Formula 1’s preseason testing for the 2025 season is underway at Bahrain’s Sakhir International Circuit, with Lewis Hamilton on track for Ferrari.
The three-day test is the only opportunity for teams to gather on-track data about their cars before the opening race in Australia on March 16.
The circuit is open for a morning session between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. (local time) before an hour lunch break precedes an afternoon session from 3 p.m. and 7 p.m., finishing under the circuit’s floodlights.
Teams are only allowed to run one car during the test, meaning teammates have to split the time over the three days (roughly 12 hours each in total) between them.
Every team has opted to split the opening day, with Hamilton first on track for Ferrari while world champion Max Verstappen will go out in the afternoon for Red Bull. Rookies Kimi Antonelli (Mercedes), Oliver Bearman (Haas) and Mick Doohan (Alpine) are also on track in the morning session.
– What preseason in Bahrain will reveal about 2025
Hamilton’s arrival at Ferrari has been the biggest story ahead of testing, and he has already taken part in four private tests with his new team to get up to speed. The vast majority of that testing was in older Ferrari F1 cars under F1’s Testing of Previous Cars regulations, and this week’s test will be his first opportunity to really get to grips with the car he will race this year.
All ten cars have already hit the track for a 200km filming day prior to this week’s test, but this is the first opportunity for teams to really understand their cars and run them on the same tyres that will be used in races this season.
Each team has nominated 35 sets of tyres for the test and will be able to choose 30 sets from that nomination to use over the three days.
Wednesday’s running order
McLaren: Piastri a.m./Norris p.m.
Ferrari: Hamilton a.m./Leclerc p.m.
Red Bull: Lawson a.m./Verstappen p.m.
Mercedes: Antonelli a.m./Russell p.m.
Aston Martin: Alonso a.m./Stroll p.m.
Alpine: Doohan a.m./Gasly p.m.
Haas: Bearman a.m./Ocon p.m.
Racing Bulls: Tsunoda a.m./Hadjar p.m.
Williams: Albon a.m./Sainz p.m.
Sauber: Hulkenberg a.m./Bortoleto p.m..
Source: espn.com