Charles Leclerc has urged calm after setting the outright fastest time of Formula 1 pre-season testing in Bahrain, finishing almost nine tenths clear of Lando Norris in the final classification.
F1 testing: Ferrari on top in Bahrain
Ferrari wrapped up the final day of the second pre-season test at the Bahrain International Circuit in Sakhir with the satisfaction of topping the timesheets. Charles Leclerc, who was on driving duties for the entire final day of running, was the only driver to break the 1:32 barrier over the course of the test and ended up nearly nine tenths faster than McLaren’s Lando Norris.
Lap times, as team principal Frederic Vasseur also pointed out, must be taken with caution given the many variables at play during testing, including fuel loads, engine modes and tyre compounds. Even so, the overall impression left by the SF-25 is that of a well-balanced and consistent car, particularly strong in race pace simulations and capable of delivering positive feedback over a single qualifying-style lap.
Leclerc clocked a 1:31.992 on the C4 compound tyre and completed an intense and productive programme without any reliability concerns. The extensive run plan allowed Ferrari to fine-tune its preparation ahead of the 2025 season opener in Melbourne. The Scuderia will head to the Australian Grand Prix with a positive feeling — arguably much stronger than the one it carried into the same event twelve months ago.
Leclerc’s comments after Bahrain testing
Speaking at the end of the session, Leclerc stressed the importance of keeping expectations under control despite Ferrari’s headline lap time advantage.
“This test day went very smoothly, we completed our programme and tried everything we had planned. In terms of performance, it is still difficult to understand where we really are, because teams tend not to show their true potential, so it is important not to focus too much on lap times and to prepare in the best possible way for the first race,” said the Monegasque driver.
Looking ahead to the opening round of the season at Albert Park, Charles Leclerc underlined that the real picture will only become clear once competitive conditions apply.
“We will proceed step by step, trying to understand how to extract the maximum from our car: we have a lot of data to analyse before arriving in Melbourne and we will see how things go once we are there.”
With rivals like Red Bull, Mercedes and McLaren widely expected to have kept performance in hand during testing, Ferrari’s position in the competitive order remains difficult to define. However, the combination of strong long-run consistency, encouraging one-lap pace and a trouble-free programme offers solid foundations as the Scuderia prepares for the first race weekend of the 2025 Formula 1 season.
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