F1 LIVE | Follow FP1 for the 2025 Bahrain Grand Prix

12:30, 11 Apr

byKada Sarkozi

The first tripleheader of the 2025 Formula 1 season continues with the Bahrain Grand Prix this weekend. On Friday, two 60-minute sessions will kick start Round 4 of the current season. Follow the first free practice session here with GPblog!

F1 LIVE | FP1 - Bahrain Grand Prix

LiveBlog

This season, the Bahrain Grand Prix is not the season-opener, as that role returned to Melbourne after the three-day pre-season testing event was hosted in Sakhir. FP1 will get underway at 14:30 local time (12:30 GMT).

However, unlike previous seasons, weather conditions were very different back in February, and some teams even fitted the wet tyres, therefore, fans can only predict the order between the top teams and midfield rivals as well.

Now, a dry weekend is expected, with the temperature predicted to be 33 degrees Celsius for FP1 and 30 degrees Celsius for FP2 in terms of the two sessions on Day 1.

There will be six drivers taking over a full-time competitor's seat in FP1:

- Ayumu Iwasa replaces Max Verstappen (Red Bull)

- Dino Beganovic replaces Charles Leclerc (Ferrari)

- Frederik Vesti replaces George Russell (Mercedes)

- Felipe Drugovich replaces Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin)

- Ryo Hirakawa replaces Oliver Bearman (Haas)

- Luke Browning replaces Carlos Sainz (Williams)

McLaren do not have the best track record at the Bahrain circuit in recent years. Even as the Woking-based team seems to be the heavy favourite entering the weekend, for example, and team in general remain cautious about their chances. The last time a McLaren driver was on the podium in Bahrain was in 2010, when Lewis Hamilton finished third.

It is very tight in the drivers' championship after three rounds have been completed. With three different Grand Prix winners and Lewis Hamilton winning the Sprint in China, Lando Norris leads in the standings ahead of Max Verstappen.

The current gap between the championship rivals stands at a single point. Oscar Piastri follows them, trailing his teammate by 13 points in total, after the Australian finished third at the Suzuka Circuit.

In terms of the constructors' standings, McLaren have a comfortable lead ahead of Mercedes, scoring 36 more points so far. On the other hand, Ferrari had a difficult start to the year other than Hamilton's outstanding result in Shanghai during the Sprint, only scoring 35 points so far in 2025.