Finlay McSporran
Published: 18:05, 28th February 2025
F1 cars hit the track this week for the first time in 2025 during pre-season testing, in what is usually the most forgettable part of an F1 season.
But this year was different however, with plenty of surprises across the three days of running.
Rain in the Desert?
Rain isn’t something that you would usually associate with the Bahrain international circuit. After all, it has the record for the warmest ever F1 race back in 2005.
However midway through day one spots of rain started to hit the track which continued into day two, with Haas sending Esteban Ocon out on the intermediate tyres.
The damp track caught a few drivers out, with Lewis Hamilton and Carlos Sainz going off at turn 11. Thankfully however, the rain never came to much, and drivers were eventually able to continue their testing on a dry track.
Bodywork Falling off
During day three’s morning session, cameras quickly cut the Haas of Oliver Bearman going slowly down the main straight.
The British driver had lost part of his car’s bodywork, specifically the engine cover which fell of the car leaving a huge hole in the side of the Hass and briefly bringing out the yellow flags as the debris was cleared.
Rookies in Action
Pre season testing also gave the six full-time rookies on the grid some crucial mileage before the first grand prix in Melbourne.
It was the first proper time we got to see these drivers in their new teams, with Isack Hadjar (pictured above) in the beautiful white VCARB, whilst his F2 title rival from last year Gabrielle Bortoleto drove the Kick Sauber in what will be the teams final year before they’re taken over by Audi.
Kimi Antionelli topped the first session on Wednesday morning and already has plenty of private testing under his belt with Mercedes. Meanwhile Liam Lawson got his first taste of the RB 21 alongside Max Verstappen, and Jack Doohan drove for Alpine, just two weeks before his full time F1 debut at his home race in Australia.
A Power cut
The red flags had to be brought out on day one as a power cut struck just as the sun went down, leaving the garages and the track in Darkness.
The session was suspended for more than an hour, as the mechanics working at the pinnacle of motorsport were forced to use torches in order to work on the cars.
When the action eventually got back underway the decision was made to extend the session by an hour to make up for the lost time, and allow teams to get that crucial testing mileage in.
Back to back red flags
Unfortunately, the power cut wasn’t the only delay we had during testing. In fact, we had two back to back on the final day, both of which were very unusual.
The first red flag was brought about when a window, usually positioned on pit wall where the checkered flag would be waved, fell onto the track and smashed covering the circuit in broken glass.
The second red flag was even more bizarre, as a shuttle bus somehow made its way onto the track, putting itself and the drivers at risk and bringing out another red flag.
What’s Next?
With pre season testing now complete, it means we are just two weeks away from the Australian Grand Prix with so many storylines going into it. How will the rookies fare? Can Lewis Hamilton beat Charles Leclerc at Ferrari? But most importantly, who has the fastest car?
It’s the first time since 2022 where we don’t have an answer to that final question, which sets up what may be one of the best Formula 1 seasons ever, with 4 teams and six drivers potentially capable of fighting for the title.
All will be revealed on March the 16th!
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