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F1 Bahrain 2025 pre-season test: Sainz fastest over Ferrari duo on second day

Carlos Sainz completed the second day of Formula 1’s pre-season test with the fastest lap of the three-day Bahrain event so far, overturning Lewis Hamilton’s time from the morning. 

The Spaniard went fastest with a 1m29.366s lap 30 minutes after testing resumed following the lunch break, and then found a smidgen more time at the end of the afternoon’s opening hour to set a 1m29.348s on C3s. 

This put him just 0.03s clear of Hamilton’s earlier benchmark, and then he survived a subsequent spin while indulging in a flurry of laps on the C4 compound. 

Although a minor spattering of light rain emerged before nightfall, this cleared and ultimately did not create as much disruption as the pre-lunch shower – which effectively took an hour out of the available running. 

After Sainz took control of the timesheets, there were scant few attempts to supplant him as the majority of teams opted for race simulations; the Williams driver himself took to a lengthy race stint on the C3 tyres rather than try to improve on his own benchmark. 

Lando Norris attempted to give his former McLaren team-mate a run for his money with a lap in the final 15 minutes on C3s, but could not capitalise on an impressive medium sector as he ran wide at Turn 14 and immediately made a beeline for the pitlane. 

Lando Norris, McLaren (Photo by: Steven Tee / Motorsport Images)

This ensured Sainz remained top, and with the highest lap count – 127 – of anybody through the day. 

Charles Leclerc, who took over from Hamilton in the afternoon session, finished third having been half a tenth shy of his new team-mate. 

The Monegasque had a spin at Turn 14 while setting a more rapid set of times on his C4s, but ultimately carried on to collect a total of 83 laps for the evening.  

George Russell’s effort from the morning session remained good enough for fourth, a scant 0.006s clear of rookie team-mate Andrea Kimi Antonelli – who showed good speed but also endured a couple of excursions off-road as he continued to get used to the rigours of F1. 

Lance Stroll was sixth fastest over Liam Lawson, as Red Bull fixed the water pressure issue on board the Kiwi’s car that had restricted running in the morning.

Alpine duo Jack Doohan and Pierre Gasly were eighth and ninth, as Isack Hadjar completed the top 10 – the only driver to do their fastest time on C4s, rather than C3s. 

McLaren duo Oscar Piastri and Norris were only 13th and 14th but, apart from Norris’s aborted lap, showed little in performance running – although the Briton’s race pace nonetheless appeared to be impressive. 

The Haas duo again propped up the order, having again spent the day focusing on longer runs. 

2025 F1 pre-season testing Day 2 results

   
1
 - 
4
   
   
1
 - 
2
   
Cla Driver # Chassis Engine Laps Time Interval Tyres km/h
1 Spain C. Sainz Williams 55 Williams Mercedes 127

1'29.348

    218.059
2 United Kingdom L. Hamilton Ferrari 44 Ferrari Ferrari 45

+0.031

1'29.379

0.031   217.984
3 Monaco C. Leclerc Ferrari 16 Ferrari Ferrari 83

+0.083

1'29.431

0.052   217.857
4 United Kingdom G. Russell Mercedes 63 Mercedes Mercedes 71

+0.430

1'29.778

0.347   217.015
5 Italy A. Antonelli Mercedes 12 Mercedes Mercedes 87

+0.436

1'29.784

0.006   217.000
6 Canada L. Stroll Aston Martin Racing 18 Aston Martin Mercedes 57

+0.881

1'30.229

0.445   215.930
7 New Zealand L. Lawson Red Bull Racing 30 Red Bull Honda 91

+0.904

1'30.252

0.023   215.875
8 Australia J. Doohan Alpine 7 Alpine Renault 80

+1.020

1'30.368

0.116   215.598
9 France P. Gasly Alpine 10 Alpine Renault 40

+1.082

1'30.430

0.062   215.450
10 France I. Hadjar RB 6 RB Honda 94

+1.327

1'30.675

0.245   214.868
11 Spain F. Alonso Aston Martin Racing 14 Aston Martin Mercedes 45

+1.352

1'30.700

0.025   214.809
12 Japan Y. Tsunoda RB 22 RB Red Bull 46

+1.445

1'30.793

0.093   214.589
13 Australia O. Piastri McLaren 81 McLaren Mercedes 44

+1.473

1'30.821

0.028   214.523
14 United Kingdom L. Norris McLaren 4 McLaren Mercedes 77

+1.534

1'30.882

0.061   214.379
15 Brazil G. Bortoleto Sauber 5 Sauber Ferrari 80

+1.709

1'31.057

0.175   213.967
16 Germany N. Hulkenberg Sauber 27 Sauber Ferrari 56

+2.109

1'31.457

0.400   213.031
17 France E. Ocon Haas F1 Team 31 Haas Ferrari 69

+3.723

1'33.071

1.614   209.336
18 United Kingdom O. Bearman Haas F1 Team 87 Haas Ferrari 66

+5.024

1'34.372

1.301   206.451
In this article
Jake Boxall-Legge
Formula 1
Carlos Sainz
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