(Motorsports.media | February 27, 2025) – Carlos Sainz set the pace on the second day of pre-season testing at the Bahrain International Circuit, recording the highest lap count of 127 after participating in both of Thursday’s sessions. Lewis Hamilton led the morning session for Ferrari, while most teams swapped drivers in the afternoon, except for Red Bull and Williams. Liam Lawson and Sainz stayed behind the wheel throughout the day, before their respective teammates take over on Friday.
Sainz showed no signs of slowing down in the afternoon, being one of the first out on track when the session began at 1500 local time. Despite suffering a spin, Sainz posted the fastest time of 1m 29.348s. Charles Leclerc also had a moment as drizzle fell at the circuit in the first half of the session. By the end of the day, Sainz remained on top, with Hamilton’s morning time just 0.031s behind.
On the timesheets, Charles Leclerc slotted into third place, followed by George Russell and Kimi Antonelli. Lance Stroll was sixth for Aston Martin, with Lawson in seventh despite some track time lost due to a water systems issue with the RB21. Jack Doohan placed eighth for Alpine, ahead of teammate Pierre Gasly in ninth, and rookie Isack Hadjar rounded out the top 10.
Other notable performances included Yuki Tsunoda in 12th, sandwiched between Fernando Alonso in 11th and Oscar Piastri in 13th. McLaren’s Lando Norris, who topped the timesheets on Wednesday, emerged later in the session and finished in 14th. The Kick Sauber pairing of Gabriel Bortoleto and Nico Hulkenberg took P15 and P16, respectively. The Haas duo of Esteban Ocon and Ollie Bearman were 17th and 18th.
The session concluded with procedural checks by the FIA, including a simulation formation lap and practice start. The final day of pre-season testing is scheduled for Friday, with the morning session set to begin at 1000 local time.
Motorsports Media | Photo: Williams Racing
