Day two of the Formula 1 pre-season testing has drawn to a close, heralding a wave of fresh news from the Bahrain track. Carlos Sainz, with his Williams car, dominated the leaderboard, setting the pace for the day. Here are the latest updates and insightful commentary from the world of F1.
In a fresh round of criticism, Damon Hill, the former F1 driver, and Sky F1 commentator took another swipe at Max Verstappen. Hill, who has previously faced backlash for his comments on the Dutch driver, asserted that Red Bull struggles to swallow criticism of Verstappen. He accused them of unjustly playing the “British-bias” card against Sky F1.
Hill emphasized that he harbours no ill-will towards Verstappen. However, he suggested that the four-time F1 World Champion would react emotionally and “cry like a baby” if he were subjected to the same level of criticism that Hill had faced over his driving last season.
Meanwhile, Lewis Hamilton set a new benchmark for Ferrari. The seven-time World Champion eclipsed Ferrari’s Q3 time from the 2024 Bahrain Grand Prix during the second half-day of pre-season testing. He did this while steering the all-new SF-25 on Thursday, outpacing his former Mercedes teammate George Russell by 0.399 seconds. Notably, Red Bull’s Liam Lawson managed only 28 laps due to a water pressure issue with the RB21.
Amid the testing, whispers about Red Bull’s strategy for the final day are rife. Pierre Waché, the team’s technical director, played down the rumours of extensive upgrades to their car. The RB21’s striking similarity to last year’s RB20 has sparked speculation that the Milton Keynes-based team has a significant upgrade planned for the final day of pre-season testing in Bahrain.
On the McLaren side, Lando Norris reported a semblance between the 2025 and 2024 car models. Despite this, Norris flagged a problem with a rear component that had surfaced during the test. He had only partaken in one session before noting this issue but remained largely optimistic about the car’s performance.
In a less positive turn of events, Sauber driver Nico Hulkenberg reportedly suffered an eye injury on the first day of F1 2025 testing in Bahrain. Hulkenberg is gearing up for his inaugural season with Sauber after his transition from rival team, Haas, over the winter. He had previously raced for the Swiss-based team in 2013.
