gradually, Verstappen, Hadjar, and Esteban Ocon got the session underway, setting early lap times. Gasly and Leclerc joined the timing sheets, with Bortoleto and Norris taking a more cautious start.
Performance Developments and Mercedes’ New Chapter
George Russell, now the de facto team leader at Mercedes, acknowledged that the team was entering “a new chapter” following Lewis Hamilton’s move to Ferrari. On track, he steadily improved his lap times, moving up the order. Meanwhile, Verstappen slotted into second place before Gasly briefly took over, showing how quickly lap times were improving.
Red Bull team boss Christian Horner commented on the RB21’s design, noting its similarities to last year’s dominant RB20, while also taking a jab at Mercedes’ W16, which some have described as a “grey Red Bull.”
As the session progressed, Leclerc surged to the top of the timesheets with a 1’30”878, demonstrating Ferrari’s competitiveness. However, Norris, after spending much of the afternoon in the garage, finally put in a lap time and climbed to third.
Red Flag Disruption: A Circuit-Wide Power Outage
The session took an unexpected turn when a full circuit power failure at around 15:03 local time forced a red flag. The outage affected multiple team garages, shutting down key systems, including the GPS tracking of the cars, making it impossible for race control to monitor the session.
As darkness fell over Bahrain, the situation remained unresolved for nearly an hour. George Russell humorously described his realization of the power cut, initially thinking he needed to change his visor before noticing the track lights were out.
At 16:10, after extensive checks, power was restored, and the session resumed. However, just minutes later, another electrical issue in one section of the track prompted another red flag. Eventually, the problem was fully resolved, and testing continued with an extended session duration to make up for lost time.
Norris Tops the Day Amid Late-Session Drama
With the session back on, Norris made the most of improved track conditions, setting a blistering lap of 1’30”430 on medium tires. This put him four-tenths clear of Leclerc, solidifying McLaren’s presence at the top. Russell and Verstappen slotted into second and third place, respectively, behind Norris.
The day wasn’t just about lap times, as FIA regulations changes also made headlines. The governing body confirmed that the Monaco Grand Prix would feature mandatory two-stop strategies, forcing teams to use at least two different tire compounds in dry conditions—a significant shift in race strategy.
As the day neared its conclusion, rain droplets began to fall, but conditions remained dry enough for slick tires. In the final minutes, Norris re-emerged on track with his McLaren covered in green Flo-Vis paint, conducting aerodynamic tests. McLaren mechanics quickly shielded the car from prying eyes in the pit lane as Norris returned to the garage.
Final Standings and Mileage Counts
At the end of the session, Norris remained fastest, followed by Russell and Verstappen. Leclerc and Sainz completed the top five. The day concluded with a staggering 767 photos in the Nextgen-Auto gallery, capturing the action.
In terms of total laps completed, Haas led the pack with 160 laps, followed by Racing Bulls (154), Mercedes (148), Ferrari (141), Alpine (139), and Red Bull (132). Williams completed 131 laps, while McLaren managed 118. Stake F1 (formerly Alfa Romeo) clocked 114 laps, and Aston Martin had the lowest mileage at 88 laps.
Looking Ahead to Day 2
Testing resumes at 08:00 local time tomorrow, with another full day of running split into two sessions. With teams fine-tuning their setups and refining their race simulations, the second day will be crucial for further performance evaluations. The competition is already proving tight, setting the stage for an intriguing 2025 season.
| Pos. | Driver | Team | Time | Laps |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | Lando Norris | McLaren Mercedes MCL39 | 1:30.430 | 52 |
| 02 | George Russell | Mercedes W16 | 1:30.587 | 70 |
| 03 | Max Verstappen | Red Bull Honda RBPT RB21 | 1:30.674 | 74 |
| 04 | Charles Leclerc | Ferrari SF-25 | 1:30.878 | 71 |
| 05 | Carlos Sainz | Williams Mercedes FW47 | 1:30.955 | 68 |
| 06 | Pierre Gasly | Alpine Renault A525 | 1:31.353 | 71 |
| 07 | Kimi Antonelli | Mercedes W16 | 1:31.428 | 78 |
| 08 | Liam Lawson | Red Bull Honda RBPT RB21 | 1:31.560 | 58 |
| 09 | Alex Albon | Williams Mercedes FW47 | 1:31.573 | 63 |
| 10 | Yuki Tsunoda | Racing Bulls Honda RBPT VCARB 02 | 1:31.610 | 78 |
| 11 | Isack Hadjar | Racing Bulls Honda RBPT VCARB 02 | 1:31.631 | 76 |
| 12 | Gabriel Bortoleto | Stake F1 Kick Sauber C45 | 1:31.690 | 59 |
| 13 | Lewis Hamilton | Ferrari SF-25 | 1:31.834 | 70 |
| 14 | Jack Doohan | Alpine Renault A525 | 1:31.841 | 68 |
| 15 | Fernando Alonso | Aston Martin Mercedes AMR25 | 1:31.874 | 46 |
| 16 | Lance Stroll | Aston Martin Mercedes AMR25 | 1:31.949 | 42 |
| 17 | Oscar Piastri | McLaren Mercedes MCL39 | 1:32.084 | 66 |
| 18 | Nico Hülkenberg | Stake F1 Kick Sauber C45 | 1:32.169 | 55 |
| 19 | Esteban Ocon | Haas Ferrari VF-25 | 1:33.600 | 88 |
| 20 | Oliver Bearman | Haas Ferrari VF-25 | 1:35.522 | 72 |
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F1 Pre-Season Testing in Sakhir 2025 F1 Pre-Season Testing in Sakhir 2025 F1 Pre-Season Testing in Sakhir 2025 F1 Pre-Season Testing in Sakhir 2025
