Lando Norris fastest on day 1 of Pre-Season Testing in Bahrain

Results remain an incomplete puzzle

Lando Norris on track - Photo by Damian Hall

McLaren’s Lando Norris set the fastest time on the opening day of the 2025 pre-season testing in Bahrain, clocking a 1:30.430. He was 0.157s quicker than Mercedes’ George Russell, while Red Bull’s Max Verstappen set the third-fastest time, 0.244s off the pace.

However, these times do not necessarily reflect the true competitive order for the season. Pre-season testing is primarily about data collection, with teams running different programs that vary in fuel loads, engine modes and tyre conditions. Some teams may be hiding their true pace, while others focus on long-run consistency rather than outright lap times.

The top speed of the day was recorded by Verstappen at 329.4 km/h (204.7 mph), followed closely by Russell at 327.8 km/h. These figures highlight Red Bull and Mercedes’ straight-line efficiency, but factors such as DRS usage, engine settings and wind conditions influence these numbers.

Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc set the fourth fastest time, with Atlassian Williams’ Carlos Sainz in fifth as he got to grips with the new car. Alpine’s Pierre Gasly was sixth fastest, while Mercedes rookie Andrea Kimi Antonelli, making his first official F1 test appearance, set the seventh fastest time after 78 laps.

Further down the order, Ferrari’s Sir Lewis Hamilton set the thirteenth fastest time, while Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll logged times in the fifteenth and sixteenth spots, respectively. Haas’ Esteban Ocon and Oliver Bearman set the slowest times of the session.

With two more days of testing remaining, teams will continue refining their setups and gathering crucial data ahead of the first race of the season. The true pecking order will only become clear once the cars hit qualifying in Australia next month (Mar 15).

Full Results:

1. Lando Norris (McLaren) - 1:30.430 (52 laps) - [Top Speed: 324.5 km/h]

2. George Russell (Mercedes) - 1:30.587 (+0.157) (70 laps) - [Top Speed: 327.8 km/h]

3. Max Verstappen (Red Bull) - 1:30.674 (+0.244) (74 laps) - [Top Speed: 329.4 km/h]

4. Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) - 1:30.878 (+0.448) (71 laps) - [Top Speed: 323.1 km/h]

5. Carlos Sainz (Williams) - 1:30.955 (+0.525) (68 laps) - [Top Speed: 322.9 km/h]

6. Pierre Gasly (Alpine) - 1:31.353 (+0.923) (72 laps) - [Top Speed: 321.2 km/h]

7. Andrea Kimi Antonelli (Mercedes) - 1:31.428 (+0.998) (78 laps) - [Top Speed: 319.8 km/h]

8. Liam Lawson (Red Bull) - 1:31.560 (+1.130) (58 laps) - [Top Speed: 318.9 km/h]

9. Alex Albon (Williams) - 1:31.573 (+1.143) (63 laps) - [Top Speed: 318.2 km/h]

10. Yuki Tsunoda (Racing Bulls) - 1:31.610 (+1.180) (78 laps) - [Top Speed: 317.6 km/h]

11. Isack Hadjar (Racing Bulls) - 1:31.631 (+1.201) (76 laps) - [Top Speed: 317.0 km/h]

12. Gabriel Bortoleto (Sauber) - 1:31.690 (+1.260) (59 laps) - [Top Speed: 316.4 km/h]

13. Lewis Hamilton (Ferrari) - 1:31.834 (+1.404) (70 laps) - [Top Speed: 316.1 km/h]

14. Jack Doohan (Alpine) - 1:31.841 (+1.411) (68 laps) - [Top Speed: 315.7 km/h]

15. Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin) - 1:31.874 (+1.444) (46 laps) - [Top Speed: 315.2 km/h]

16. Lance Stroll (Aston Martin) - 1:31.949 (+1.519) (42 laps) - [Top Speed: 314.9 km/h]

17. Oscar Piastri (McLaren) - 1:32.084 (+1.654) (66 laps) - [Top Speed: 314.4 km/h]

18. Nico Hulkenberg (Sauber) - 1:32.169 (+1.739) (55 laps) - [Top Speed: 314.0 km/h]

19. Esteban Ocon (Haas) - 1:33.600 (+3.170) (88 laps) - [Top Speed: 311.2 km/h]

20. Oliver Bearman (Haas) - 1:35.522 (+5.092) (72 laps) - [Top Speed: 308.5 km/h]