Hamilton: "Driving the Ferrari is incredible". Leclerc: "Nice to run without a hitch"

First day of F1 testing in Bahrain ahead of the season opener in Melbourne in mid-March, and the drivers' first impressions. "It's great to be back on track. The whole team has put a lot of effort into the SF-25 project over the winter break, so it's exciting to finally be able to start pushing with the car," said Charles Leclerc, who finished fourth. "As for today, it's always good to have a smooth session, with no unpleasant surprises that affect the work program. Having said that, it's still too early to draw conclusions about our performance. We'll take a good look at today's data and use what we've learned tonight when we get back to work tomorrow."

"Testing is always interesting: for the first time you see what the various teams have developed and you can start to get to grips with the car and the year ahead," commented newcomer Lewis Hamilton, thirteenth. "To be here with Ferrari and get into the SF-25 here is an incredible feeling. Our programme is to try different things, collect as much data as possible and familiarise ourselves with the car. We have already learned a lot today, even if it is early to really understand the absolute values. Everything seems to be going well and as a team we are working on the best way to optimise every outing on track. There is still a lot to do in the coming days to complete our programme and understand the car to the best of our ability, and I can't wait to get back on track tomorrow."