Red Bull suffer nightmare session as Mercedes star forced to retire… Read more
The 2025 Formula 1 season got underway in dramatic fashion at the Bahrain Grand Prix, with a chaotic and revealing first practice session (FP1). While McLaren’s Lando Norris set the pace and looked in fine form, it was a session to forget for Red Bull and Mercedes, who both faced issues that left them trailing in the early pecking order.
Red Bull’s Rocky Start
Red Bull endured a nightmare start to their Bahrain weekend. Rookie Ayumu Iwasa, stepping in for the opening practice session, could only manage 19th on the timesheets. His lap time was a substantial 2.271 seconds off Norris’ benchmark, highlighting the struggles he faced in getting to grips with the RB21.
Meanwhile, Yuki Tsunoda, recently promoted from Racing Bulls to the main Red Bull squad, was outpaced by Liam Lawson—his predecessor—who now races for Red Bull’s sister team. Lawson secured 8th place, while Tsunoda had to settle for 9th. The Japanese driver has shown flashes of speed in 2025 but is yet to consistently outperform his peers, and today’s session further emphasized the learning curve he’s still navigating.
Mercedes Misfortune: Antonelli’s Power Failure
Over at Mercedes, the headlines were dominated by teenage sensation Kimi Antonelli—but not for the reasons the team would have hoped. The 18-year-old Italian, taking over Lewis Hamilton’s former seat, was forced to pull into the pits just minutes into FP1 after reporting a power issue. He never made it back out onto the track, effectively ending his session before it began. With a time of 1:38.051, nearly five seconds off the leader, he finished last of the 20 drivers.
This technical failure casts a shadow over Mercedes’ reliability as they head deeper into the race weekend. Antonelli’s teammate Frederik Vesti, also in action during FP1, placed 18th and was more than two seconds behind the session leader—another sign that the Silver Arrows are yet to find their rhythm this season.
Hamilton’s Ferrari Still a Work in Progress
Lewis Hamilton, now donning red for Ferrari in his first season away from Mercedes, had his own set of complaints. The seven-time world champion has openly spoken about the difficulties he’s faced adapting to Ferrari’s unique handling characteristics in 2025, and those frustrations were evident again during this session. Despite his discomfort, Hamilton managed to clock the third-fastest time of the session, just under six-tenths behind Norris. While the result is promising on paper, Hamilton’s radio messages and post-session comments suggested there’s still work to be done to fine-tune the Ferrari to his driving style.
Strong Start for McLaren and Alpine
Lando Norris emerged as the standout performer of FP1, posting the fastest lap of the session at 1:33.204. His McLaren appeared well-balanced and responsive, and his pace suggested the team is in a strong position heading into the rest of the weekend. Alpine also enjoyed a solid showing, with Pierre Gasly finishing second—just 0.238 seconds adrift of Norris—while Jack Doohan, subbing in for FP1, impressed with a 7th-place finish.
Alex Albon continued his upward trajectory with Williams, placing fourth and outperforming more established teams in the process. His teammate for the session, rookie Luke Browning, also made a name for himself, finishing 13th. Browning was the highest-placed among the six rookie drivers fielded in FP1, an encouraging sign for the Williams development program.
Other Notable Performers
Esteban Ocon put Haas in fifth, delivering a performance that showed the team’s winter work may be paying off. Nico Hulkenberg, now with Kick Sauber, followed closely in sixth. Oscar Piastri rounded out the top ten for McLaren, keeping the team’s momentum strong.
Further down the order, Gabriel Bortoleto and Isack Hadjar finished 11th and 12th respectively, while Ferrari’s reserve driver Dino Beganovic was 14th. Aston Martin’s Lance Stroll and Felipe Drugovich took 15th and 16th. Ryō Hirakawa, driving for Haas, settled into 17th.
FP1 Result Summary – Bahrain GP 2025
1. Lando Norris (McLaren) – 1:33.204
2. Pierre Gasly (Alpine) – +0.238s
3. Lewis Hamilton (Ferrari) – +0.596s
4. Alex Albon (Williams) – +0.724s
5. Esteban Ocon (Haas) – +0.980s
6. Nico Hulkenberg (Kick Sauber) – +1.058s
7. Jack Doohan (Alpine) – +1.192s
8. Liam Lawson (Racing Bulls) – +1.193s
9. Yuki Tsunoda (Red Bull) – +1.280s
10. Oscar Piastri (McLaren) – +1.304s
(11th–20th continue in order: Bortoleto, Hadjar, Browning, Beganovic, Stroll, Drugovich, Hirakawa, Vesti, Iwasa, Antonelli)
Looking Ahead
As teams analyze the data and look to optimize their setups for qualifying and the race, FP1 has already thrown up key talking points: McLaren’s strong form, Hamilton’s ongoing adaptation to Ferrari, and worrying signs from both Red Bull and Mercedes. With the competitive order still taking shape, the Bahrain Grand Prix promises further surprises as the weekend progresses.
