George Russell emerged as the fastest driver to conclude 2025 F1 pre-season testing in Bahrain, delivering a late surge to edge out Max Verstappen.
The Bahrain International Circuit hosted three days of intense preparation ahead of the season-opening Australian Grand Prix, with teams and drivers fine-tuning their cars under varying conditions.
The final day of the 2025 F1 pre-season testing in Bahrain concluded with Mercedes’ George Russell topping the timesheets, narrowly edging out reigning four-time World Champion Max Verstappen by just 0.021 seconds.
Day 3 proved to be a dramatic and revealing session, offering insights into team performances and car setups ahead of the season-opening Australian Grand Prix.
The session saw peculiar interruptions including a red flag in the morning after a piece of glass fell onto the main straight from a gantry, causing a brief halt in proceedings. Later in the day, another red flag was issued due to an unusual sight—a bus mistakenly entering a service road near Turn 10.
Charles Leclerc fastest in morning run
The final day of 2025 F1 pre-season testing began with Charles Leclerc setting the pace for Ferrari in the morning session, completing 66 laps with a best time of 1:30.811 on medium C3 tires.
Ferrari’s performance was consistent through Day 3, though it was clear that other teams were holding back their true pace for later in the day.
Mercedes opted for a split-driver strategy, with Andrea Kimi Antonelli taking the wheel in the morning before handing over to George Russell for the afternoon session. Similarly, McLaren rotated their drivers, with Lando Norris running in the morning and Oscar Piastri stepping in after lunch.
Russell and Verstappen battle for top spot
Meanwhile, Max Verstappen had an uninterrupted day behind the wheel of the RB21, completing 81 laps as he focused on short to mid-length runs.
Red Bull experimented with various setups including a new nosecone and despite some understeer issues and a spin at Turn 13 the Dutchman gradually found his rhythm to ultimately set a time of 1:29.566, taking provisional P1 during the afternoon session.
While Verstappen had dethroned Pierre Gasly who had briefly topped the timesheets for Alpine with a time of 1:30.040, his benchmark would later suffer the same consequence after he was surpassed by Russell in the final minutes.
Russell’s time of 1:29.545 not only secured Mercedes’ place at the top but also marked one of the quickest laps across all three days of 2025 F1 pre-season testing. His late surge highlighted Mercedes’ potential to challenge Red Bull’s dominance this season.
Williams’ Alex Albon also impressed, completing an astonishing 137 laps—the most of any driver—and securing P3 with a time just 0.105 seconds behind Verstappen. Albon’s performance underscored Williams’ progress and positioned them as potential dark horses for the upcoming season.
Oscar Piastri showcased McLaren’s competitiveness by setting a time of 1:29.940 to secure P4, while Gasly ultimately settled for P5 after his earlier stint at the top.
Ferrari’s Lewis Hamilton concluded 2025 F1 pre-season testing in P6 with a time of 1:30.345 after completing 47 laps. Despite not topping the charts, Hamilton’s consistent pace suggested that Ferrari could be strong contenders when racing begins.
Yuki Tsunoda placed seventh for Racing Bulls F1 Team with a time of 1:30.497 after completing 87 laps. Esteban Ocon delivered a solid performance for Haas, finishing eighth and reaching an impressive century of laps despite a low-speed spin at Turn 1 that briefly triggered yellow flags.
Charles Leclerc concluded his morning efforts in ninth place, while Mercedes’ Andrea Kimi Antonelli rounded out the top ten with a time of 1:30.888.
Further down the order, Lando Norris finished 11th for McLaren after his morning stint, followed by Jack Doohan in 12th for Alpine.
Lance Stroll endured a challenging day for Aston Martin; feeling unwell during his initial run, he handed over driving duties to Fernando Alonso mid-session. Alonso managed to complete 82 laps but could only place 16th overall.
Nico Hulkenberg and Gabriel Bortoleto represented Sauber but struggled to match the pace of their rivals, finishing 14th and 17th respectively. Isack Hadjar also had a subdued outing for Racing Bulls F1 Team, placing 15th despite completing 73 laps.
The 2025 F1 pre-season testing provided valuable data for all teams as they prepare for Melbourne in two weeks’ time. While testing times are not always indicative of race performance due to varying fuel loads and tire compounds, certain trends emerged from Bahrain.
Mercedes and Red Bull appear poised to lead the pack once again, with Williams and McLaren showing significant improvement compared to previous seasons. Ferrari remains an enigma; while their pace was solid, it lacked the consistency displayed by their rivals.
2025 F1 pre-season testing Day 3 Results
