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Lewis Hamilton officially hit the track in Ferrari colours for the first time during pre-season testing in Bahrain. The British driver completed 70 laps, finishing the morning session with the 5th best time (1’31’’834). It was a smooth first run in the SF-25, though he still needs time to adapt to both the car and Ferrari’s working methods. His excitement was evident—so much so that he almost fell while getting off the team’s service vehicle in his eagerness to return to the action.
In the afternoon, Charles Leclerc took over the Ferrari, continuing the team’s scheduled programme. Now in his seventh season with the Scuderia, the Monegasque focused on setup and race simulations rather than outright lap times.
The standout performer of the morning, however, was Andrea Kimi Antonelli. The 18-year-old Italian, making his official debut as a Mercedes race driver, topped the timesheets with a 1’31’’428 lap after 78 laps. While early testing results should always be taken with caution, his performance certainly caught the paddock’s attention.
At Red Bull, newly promoted Liam Lawson—who replaces Sergio Perez as Max Verstappen’s teammate—secured 2nd place, just over a tenth behind Antonelli, despite a spin during his race simulations. Alex Albon finished 3rd for Williams, while Yuki Tsunoda secured 4th for Racing Bulls.
It was a quieter session for McLaren, with Oscar Piastri only managing 8th place, as the team appeared to prioritise data collection over outright pace. Fernando Alonso finished 7th for Aston Martin, just ahead of Jack Doohan, who made his test debut with Alpine. Rounding out the top ten were Nico Hulkenberg (9th for Sauber) and Oliver Bearman (10th for Haas), the Ferrari Academy prospect making his first full-time F1 appearance.
While early test times don’t reveal the full competitive picture, Ferrari followed a clear plan. Hamilton completed his first step in adapting to the SF-25, while Leclerc continued fine-tuning the car with no major issues.
