Day One of 2025 F1 Bahrain Preseason Testing

McLaren’s Lando Norris Tops Day One of 2025 F1 Bahrain Preseason Testing

The 2025 Formula 1 season kicked off in earnest as teams and drivers took to the Bahrain International Circuit for the first day of preseason testing. It was a day of intense mileage, debut performances, and even an unexpected power outage, but by the end of the extended session, McLaren’s Lando Norris had set the fastest time.

Morning Session: A First Look at 2025 Machinery

With all 20 drivers participating in the first of three days of testing, the focus of the morning session was primarily on Lewis Hamilton’s official testing debut with Ferrari. The seven-time champion had already driven previous Ferrari F1 cars in private sessions, but this was his first opportunity to complete meaningful laps in the 2025 machine.

Mercedes rookie Andrea Kimi Antonelli impressed early on, topping the timesheets before the lunch break with a 1:31.428. Meanwhile, Red Bull’s Liam Lawson was among the quickest drivers of the morning, posting a time just 0.1 seconds shy of Antonelli’s benchmark. However, Lawson had a slight mishap at Turn 2, losing control of his Red Bull but managing to stop just short of the gravel at Turn 3.

By the time the morning session concluded, Hamilton had completed 70 laps and sat in fifth position, a respectable effort as he continues to adjust to his new team. His Ferrari teammate, Charles Leclerc, was set to take over the car in the afternoon.

Afternoon Session: Power Cut Causes Delay, Norris Takes Charge

Just before sunset, an external substation failure resulted in a power outage at the circuit, extinguishing the floodlights and cutting power to the garages. With teams left working under handheld flashlights, the FIA had no choice but to red-flag the session until power was restored. After a 30-minute delay, the lights in the garages returned, with the floodlights flickering back on 40 minutes later. To compensate for the lost track time, an extra hour was added to the afternoon session.

When the session resumed, George Russell made a strong statement for Mercedes, eclipsing Antonelli’s morning benchmark by over 0.3 seconds. Meanwhile, Charles Leclerc took over from Hamilton and logged 71 laps, ultimately setting the fourth-fastest time.

McLaren’s Lando Norris, however, stole the show late in the session. After navigating a clean afternoon, he posted the fastest lap of the day with a 1:30.430, finishing 0.147 seconds ahead of Russell. Reigning champion Max Verstappen also found pace after the delay, securing third on the timesheets.

Notable Incidents and Performances

Aside from Lawson’s minor off in the morning, Racing Bull’s rookie Isack Hadjar also had a moment in the afternoon, spinning through 360 degrees at the exit of Turn 4. Fortunately, he corrected the slide without further incident. Norris himself had a slight moment later in the day, clipping the gravel trap at Turn 4 but managing to keep his McLaren under control.

Esteban Ocon completed the highest lap count with 88 laps for Haas, though he finished 19th in the standings. 

The top five times of the day—Norris, Russell, Verstappen, Leclerc, and Carlos Sainz—were all within 0.6 seconds of each other, suggesting a tight battle ahead in 2025. Pierre Gasly. Antonelli, Lawson, Albon and Yuki Tsunoda completed the top 10.

Take a look at the full timing results here.

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As testing continues, teams will look to refine their setups and gather crucial data ahead of the season opener. With two more days remaining in Bahrain, expect more surprises, faster times, and further developments as F1’s new era takes shape.