McLaren’s Lando Norris set the pace and the fastest time on the opening day of Formula 1 pre-season testing in Bahrain, outpacing Mercedes’ George Russell by 0.157 seconds.
Red Bull’s Max Verstappen finished third, while Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc secured fourth place in a session that provided early insights into the competitive order ahead of the 2025 season.
Norris posted a 1:30.430 at the Sakhir Circuit, just 0.157 seconds quicker than Russell, with Red Bull’s Max Verstappen third and Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc fourth.
While headline lap times in pre-season testing are rarely a reliable indicator of true performance and reflection of actual race pace due to variables like fuel loads, engine modes, and testing programs, Norris’ strong start signals McLaren’s intent to build on their 2024 constructors’ championship win and launch a sustained title challenge against Red Bull this year.
Russell: “This is the Best the Mercedes Has Ever Felt in Bahrain”
Mercedes’ George Russell, who completed a solid day for Mercedes and posted the second-fastest time, was cautiously optimistic about the W16’s performance, noting that the car felt much improved compared to previous years, especially after three years of struggles for the Silver Arrows.
“The car is performing well. We’ve got to be careful because in Bahrain it’s usually 20C hotter.”
“This is the best it has ever felt around Bahrain but I’m sure it’s the same for all testees. I am enjoying it. I had confidence, the long-run pace looked all right.”
“We are not going to get carried away with ourselves, but so far so good. We’ve had some tests here where it did not go well, but so far it is silky smooth.”
Russell’s remarks come after three seasons of struggles for Mercedes, who are looking to return to the front of the grid after Red Bull’s dominance in recent years.
McLaren’s Ambitions for 2025
McLaren, who won their first constructors’ championship since 1998 last year, have set their sights on challenging Red Bull for the title from the start this season.
Norris, who finished runner-up to Verstappen in the 2024 drivers’ standings, will be aiming to go one step further in 2025.
His teammate Oscar Piastri, who ran in the morning session and finished 16th overall, also sounded optimistic about the MCL38:
“The car is feeling pretty good, just trying to get [it] into a bit of a better window. I think we’re in OK shape.”
“A few teams looking pretty good early on. [It’s] early doors but we’re pretty happy.”
“We’re doing a good job of focusing on ourselves and getting some good information.”
“It’s already looking very close, so I think we’re in for a very exciting year in F1.”
McLaren, who finished as runners-up in the drivers’ championship with Norris last season, are determined to challenge Verstappen more consistently in 2025, after the Dutchman ran away with the title early in 2024.
Challenges for Verstappen and Ferrari
Reigning world champion Max Verstappen finished third but was 0.244s off Norris’ best time.
Meanwhile, his new Red Bull teammate Liam Lawson was the only driver who suffered the only major incident of the day, spinning at Turn Two in the morning session.
Ferrari’s Lewis Hamilton, who ran in the morning session, ended the day 13th fastest but did not speak to media, while his teammate Leclerc fared better in fourth place.
Hamilton, who moved to Ferrari after 17 seasons with Mercedes, did not speak to the media after the session.
Delayed Session and Unusual Weather Conditions
A power outage disrupted the afternoon session, causing a one-hour delay, but testing was extended to compensate.
Additionally, teams had to deal with unusually cool temperatures for Bahrain, with air temperatures hovering around 15°C—far lower than the conditions expected for the season-opening race.
Day One Times: Norris Leads the Pack
Lando Norris (GB) – McLaren – 1:30.430
George Russell (GB) – Mercedes – 1:30.587
Max Verstappen (Ned) – Red Bull – 1:30.674
Charles Leclerc (Mon) – Ferrari – 1:30.878
Carlos Sainz (Spa) – Williams – 1:31.388
Pierre Gasly (Fra) – Alpine – 1:31.353
Andrea Kimi Antonelli (Ita) – Mercedes – 1:31.428
Liam Lawson (NZ) – Red Bull – 1:31.560
Alex Albon (Tha) – Williams – 1:31.573*
Yuki Tsunoda (Jpn) – Racing Bulls – 1:31.610
(* = time set on C2 compound tyre, all others set on C3)
Looking Ahead
With two more days of testing left, teams will continue fine-tuning their setups ahead of the season opener in Bahrain on March 2, 2025.
While McLaren and Mercedes showed early promise, pre-season results often mask the true pecking order—and Red Bull may still have plenty up their sleeve.
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