The verdict after three days of testing in Bahrain: F1 2025 is going to be great!
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After three days of testing in Bahrain, there is a lot of uncertainty at Red Bull Racing about where they really stand. McLaren came out best in three days, but behind them, the big guesswork has begun.
The third and final day of testing in Bahrain had only just begun when it became clear that Red Bull Racing started the day with a new front wing. A front wing that is just a bit more flexible, to take advantage, like McLaren, of the less strict rules still in place until the Spanish Grand Prix.
So it was quick into the pitlane in the morning to take pictures of Red Bull Racing's new one. An analysis of it was done by GPblogs analyst Francesco.
An hour after the start of the session, I walked into Aston Martin's hospitality myself. There, in fact, I had an interview lined up with Andy Cowell, Aston Martin's new team boss. The conversation covered who Cowell is, what his vision is for the British team and what role Honda has to play in its success. Soon, of course, all to be read on GPblog.
Besides Cowell, I also spoke to Valtteri Bottas later in the day. No more permanent seat for the Finn, but a reserve role at Mercedes. Bottas, however, is angling for a quick return to Formula 1 as a driver. He is not done with F1 yet and wants his role at Mercedes to keep him in view of other teams.
Who is in the best shape for 2025?
Apart from his own interviews, there were other press sessions with drivers and team bosses. Carlos Sainz thought Andrea Stella's statements that Williams might be among the top six were a bit exaggerated, but he was happy with what he found at Williams. Oliver Oakes, as Alpine's team boss, was very appreciative of his team's development, although the press session was again mainly about the future of Jack Doohan, with Franco Colapinto in his wake.
On the track, the sessions became more serious and serious. Helmut Marko already predicted it on Thursday night: Friday would give much more clarity on the state of play. George Russell was the fastest in the end, but Mercedes is not the team everyone is putting forward.
Indeed, on the paddock, everyone agrees that McLaren is the big favourite after the winter test in Bahrain. The general consensus is that McLaren has a slight lead over Ferrari, Mercedes and Red Bull Racing, which would maintain last year's top four.
That McLaren is ahead was also confirmed by Jos Verstappen when he spoke to some Dutch press after the session. However, according to Max's father, McLaren's lead could just vary between 2 and 5 tenths. They simply don't know.
How the proportions are between Ferrari, Mercedes and Red Bull, is completely difficult to say. The differences are too small for that. At Mercedes, they doubt that they are good due to the cold conditions, at Ferrari, they are visibly struggling with the new pull-rod front suspension and Red Bull Racing did not manage to cover as much mileage as the competition over the three test days. So many question marks remain after the first three days of 2025.
That is also why McLaren does stand out. McLaren was consistently fast in all conditions. In short- and long runs. On the track, the McLaren also looks good. Only in the slow corners, as was the case in 2024, does McLaren visibly struggle a bit more.
Why F1 in 2025 will be a great season
Behind the familiar top four, it is pushing. Williams was pushed forward after day two, but after day three most eyes are on Alpine. That seems to have established itself and may now emerge as the best of the midfield. However, the differences between Williams, Haas and Alpine are minimal. Stake and Racing Bulls do not look as good on track, but they too are not arguably much inferior to the aforementioned teams.
The team that will leave Bahrain with the least feeling seems to be Aston Martin. The team came out of the winter break as the least according to many. The team achieved fewer test kilometres than the competition and, of all the teams, made the least impression.
All in all, one conclusion can be drawn after the test days in Bahrain: the field is incredibly close together. It therefore promises to be an extremely exciting season, where perhaps several drivers and teams will fight for the world title. We will see who gets off to the best start in Australia.
This article was written in collaboration with Olly Darcy
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