The 2025 Formula 1 pre-season testing in Bahrain started on a high note with Lewis Hamilton expressing profound excitement about his inaugural campaign with Ferrari. Despite landing 13th in the standings after the day one trials, Hamilton remained unfazed, recognizing that these preliminary sessions are less about ranking and more about data gathering and familiarizing with the new race car.
“Testing is always exhilarating,” Hamilton shared with F1 on Wednesday, following 70 laps in the morning session. “This is when we get a first glimpse of the developments made by everyone and start to understand our own cars and the year ahead. Getting behind the wheel of the SF-25 for the first time with Scuderia Ferrari HP is an extraordinary feeling. Our current focus is to experiment with various aspects, accumulate as much data as possible and get acquainted with the car, and we’ve already learned a lot.”
Charles Leclerc, Hamilton’s fellow Ferrari team member, had a more successful run, finishing fourth after completing 71 laps in the evening session. Leclerc echoed Hamilton’s sentiments, emphasizing that the early stages of testing are not conclusive of their performance. He expressed satisfaction with the smooth run and looked forward to analyzing the day’s data to enhance their performance in the coming days.
In a thrilling turn of events, McLaren’s Lando Norris picked up where he left off last season, leading the pack on the first day of pre-season testing. While Norris was aware that being fastest at this stage holds little significance, he was nevertheless delighted by the day’s performance.
Day one of the Bahrain testing also marked the debut of five rookies, accounting for a quarter of the F1 grid this year. The spotlight was on Mercedes’ 18-year-old Andrea Kimi Antonelli who finished seventh on the day, Haas’ Oliver Bearman, Alpine’s Jack Doohan, Sauber’s Gabriel Bortoleto, and Racing Bulls’ Isack Hadjar.
Antonelli expressed his excitement about driving the W16 and looked forward to more learning in the next two days. Bearman, on the other hand, was satisfied with the testing day and was eager to push the limits in the upcoming days. Doohan, Bortoleto, and Hadjar also shared similar sentiments, with Hadjar finding the experience fun and expressing readiness to continue improving in the coming days.
The pre-season testing is a critical stage in the F1 calendar, offering a sneak peek into the season’s prospects and the teams’ preparedness. As the drivers continue to familiarize themselves with their cars and teams, the anticipation for the 2025 Formula 1 season continues to build. The journey has just begun, and it promises to be a thrilling ride.
