The first of the three days of pre-season 1 pre-season trials on Wednesday in Bahrain, was marked by a highly anticipated event: the official beginnings of Lewis Hamilton with Ferrari.
The Briton, septuple world champion, finally piloted a red single -seater, more than a year after having announced that he would join the Scuderia in 2025. Among the first to enter, he made 70 laps and won the 13th time, almost a second and a half of his compatriot Lando.
“Being here with Ferrari is an incredible feeling. Our goal is to test as many things as possible, to recover as much data as possible and become familiar with the car. I have already learned a lot. It is too early to talk about performance, but I already feel comfortable, “said the 40 -year -old pilot.
“It is too early to talk about performance, but I already feel comfortable”
Same teams at the forefront
Even if it is advisable to take these first time with tweezers, each pilot with a clean test program not necessarily focused on pure performance, it is clear that the hierarchy of this inaugural day strangely resembles that observed last year.
Indeed, in the freshness of the Sakhir circuit, where the temperature oscillated between 14 to 17 degrees, Lando Norris has ahead of his compatriot George Russell (Mercedes), the Dutch Max Verstappen (Red Bull), quadruple world champion, and the Monegasque Charles Leclerc (Ferrari).
It would therefore seem that the four stables which had won races in 2024 left to continue to fight at the forefront. The next two days of testing will however make it possible to know a little more about the forces involved.
The 20 pilots will resume the track Thursday for the second of three days of testing: 10 of them will drive between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. local time (8 a.m. and 12 p.m. in Switzerland) and the other 10 will take the wheel in the afternoon, between 3 p.m. and 7 p.m. local time (1 p.m. and 5 p.m. in Switzerland).
No track trips were to be deplored on Wednesday even if in the morning, the New Zealander Liam Lawson – new pair of Verstappen at Red Bull – left in the head, before being able to leave alone without damage.
