McLaren emerges as the early frontrunner, while Red Bull battles unexpected setbacks in Bahrain. Mercedes and Ferrari remain closely matched, but concerns linger for Aston Martin and Sauber. Key takeaways from F1 Testing 2025 reveal a thrilling season ahead.
The 2025 Formula 1 pre-season testing in Bahrain has wrapped up, with Mercedes’ George Russell setting the fastest time on the final day and Carlos Sainz clocking the overall best lap for Williams. But lap times don’t tell the full story.
After three days of intense running, hundreds of laps analyzed, and countless observations trackside, here’s what we truly learned from testing—and what it means for the season ahead.
Red Bull’s Uncharacteristic Struggles
Despite Max Verstappen going second-fastest on the final day, Red Bull didn’t have a smooth test. A water leak hampered Liam Lawson’s full day on Thursday, forcing the team to play catch-up.
There were early signs of persistent handling issues, notably understeer leading to exit oversteer, an unwelcome trait from 2024 that Red Bull had hoped to eliminate. Throughout Friday, Verstappen’s team experimented with various setups, wings, and floor configurations, but struggled to find a stable balance.
Red Bull’s technical director Pierre Wache admitted:
“It was not as smooth a test as we expected.”
Flo-vis paint tests on Verstappen’s sidepods in three separate runs suggested the team was still chasing answers late into the final day. While Verstappen did eventually find a configuration that worked, Red Bull doesn’t look as comfortable as expected—and the team’s usual dominance isn’t a given heading into the season.
McLaren’s Early Edge—But a Concern to Watch
McLaren has impressed. The MCL39 appears to have a small but significant advantage over the competition, even with Oscar Piastri replacing Lando Norris for the final-day runs.
Piastri was on course to set the fastest time on day three, only for a mistake at the final corner to cost him the top spot.
What’s Making Rivals Nervous?
- The rear wing movement of the McLaren has caught attention in the paddock, raising eyebrows over potential aero flex tricks.
- Long-run pace was equally strong, further cementing McLaren as an early favorite.
- The one issue? Rear instability. It was noticeable on day two, and while not a deal-breaker, it’s something to watch in Melbourne.
Mercedes & Ferrari: Strong, But Who’s Faster?
Neither Mercedes nor Ferrari stole the headlines, but both teams appear closely matched and solid across different fuel loads.
- Mercedes’ W15 looks easier to drive but prone to lock-ups.
- Ferrari’s SF-25 seems to have more pace in hand, though the team didn’t get to complete its planned race simulation due to a telemetry anomaly spotted in Lewis Hamilton’s car.
Mercedes’ trackside engineering director Andrew Shovlin sounded satisfied:
“The team has worked hard over the winter to improve the W15, and from initial signs, we seem to have made good steps in those areas.”
Ferrari, on the other hand, remains an enigma—they look strong but haven’t shown everything yet.
Williams: Fastest on Paper, But What’s the Reality?
Yes, Carlos Sainz’s best lap put Williams at the top of the timesheets overall. But does that mean Williams is suddenly a frontrunner? Not quite.
What it does mean is significant improvement. Williams caught the eye with a well-balanced car that looks comfortable to drive. However:
- Some of their top times came on softer compounds or lighter fuel loads.
- The team remains just behind the top four, but could be a Q3 and points contender in Australia.
Sauber Struggles: The Backmarker?
From trackside observations to raw data, Sauber was the least convincing team. Even by modern F1’s stiff ground-effect car standards, the C45 looked overly rigid and struggled particularly on day one with a narrow setup window.
Despite Nico Hülkenberg’s best efforts, the car never looked comfortable, and Q1 eliminations seem likely unless major improvements are made before Melbourne.
Aston Martin: Déjà Vu?
With Adrian Newey set to start his new role at Aston Martin next week, he will inherit some concerning data. While the AMR25 was supposed to fix the instability issues that plagued its predecessor, Fernando Alonso hinted that the car feels no different from Abu Dhabi 2024—where Aston Martin was struggling to even score points.
While stability has improved, the car still lacks outright pace, raising fears that Aston Martin could once again start strong but fade over the season.
Mini-DRS Controversy: The First Tech Scandal of 2025?
One of the biggest talking points in Bahrain was rear wing flexibility—particularly the suspicion that teams might be trying to revive the “mini-DRS” trick that McLaren pioneered in 2024.
- Onboard footage showed certain teams’ rear wings flexing backwards on straights before snapping back into place under braking, reducing drag and increasing straight-line speed.
- Red Bull’s Pierre Wache openly accused McLaren and Ferrari of still exploiting the concept, despite tighter FIA regulations for 2025.
With rival teams already alert, expect the FIA to closely monitor wing behavior in the opening rounds of the season.
Rookies Face a Tough Start
The 2025 grid features a big rookie class, but F1’s strict testing rules have made adaptation even harder.
While Ollie Bearman, Jack Doohan, and Kimi Antonelli had extensive testing in older cars, Gabriel Bortoleto and Isack Hadjar enter with minimal preparation.
- Bortoleto faces a baptism of fire in an underwhelming Sauber.
- Hadjar showed flashes of speed but was erratic, highlighting the learning curve ahead.
Both could struggle initially, making their development across the season crucial.
Haas’ Strange Sidepod Issues & Unusual Red Flags
Haas mainly focused on long-run consistency but suffered a peculiar bodywork problem—with parts of the sidepods detaching twice.
Team boss Ayao Komatsu admitted they had been too aggressive with weight-saving, but insists the issue will be fixed before Melbourne.
In one of the strangest moments of testing, Ollie Bearman accidentally caused a red flag when his car kicked up a stone, shattering a trackside gantry window.
Another bizarre stoppage occurred when a team bus took a wrong turn and ended up in the run-off area between Turns 9 and 10!
Discover More>F1 2025 Pre-Season Testing : Key Takeaways from Day Two
Final Verdict: Who’s Looking Strongest for 2025?
Winners of Testing
McLaren – Most complete package, fastest over long runs, but rear instability needs work.
Mercedes & Ferrari – Close together, both look competitive, but Ferrari may have a slight pace edge.
Williams – The most improved team, set for a strong midfield fight.
Discover More>F1 2025 Testing in Bahrain: Key Takeaways from Day One
Teams with Work to Do
Red Bull – Still fast but had a messy test, could be on the back foot early in the season.
Aston Martin – Concerns over pace; needs significant improvements.
Sauber – Worst-looking package; major struggles with setup and stiffness.
With just a few weeks before lights out in Melbourne, teams will be frantically working on their final refinements. If testing has shown us anything, it’s that F1 2025 could be one of the most unpredictable and competitive seasons in years.
- Discover More>Verstappen gives the middle finger – Is the FIA already on it?
- Follow us on >Facebook and >Twitter for F1 updates
Key Takeaways from F1 Testing 2025 Key Takeaways from F1 Testing 2025 Key Takeaways from F1 Testing 2025 Key Takeaways from F1 Testing 2025 Key Takeaways from F1 Testing 2025
