2025TestingBahrain

One team with a clear advantage and a shock at the head of the midfield – What we learned from Day 3 of pre-season testing in Bahrain

F1 Correspondent & PresenterLawrence Barretto
BAHRAIN, BAHRAIN - FEBRUARY 27: Oscar Piastri of Australia driving the (81) McLaren MCL39 MercedesBAHRAIN, BAHRAIN - FEBRUARY 27: Oscar Piastri of Australia driving the (81) McLaren MCL39 Mercedes on track during day two of F1 Testing at Bahrain International Circuit on February 27, 2025 in Bahrain, Bahrain. (Photo by Zak Mauger/LAT Images)

Formula 1’s 10 teams clocked up 3, 896 laps – the equivalent of around 21,085km, which is distance of a little under halfway around the world – during three days of testing at a Bahrain International Circuit that endured a mix of sunshine, heavy cloud cover and rain.

As ever, it’s unwise to read too much into the headline times on the final classification. But looking at the data and talking to the teams, it looks like we could be in for one of the closest – if not the closest – season F1 has ever seen…