On the second day of the 2025 Formula 1 pre-season testing at the Bahrain International Circuit, Carlos Sainz of Williams topped the timesheets with a lap of 1:29.348 seconds, narrowly edging out Lewis Hamilton of Ferrari by 0.031 seconds. Hamilton, who recently joined Ferrari after 12 years with Mercedes, expressed his enjoyment with the new car, noting that he and his team are gradually forming a connection.
Charles Leclerc, who took over the Ferrari for the afternoon session, secured the third-fastest time, just 0.052 seconds behind Hamilton. Both Sainz and Leclerc experienced spins during the day, with Sainz’s at Turn One and Leclerc’s at the final corner.
Mercedes drivers George Russell and Andrea Kimi Antonelli finished fourth and fifth, respectively. Meanwhile, McLaren’s Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris ended the day in 13th and 14th positions, without conducting any short performance runs.
Red Bull’s reigning champion Max Verstappen did not participate in the session, with teammate Liam Lawson finishing seventh fastest. Verstappen is set to drive on the final day of testing on Friday.
Pre-season testing is often seen as an unreliable indicator of true competitive performance due to undisclosed factors like fuel loads and engine settings. Despite Sainz’s fastest time, Williams team principal James Vowles emphasized that his team is not yet competitive enough to challenge the front runners this season.