Lawson and Antonelli Shine in Bahrain Testing

Liam Lawson of Red Bull showcased an impressive performance during the early stages of the 2025 F1 pre-season testing in Bahrain, setting the fastest lap time of 1:31.574 on harder C2 tyres and outpacing notable competitors like Fernando Alonso and Lewis Hamilton. This competitive atmosphere allowed multiple drivers, including Yuki Tsunoda and Alex Albon, to log significant mileage, reflecting a tightly contested session. Hamilton, adapting to his new Ferrari, finished third while striving to find balance amid windy conditions. Rookie drivers showed mixed results, with some struggling to keep pace with established competitors.

Andrea Kimi Antonelli emerged as the top performer in the morning session of the first day, clocking a time of 1:31.428 in the new Mercedes W16 chassis, although overall times were noticeably off last year's pole position. His strong performance included completing 78 laps, surpassing all others, as Lawson recorded a near-spin but finished closely behind in second place. The subsequent afternoon session was set for teams to rotate drivers, promoting further data collection and strategy development as they prepare for the competitive 2025 season ahead.