The preseason testing is done and dusted in Bahrain, and all 10 constructors who have participated will take home valuable lessons ahead of the 2025 Formula 1 season.
Lewis Hamilton remains upbeat despite mixed results in preseason testing with the SF25. The 40-year-old also dropped a defiant message to his critics who feel he has nothing left on his tank because he’s not getting any younger.
Mercedes were one of the surprise packages in Bahrain, while reigning constructors’ titlists McLaren were underwhelming by their standards. On the other hand, Max Verstappen made an honest admission about his new car after his sessions in Bahrain.
The excitement of the new campaign continues to build, as we’re merely two weeks away from the first race, the Australian Grand Prix. Without further ado, continue reading below for the latest Formula 1 2025 updates, courtesy of SBOTOP.
Hamilton maintains positive outlook ahead of new season
Lewis Hamilton rode the SF25 in Bahrain and needed some time to adjust since Ferrari were “testing a bunch of things.” On the first day, Hamilton’s best time was 1:31.834s (70 laps), which was 1.404s off the pace. He logged 1:29.431s (45 laps) – 0.031s off the pace on the second day and 1:30.345s (47 laps) – 0.8s off the pace on the final day.
The seven-time world champion called the experience positive, though he preferred to have it longer to get more feel for his new car.
The Formula 1 2025 odds don’t favour Hamilton to challenge for the drivers’ championship this season, but he said he’ll use it as fuel, as he’s so determined to end the Prancing Horse’s long title drought and get his coveted eighth world title.
“Don’t ever compare me to anybody else. I’m built different. You can’t compare me to another 40-year-old, past or present, Formula 1 driver because they’re nothing like me,” Hamilton said via Time Magazine.
“I’m hungry, driven, don’t have a wife and kids. I’m focused on one thing, and that’s winning,” he emphasised.
Meanwhile, teammate Charles Leclerc set the fastest lap time on the final morning of preseason testing. His 1:30.811s (66 laps) beat Mercedes rookie Kimi Antonelli by 0.077s, while McLaren’s Lando Norris finished third.
Russell raises eyebrows in Bahrain
After Charles Leclerc led the way for Ferrari in the final morning of preseason testing, most teams changed drivers in the afternoon (except Red Bull and Williams), and George Russell ended on top, as the Mercedes’ breakout star pipped Max Verstappen in the final moments of the three-day test. He logged 1:29.545s (91 laps), over Verstappen by 0.021s. Williams’ Alex Albon took P3.
Rookie teammate Kimi Antonelli featured in the morning session and logged his fastest time of 1:30.888s (61 laps) to rank second. It was a great way for the 18-year-old to kick off his budding Formula 1 career.
“It was great,” Antonelli said via the Formula 1 official website. “It was nice to be back for official testing, and it felt pretty good with the car. Obviously still some work to do, (with) understanding the car and the tyres, but overall I think we did a good job.”
“Last night, I did a full race distance all in one go and it was pretty nice, also to do all the pit stops and so on. I think it was a positive test; as I said before, still some work to do but it was a decent start, and I really cannot wait for Melbourne,” he added.
Russell and Antonelli aren’t expected to compete for championships this season, but they have a bright future ahead of them with the Silver Arrows.
Verstappen delivers blunt verdict on new car
Four-time world champion Max Verstappen isn’t resting on his laurels, as he admitted that Red Bull still “have work to do” after wrapping up their three-day test in the Sakhir desert. As mentioned, the Dutchman finished second behind Russell on the final day.
“I think it wasn’t bad, but at the same time there is still a bit of work to do. However, it is what we expected and we will keep on working and keep on trying to improve and, hopefully, as we go into (the first Grand Prix in) Melbourne, we will learn a bit more by going through all the data and see where we are at,” Verstappen said.
Like most teams, Red Bull spent their time in Bahrain troubleshooting the RB21 to see how it responds to various set-ups. The arid weather in Sakhir doesn’t represent the conditions they can expect in Melbourne, but they still did okay overall.
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