Bahrain pre-season testing: Mercedes' Kimi Antonelli tops opening session ahead of Australian GP

Pre-season testing for the 2025 Formula 1 season began in Bahrain on Wednesday. The three-day event sees each team run one car per session across two daily sessions, each lasting four hours.

On Day 1, Mercedes rookie Kimi Antonelli set the fastest lap in the morning session, recording a time of 1:31.428.

Hamilton debuts in Ferrari SF-25

Meanwhile, seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton finished fifth in his Ferrari SF-25. This marks Hamilton’s first season with Ferrari, following a 12-year stint with Mercedes, during which he won six of his seven world championships.


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Lawson finishes second

Red Bull driver Liam Lawson secured second place, just 0.132 seconds behind Antonelli in the opening session. Williams driver Alex Albon set the third-fastest lap, 0.145 seconds off the pace.

Bahrain pre-season testing: Significance

The 2025 F1 season will begin with the Australian Grand Prix in Melbourne on 16 March. The Bahrain pre-season testing offers teams and drivers the chance to fine-tune their cars on an official F1 circuit before the season opener.

While teams generally avoid revealing their true performance levels during testing at the Bahrain International Circuit in Sakhir, lap times still provide a valuable early indicator for the Australian Grand Prix.

Bahrain pre-season testing: Daily schedule

Morning session: 10 am to 2 pm (local time)

Break: 2 pm to 3 pm

Afternoon session: 3 pm to 7 pm

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Experts state that teams use pre-season testing primarily to collect data rather than to showcase outright speed. Each team employs different strategies to assess their car’s performance.

FAQs

1. Why is the Bahrain pre-season testing important for teams?
Bahrain pre-season testing allows the 10 teams and their drivers to evaluate their cars before the 2025 F1 season kicks off with the Australian Grand Prix in Melbourne on March 16, 2025.


2. Why do teams avoid showcasing their full potential during pre-season testing?
F1 teams focus on data collection rather than outright performance in pre-season testing. Each team follows a different testing strategy, making the lap times not fully reflective of actual race pace.