Veterans held the top spots, but rookies turned heads across the grid in a fiery opening hour under the desert sun.
The 2025 Formula 1 season is heating up as we kick off Round 4 under the blazing Bahrain sun. The action begins with Free Practice 1 at the iconic Sakhir Circuit, and there’s plenty to talk about already.
Rookie Takeover: Fresh Faces Hit the Track
Today’s session has a distinct flavor of the future, as six teams are giving rookie drivers some track time in FP1.
- Ferrari puts Swedish talent Dino Beganovic behind the wheel in place of Charles Leclerc.
- At Red Bull, it’s an all-Japanese lineup with Ayumu Iwasa stepping in for Max Verstappen alongside Yuki Tsunoda.
- Frederik Vesti replaces George Russell at Mercedes, and Felipe Drugovich gets a run for Aston Martin.
- Ryo Hirakawa—who drove for Alpine last week—debuts with Haas.
- Luke Browning is in the hot seat for Williams.
Desert Heat: Track Temps Soar
It’s a scorching Friday afternoon in Bahrain. Air temperatures hit 34°C, and the track is baking at 48°C. While it’s tough on the tires, qualifying and the race will take place in cooler night conditions, offering some relief.
13:30 — Green Light for FP1
Lando Norris sets the first benchmark at 1:35.674, just ahead of Alex Albon and Esteban Ocon. But early troubles hit Andrea Kimi Antonelli, who limps back to the Mercedes garage with a power issue.
Tech Upgrades: What’s New on the Cars?
Four teams bring updates this weekend:
- McLaren: New front brake ducts.
- Ferrari: New floor, diffuser, rear wing, and vertical fins – though only Hamilton is testing the full package.
- Red Bull: Revised front wing and engine cover vents.
- Haas: Modified engine cover for better cooling.
Rookies Making an Impression
Iwasa holds the title of fastest rookie early on, sitting 11th. Meanwhile, Vesti impresses with a time just 0.145s off Albon. Sauber’s Gabriel Bortoleto jumps to P1 with soft tires despite a scruffy final sector.
Drama in the Pit Lane
Tsunoda misses his pit box entirely, mistakenly heading toward Racing Bulls’ garage—quick correction from his engineer saves the day. Moments later, Nico Hülkenberg snatches P1 with a 1:34.262 despite a lock-up at Turn 10.
14:08 — The Battle Heats Up
Ocon briefly leads before Albon goes quicker with a 1:33.928. Gasly responds with an even faster 1:33.442, but Norris takes it back again with a 1:33.204 on softs.
Meanwhile, Tsunoda may be in trouble—he passed Albon in the working lane of the pit, which is under review by the stewards.
Close Calls and Frustrations
A near-miss between Albon and Browning keeps hearts racing. Williams drivers narrowly avoid a major incident after Drugovich unexpectedly slows.
Albon’s frustrations mount: “How can I push if I don’t know what the brakes are doing each lap?” he fumes on the radio, as his team urges him to keep running.
14:24 — Engine Talk: What’s Next for F1?
Amid rumors of a V10 comeback, F1 confirms the V6 hybrid era will remain intact through the upcoming 2026 regulations. A return to the screaming V10s isn’t entirely off the table, but nothing is expected before 2031.
Late Session Standings
Hamilton climbs to P3, Beganovic shows promise in P14, and Albon reports power and clutch issues in the final minutes. FP1 ends with Norris on top, followed by Gasly and Hamilton, setting the tone for what promises to be a thrilling weekend.
14:30 – The session is over!
Norris stays on top ahead of Gasly and Hamilton, followed by Albon, Ocon, Hülkenberg, Doohan, Lawson, Tsunoda, and Piastri. That puts eight teams in the top 10, with no rookies among them this Friday.
Thirteenth behind Isack Hadjar, Browning is the fastest rookie, ahead of Beganovic, while Drugovich is 16th, Hirakawa 17th, Vesti 18th, and Iwasa 19th. Antonelli didn’t run after his issue, and Toto Wolff thanked Vesti for his “excellent job, once again.”
| Pos. | Driver | Team | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | Lando | McLaren | 1:33.204 |
| 02 | Pierre | Alpine | 1:33.442 |
| 03 | Lewis | Ferrari | 1:33.800 |
| 04 | Alex | Williams | 1:33.928 |
| 05 | Esteban | Haas | 1:34.184 |
| 06 | Nico | Stake | 1:34.262 |
| 07 | Jack | Alpine | 1:34.396 |
| 08 | Liam | R.Bulls | 1:34.397 |
| 09 | Yuki | Red Bull | 1:34.484 |
| 10 | Oscar | McLaren | 1:34.508 |
| 11 | Bortoleto | Stake | 1:34.628 |
| 12 | Hadjar | R.Bulls | 1:34.667 |
| 13 | Browning | Williams | 1:34.885 |
| 14 | Beganovic | Ferrari | 1:35.055 |
| 15 | Stroll | Aston | 1:35.116 |
| 16 | Drugovich | Aston | 1:35.198 |
| 17 | Hirakawa | Haas | 1:35.261 |
| 18 | Vesti | Mercedes | 1:35.325 |
| 19 | Iwasa | Red Bull | 1:35.475 |
| 20 | Kimi | Mercedes | 1:38.051 |
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FP1 Kicks Off a Hot Weekend at the 2025 F1 Grand Prix FP1 Kicks Off a Hot Weekend at the 2025 F1 Grand Prix