George Russell topped the timesheets on the final day of F1 pre-season testing ahead of the 2025 Championship, narrowly edging out the Red Bull of Max Verstappen as Mercedes wrapped up an intriguing but inconclusive three-day test on top.
Day Three: Pre-season Testing Highlights
- George Russell puts Mercedes on top of day three
- Lewis Hamilton feeling ‘positive’ about Ferrari’s 2025 season chances
- World champions McLaren enjoy a strong end to their test
- Alex Albon racks up an impressive number of laps for Williams
The session was characterised by two bizarre red flags—one caused by a shattered glass pane falling onto the main straight from a gantry and another when a circuit bus unexpectedly appeared in a run-off area. Despite the disruptions, Russell set a time of 1:29.545 in the closing stages under floodlights, the third-fastest time of the entire test.
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Verstappen, just 0.021s behind on the same C3 tyres, completed Red Bull’s quickest lap of the test, though the RB21’s performance appeared tricky at times, with the team focusing on short- to mid-length runs and testing a new nosecone. The Dutchman also suffered a late spin at Turn One, adding to an eventful day for the reigning world champions.
Testing Wraps Up in More Typical Bahrain Conditions
With chilly and wet conditions disrupting the first two days of testing, the final day in Bahrain saw a return to more familiar Middle Eastern weather, allowing teams to complete their programs in more representative conditions.
Williams continued to impress, with Alex Albon following up Carlos Sainz’s test-best lap from Thursday by setting the third-fastest time on Friday, just 0.1s behind George Russell—though Albon’s lap came on the softer C4 compound. McLaren, who had turned heads with their long-run pace on Thursday, had a more low-key final day, with neither Oscar Piastri nor Lando Norris near the top of the timesheets. However, Piastri produced a late flyer to go fourth. Pierre Gasly rounded out the top five, capping off a promising test for Alpine, a stark contrast to their struggles at the start of last season.
Hamilton Rounds Off Ferrari Testing With Sixth-Fastest Time
Lewis Hamilton made his first afternoon appearance of the week for Ferrari, finishing the final day of testing sixth-fastest, 0.8s behind George Russell and his former Mercedes team.
Earlier in the day, Hamilton had revealed in a lunchtime press conference that he was scheduled to complete his first race simulation with Ferrari, but instead managed only 47 laps, primarily across short stints. Ferrari’s session ended slightly prematurely, missing the final stages of running.
His teammate Charles Leclerc placed ninth, 0.5s slower than Hamilton, having run in the hotter morning conditions. Mercedes rookie Andrea Kimi Antonelli finished 10th after completing the morning session, just ahead of Lando Norris in 11th.
Day 3: 2025 Pre-Season Testing Bahrain Classification
Day 3 was held on 28 February 2025, between 10:00 am to 2:00 pm and 3:00 pm to 7:00 pm local time.
| Pos | Driver | Nat. | Team | Time | Laps |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | George Russell | GBR | Mercedes AMG Petronas F1 Team | 1m29.545s | 91 |
| 2 | Max Verstappen | NED | Oracle Red Bull Racing | 1m29.566s | 81 |
| 3 | Alex Albon | THA | Atlassian Williams Racing | 1m29.650s | 137 |
| 4 | Oscar Piastri | AUS | McLaren F1 Team | 1m29.940s | 85 |
| 5 | Pierre Gasly | FRA | BWT Alpine F1 Team | 1m30.040s | 84 |
| 6 | Lewis Hamilton | GBR | Scuderia Ferrari HP | 1m30.345s | 47 |
| 7 | Yuki Tsunoda | JPN | Visa Cash App Racing Bulls F1 Team | 1m30.497s | 87 |
| 8 | Esteban Ocon | FRA | MoneyGram Haas F1 Team | 1m30.728s | 103 |
| 9 | Charles Leclerc | MON | Scuderia Ferrari HP | 1m30.811s | 66 |
| 10 | Andrea Kimi Antonelli | ITA | Mercedes AMG Petronas F1 Team | 1m30.888s | 61 |
| 11 | Lando Norris | GBR | McLaren F1 Team | 1m30.943s | 57 |
| 12 | Jack Doohan | AUS | BWT Alpine F1 Team | 1m31.239s | 61 |
| 13 | Lance Stroll | CAN | Aston Martin Aramco F1 Team | 1m31.699s | 34 |
| 14 | Nico Hulkenberg | GER | Stake F1 Team Kick Sauber | 1m31.726s | 69 |
| 15 | Isack Hadjar | FRA | Visa Cash App Racing Bulls F1 Team | 1m31.761s | 73 |
| 16 | Fernando Alonso | ESP | Aston Martin Aramco F1 Team | 1m32.084s | 82 |
| 17 | Gabriel Bortoleto | BRA | Stake F1 Team Kick Sauber | 1m32.147s | 35 |
| 18 | Oliver Bearman | GBR | MoneyGram Haas F1 Team | 1m32.361s | 59 |
F1 Pre-Season Testing Wraps Up in Bahrain
With the chequered flag falling at 7 pm local time, that concluded F1’s 2025 pre-season testing following three intense days of track action in Bahrain. Team reliability was almost bulletproof, allowing teams to gather crucial data. While lap times should always be taken with a pinch of salt, looking through the data, there are intriguing glimpses of the competitive order heading into the new season.
The next time F1 cars hit the track will be for Free Practice 1 (FP1) in Melbourne as the 2025 season kicks off with the 2025 Australian Grand Prix on March 16.
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