Sainz Tops Day 2 as Pre-Season Testing Heats Up in Bahrain

Event: 2025 Pre-Season Testing Day 2 of 3
Track: Bahrain International Circuit

Weather: dry  15°C
Tarmac: dry  23°C
Humidity :48%
Wind : 2.5 m/s NE
Pressure: 1020 bar

Ferrari and McLaren Impress as Red Bull Keep Cards Close

The second day of 2025 Formula 1 pre-season testing in Bahrain provided another intriguing chapter ahead of the new season. While Lando Norris stole the show on day one, it was Carlos Sainz who claimed the honours on the second day, posting the fastest time overall and underlining Williams' growing confidence heading into the season opener in Melbourne.

Sainz Edges Out Hamilton as Ferrari’s Pace Raises Eyebrows

Despite early morning rain showers briefly disrupting running, the track conditions improved as the day progressed. Lewis Hamilton, now donning Ferrari red, had set the benchmark in the morning session with a 1m 29.379s, but as the floodlights flickered on in the evening, Williams driver Sainz went quicker, registering a 1m 29.348s.

Charles Leclerc was not far behind, only 0.083s adrift of Sainz, indicating that Ferrari might be in the best shape heading into the 2025 F1 season. The body language of the Scuderia’s drivers spoke volumes—both Hamilton and Leclerc looked comfortable, fueling speculation that Ferrari could be the team to beat.

McLaren Consistent as Norris Completes Strong Race Simulation

McLaren continued their solid pre-season form, with Lando Norris completing a full race run in the evening session. The Woking-based squad, who ended 2024 as champions, appear to have carried their strong development momentum into the new season.

Rumours in the paddock suggest that the top four teams – Ferrari, Red Bull, McLaren, and Mercedes – are separated by just two-tenths of a second, setting up a thrilling fight in Melbourne.

Red Bull Remain an Enigma as Lawson Loses Track Time

While Red Bull’s long-run pace remains a mystery, the team encountered some setbacks on Day 2. Liam Lawson, filling in for Max Verstappen, lost valuable time due to a water pressure issue in the morning, limiting his running.

However, Christian Horner downplayed concerns, stating that feedback from both Lawson and Verstappen suggests the RB21 is a more stable and less edgy evolution of last year’s dominant car. The reigning world champions are yet to show their hand, with Verstappen set to take over driving duties for the final day of testing tomorrow.

Mercedes Show Promise as Antonelli Matches Russell

The Silver Arrows have had a productive pre-season so far, with George Russell and Kimi Antonelli logging significant mileage. Antonelli, the highly-rated rookie, completed 84 laps and was just 0.006s behind Russell, suggesting he is already adapting well to Formula 1 machinery.

Mercedes insiders remain optimistic, believing that their 2025 challenger could be more competitive than last year’s, although Ferrari and McLaren still look to have the upper hand.

Haas Play the Secrecy Game – But Why?

One of the more intriguing moments of the day came from Haas, who once again deployed their "mechanic wall" tactic—forming a human barrier around their car when it was inside the garage.

This kind of secrecy usually suggests something new and interesting on the car that they don’t want rivals to see. Given their low-profile testing approach, the true performance of the VF-25 remains a mystery until the first race.

Final Thoughts: A Four-Way Fight Brewing?

With just one day of pre-season testing left, Ferrari and McLaren look like the strongest teams so far, while Red Bull’s true pace remains uncertain. Mercedes are in the mix, but whether they have closed the gap remains to be seen.

The question now is: who will end the final day of testing as the team to beat? With Verstappen back in action and teams likely to conduct low-fuel runs, we may get a clearer picture of the pecking order before F1’s return to Melbourne.

Stay tuned for more updates from Bahrain as the final day of testing unfolds!

The fastest lap time of last year's race was 1:29.179 min set during Q3 qualifying for the Grand Prix.

Quickest Lap Times 2nd Day Testing

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