Formula 1 testing in Bahrain: Sainz shines as McLaren remain a mystery – Formula One continued its pre-season testing in Bahrain with an action-packed second day of standout performances, unexpected upsets and teams keeping their cards close to their chests.
Carlos Sainz set the fastest time of the day in his Williams, marking a significant achievement for the British team. Meanwhile, McLaren’s tactics raised eyebrows as both their drivers, Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri, appeared to hold back, fuelling speculation about their true potential.
Carlos Sainz takes the lead for Williams
Sainz put in an impressive performance, setting the fastest lap of the day with a time of 1:29.348. The Spaniard, who had already run in the morning session, was just 0.031 seconds quicker than Lewis Hamilton’s Ferrari. His time was set on medium tyres, a promising sign for Williams as they appear to have made significant progress compared to last season.
This is particularly striking when you consider that Alex Albon’s qualifying lap for the 2024 Bahrain Grand Prix was almost nine-tenths of a second slower.
It suggests that Williams have made significant improvements to their car, which may allow them to challenge the midfield more consistently this season.
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McLaren’s tactical play raises questions
Despite dominating the first day of testing, McLaren appeared to be playing a strategic game on Thursday. Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri finished in the bottom half of the timesheets, with Norris only managing 14th place. However, that position is not seen as a true reflection of McLaren’s potential.
Observers noted that Norris repeatedly set up fast laps, particularly in the closing stages of the session, only to abandon them before completion.
He also recorded the fastest time in the second sector before pitting, further suggesting that McLaren may be deliberately concealing their true pace. Whether this is a ploy to avoid revealing their strengths too early, or a technical assessment, remains unclear.
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Ferrari and Mercedes remain competitive
Lewis Hamilton continued to show strong form on his second day of official testing with Ferrari. His best lap of 1:29.379 placed him second overall, reinforcing the belief that Ferrari are on solid ground heading into the season. Hamilton was pleased with the car, mentioning that he was still getting used to the new set-up, but felt more comfortable with each lap.
Hamilton’s new team-mate Charles Leclerc was also competitive, finishing third. He completed his run in the afternoon session, with Ferrari focusing on long runs and consistency rather than pure speed.
Meanwhile, Kimi Antonelli, Mercedes’ young sensation, also made an impression. The Italian prodigy came close to matching George Russell’s morning benchmark, finishing with a respectable 1:29.784. Mercedes continue to look strong, although their long run pace and overall tyre management remain key areas of focus.
Haas and Red Bull garage secrets
Throughout the day, Haas were particularly secretive about their car. Team personnel took extra measures to shield their garage from prying eyes, raising questions about last-minute tweaks or undisclosed upgrades.
The American team have yet to post competitive lap times, with both Oliver Bearman and Esteban Ocon languishing at the bottom of the timesheets. However, their focus seems to have been on long-running simulations rather than sheer speed.
Red Bull also had a mixed day. Liam Lawson, filling in for world champion Max Verstappen, completed 86 laps but suffered setbacks as the team had to carry out extensive maintenance on the RB21. Sources in the paddock suggested that the car needed to be looked at more closely after accumulating high mileage. Verstappen will take over the Red Bull cockpit for the entire final day of testing on Friday, a session that should provide a clearer insight into the reigning champions’ true pace.
Tense moments and near misses
The second day of testing was not without its dramatic moments. A near collision occurred in the pit lane between Carlos Sainz and Liam Lawson when the Williams driver attempted a practice start just as Lawson was passing. Quick reflexes prevented a crash.
McLaren also had two close encounters with Sauber. First, Oscar Piastri made contact with Nico Hülkenberg, while later in the day, Norris narrowly avoided a collision with Gabriel Bortoleto. Fortunately, there were no major incidents as a result of these encounters.
Elsewhere, Charles Leclerc spun his Ferrari in the damp conditions, but managed to recover without any problems. Alpine’s Jack Doohan also had a minor off-track incident, but escaped with no damage.
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Long runs and tyre strategies
As the teams focused on simulating the race, different tyre strategies emerged. Most riders opted for medium compounds, with a few testing hard tyres. Notably, only Ferrari and Williams had access to soft tyres, leading to speculation about potential late stage time attacks. However, both teams refrained from using them.
McLaren’s long-term pace analysis, compiled by eagle-eyed observers on social media, suggested that they were consistently competitive, despite not attempting any particularly fast laps. This supports the theory that McLaren are hiding their true potential before the start of the season.
Final standings of the day
1. C. Sainz – 1:29.348
2.L. Hamilton – 1:29.379 (+0.031)
3.C. Leclerc – 1:29.431 (+0.083)
4.G. Russell – 1:29.778 (+0.430)
5.A. Antonelli – 1:29.784 (+0.436)
6.L. Stroll – 1:30.229 (+0.881)
7.L. Lawson – 1:30.252 (+0.904)
8.J. Doohan – 1:30.368 (+1.020)
9.P. Gasly – 1:30.430 (+1.082)
10.I. Hadjar – 1:30.675 (+1.327)
11.F. Alonso – 1:30.700 (+1.352)
12.Y. Tsunoda – 1:30.793 (+1.445)
13.O. Piastri – 1:30.821 (+1.473)
14.L. Norris – 1:30.882 (+1.534)
15.G. Bortoleto – 1:31.057 (+1.709)
16.N. Hülkenberg – 1:31.457 (+2.109)
17.E. Ocon – 1:33.071 (+3.723)
18.O. Bearman – 1:34.372 (+5.024)
What to expect on the final day
With just one day of testing remaining, all eyes will be on Max Verstappen, who will have all day to fine-tune the Red Bull RB21. Given the reigning champion’s dominance last season, his performance will be crucial in assessing Red Bull’s position relative to their rivals.
McLaren’s true pace remains one of the biggest question marks of the test. Will they finally unleash their full potential, or will they continue to keep their cards close to their chest? Meanwhile, Williams have made a strong statement with Sainz’s performance, suggesting they could be a dark horse this season.
As the teams prepare for the final stretch of pre-season testing, anticipation is building for the first race of the season in Bahrain. Test results may not always reflect actual race pace, but they do provide an early glimpse into the pecking order for the upcoming 2025 season.
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Day two of Formula One pre-season testing and Lewis Hamilton has a bigger smile on his face. Having ended day 1 in thirteenth place a long way off the pace of his team mate, the former F1 champion looked at one with his Ferrari half way through the sessions in Bahrain.
Lewis was quickest in the morning session and ahead of his ex-Mercedes team mate by 0.4 seconds, though only Pierre Gasly and Oscar Piastri completed less mileage than Hamilton’s 45 laps. Meanwhile Carlos Sainz did a marathon 127 laps – which is more than the distance of two Grand Prix at the Sakhir circuit – but Williams along with Haas were one the only teams prepared with wet weather tyres when the rain fell for an extended period during the afternoon.
Hamilton was clearly ‘on it’ late in his time own the SF-25 as he tussled the car around the track whilst others looked sedentary. Some reports have made much of the fact Lewis set his time which beat team mate Charles Leclerc when the conditions meant the track was slower, yet the Monegasque driver in fact had worse conditions in which to complete his mileage…READ MORE ON THIS STORY
With over 30 years of experience in Formula 1 as an insider journalist, I have built trusted connections across the paddock, from race engineers and mechanics to senior team figures. At The Judge 13, I and a handful of trusted colleagues share exclusive Formula 1 news, expert analysis and behind-the-scenes stories you will not find in mainstream motorsport media.
