F1 2025 Bahrain Testing: Team Schedule and Drivers to Watch

After Formula 1’s first collective livery launch in London last week, all eyes are now on the pre-season testing.

Bahrain has taken over from Barcelona to become F1’s go-to spot for winter testing thanks to its reliable weather. It is all set to host the 10 F1 racing teams from 26 to 28 February, for 3-day testing at the Bahrain International Circuit. However, Bahrain won’t be hosting the campaign’s opening round.

The teams will be allowed to test one car per test day. Defending champion Max Verstappen will be among the first drivers to kick off the 2025 season in his new Red Bull RB21.

Below we tell you more about the testing times, driver lineup, and what to look out for.

Key Details

Testing dates: 26–28 February 2025

Testing schedule (morning): 10 am – 2 pm local time (7 am – 11 am UK time) 

Testing schedule (evening): 3 pm – 7 pm local time (12 pm – 4 pm UK time) 

Where to watch: Sky Sports

Line-up for the 2025 F1 Bahrain Test

Testing will run for eight hours every day in Bahrain. It’s divided into a 4-hour morning session followed by a 1-hour break, then another 4-hour session in the afternoon.

Here’s the complete schedule of the drivers testing during the three-day event:

McLaren, Ferrari, Aston Martin, and Sauber are also testing on these days but haven’t announced their driver lineup yet.

Drivers and Teams to Look Out For

Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing

Reigning champion, and four-time winner of the World Driver’s Championship title, Max Verstappen will be first up for the Red Bull Racing squad on the morning of Wednesday, 26 February.

The 27-year-old will be testing the RB21 for half a day on Day 1, followed by a full day of testing on Day 2. He will hand over the testing to the new team-mate, Liam Lawson for the afternoon on Day 1,  and a full day on Day 2.

Last season, Verstappen achieved 9 GP wins, including a standout performance in wet conditions at the São Paulo Grand Prix. He also secured 14 podium finishes and won the World Driver’s Championship with 437 points.

Team Red Bull Racing has replaced Sergio Pérez this season for a weak performance. Their new driver is 22-year-old Liam Lawson, who has entered only 11 GPs and has yet to have a podium finish.

Lando Norris, McLaren

Last year, McLaren clinched its first F1 Constructors’ Championship title since 1998, thanks to Lando Norris. Norris made his debut for McLaren in 2019 and secured his maiden podium in 2020. 2024 was his breakout season with 13 podium finishes and 4 wins. He finished second in the World Drivers’ Championship with 374 points, just 63 points short of winner Max Verstappen.

While the 25-year-old is gearing up for the title fight with Verstappen, he also feels this season will be the toughest. “I think you’re probably going to have this season some winners that aren’t McLaren, Ferrari, Mercedes, or Red Bull, which I think is good for F1 and is good for the fans,” he recently said in an interview about the strong lineup of drivers.

Lewis Hamilton, Ferrari

The Hamilton-Ferrari alliance has been the highlight of the 2025 pre-season. The seven-time World Champion joined Scuderia Ferrari this season, leaving Mercedes after a 12-year tenure. 

Hamilton has just 1.5 days to fully acclimatize with Ferrari’s SF-25. The new model has some significant design changes, most notably a switch from pushrod to pullrod front suspension, aimed at optimizing aerodynamic performance. 

With Hamilton, Ferrari finally has a chance to end its 16-year wait for the title.

Andrea Kimi Antonelli (Rookie), Mercedes

Mercedes will launch its AMG F1 W16 E Performance on 24th February at the Silverstone Circuit in the UK. Just ahead of the launch, their drivers unveiled a new team wear, as a part of Mercedes’ first official Adidas collection.

This year, Mercedes has given the wheel to 18-year-old Andrea Kimi Antonelli. The rookie takes over from Lewis Hamilton and has very high expectations to live up to.

Kimi made his F4 championships debut in 2022 at the age of 15, and the Formula Regional Middle East and European categories a year later. He swiftly earned a promotion to F2 and skipped F3. He consistently scored points in F2 but never made it to the podium. He finally had breakthrough victories at Silverstone, Hungaroring, and Spa-Francorchamps. 

The 18-year-old is realistic about his prospects. “Of course, the mindset is always going to be the same: trying to go on track and win, and do the best results possible. But you have to be realistic at the same time because the level is super competitive,” he said in an interview.

Fernando Alonso, Aston Martin

Last year, Aston Martin failed to clinch a single podium and finished fifth in the Constructors’ Championship. This year, however, driver Fernando Alonso is confident of a turnaround. The design of Aston Martin’s AMR25 has been revised radically with new aerodynamics, side pods, front wing, and brake ducts. 

43-year-old Alonso will be the oldest driver on the track this season. He has two world championships, 32 wins, 106 podiums, 22 pole positions, 2337 points, and 401 starts to his name.

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