Friday Under the Lights of Bahrain

FP1: Limited Insights Amid High Temperatures and Rookie Appearances

The opening session was not especially informative. In accordance with the updated 2025 sporting regulations requiring each team to run rookie drivers in four FP1 sessions across the season, six teams opted to do so in Bahrain.

Rookies who participated in FP1 were:

• Ayumu Iwasa – Red Bull

• Dino Beganovic – Ferrari

• Frederik Vesti – Mercedes

• Felipe Drugovich – Aston Martin

• Luke Browning – Williams

• Ryō Hirakawa – Haas

These appearances are important for young drivers’ development but tend to reduce the value of the session from a team performance standpoint. Moreover, ambient temperatures peaked around 46°C, drastically reducing grip levels and further compromising the relevance of lap times.

Lewis Hamilton, now at Ferrari, reported having “no grip,” a sentiment echoed across the paddock. Oscar Piastri expressed dissatisfaction with the balance of his McLaren, particularly with the front wing setup. A minor incident occurred between Alex Albon and Luke Browning, though fortunately, it did not lead to significant damage. Albon was later fined £7,500 for his role in the near-miss—an increasingly common occurrence in F1 that raises questions about the transparency and purpose of such financial penalties.

FP2: A More Accurate Read on Race Pace

With cooler temperatures and more stable conditions under the floodlights, FP2 was far more indicative of each team’s real pace heading into the weekend. The session saw competitive short runs and longer stint simulations, offering the clearest data yet.

Lando Norris led the field with a time of 1:30.374, followed closely by Oscar Piastri. George Russell placed third, showing consistent pace for Mercedes, while Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc were further back in their Ferraris.

Red Bull, surprisingly, appeared off the pace. Max Verstappen finished outside the top five, and Yuki Tsunoda, now his full-time teammate, struggled to extract performance as well. Helmut Marko acknowledged the team was experiencing excessive tyre degradation, and noted that the circuit’s characteristics do not suit the current Red Bull package.

A concerning moment occurred for Fernando Alonso, whose steering wheel detached mid-lap. Fortunately, Alonso managed to remain composed, reconnect the wheel, and return to the garage. Aston Martin replaced the steering column, and Alonso rejoined the session without further issues.

Initial Takeaways

While it’s premature to draw definitive conclusions, Friday’s running did provide early insights:

• McLaren appears to have strong one-lap pace, though long-run performance remains under evaluation.

• Mercedes is in a competitive position, with Russell extracting consistent performance.

• Ferrari showed improvement once temperatures dropped, but more is needed to challenge at the front.

• Red Bull may face a tougher weekend than usual due to tyre degradation and circuit-specific limitations.

• The rookie drivers performed without major incident, but their presence, combined with extreme FP1 conditions, reduced overall session quality.

As always in Formula 1, it is Saturday that begins to solidify the competitive order. Qualifying will provide a clearer understanding.