The 2025 Formula 1 season is finally underway as pre-season testing in Bahrain got into gear on Wednesday and will draw to a close on Friday. Teams will have three days to dial their cars in and work out any kinks before race day in Melbourne, Australia.
Here are five things to know about pre-season testing
Barcelona to Bahrain
It was during the time of the 2021 season that testing left Spanish shores and settled in the Middle East, in Bahrain, which now serves as a pre-season test location. The country is favoured mainly for its climate, which offers consistent weather for a sport like motor racing.
Mild and dry conditions are what can be expected in Bahrain.
Our top five drivers as we approach the halfway point in the session 👀
Alonso 🟡
Lawson ⚪️
Hamilton 🟡
Tsunoda 🟡
Albon 🟡
⚪️ Hard tyres
🟡 Medium tyres #F1Testing #F1 pic.twitter.com/bj2wQwETZP
The first true test
Pre-season testing is the first time teams will get the true feel of their cars after months of research and development. The track offers a real-world F1 experience, with high and low speed corners at Bahrain International Circuit. They will then pack up and head to Australia, two weeks ahead of the race.
The top 10 halfway through the opening session 👇#F1Testing #F1 pic.twitter.com/ImNC2sX1pn
— Formula 1 (@F1) February 26, 2025
24 hours of testing
Each team is allocated 8 hours per day over the three days of testing, equating to 24 hours in total. Each team is only allowed to have one car on the track at a time, meaning each driver only gets 12 hours of seat time, granted there are no accidents.
For drivers who are starting the year with a new team, 12 hours may or may not be too little time to acclimate themselves to a fire breathing demon before the Australian GP.
What teams look out for
Prior to Bahrain testing, teams only ever used the car and design in a simulated format, meaning there were no actual breakages or anomalies to spot. The Bahrain testing will give them an opportunity to find out if any of the new designs work, what’s not working and how they can improve. Focusing on aerodynamics and checking up on newly introduced parts is also on the watchlist during testing.
Clocking the fastest lap in the crowd is not really what teams are looking to achieve, as they seek to log the cars and iron out shortcomings before race day.
Lewis' first #F1Testing session in a Ferrari comes to a close #F1 pic.twitter.com/ujf1BiLymh
— Formula 1 (@F1) February 26, 2025
Hamilton’s first test in a Ferrari
Of all the newbies, transfers and debuts this season, there’s no doubt that most eyes will be fixed on a particular red Prancing Horse at ,as Lewis Hamilton drives a Ferrari for the first time.
Hamilton clocked just over 50 laps at Bahrain as lunch time on Wednesday, according to Scuderia Ferrari HP. As expected, Hamilton drew all the hype after he left Mercedes after a disappointing past four seasons, which were dominated by Max Verstappen.
Hamilton will only have 12 hours in the Ferrari as he hopes to clinch an 8th World Title.