Verstappen has something to worry about: Norris, Russell and Leclerc are biting; Sainz, 5th, and Alonso, 15th

The 2025 Formula 1 pre-season has come to a close at the Bahrain circuit, following on from the end of the 2024 season in Abu Dhabi less than three months ago: with the hegemony of champion Max Verstappen being called into question. Not just by one, but by as many as three cars. Will this be the case for 2025?

The first photograph of the 2025 season once again shows McLaren as the most competitive car (it is the current Constructors' champion and runner-up in the Drivers' championship), with Verstappen and his Red Bull now being squeezed by Ferrari, Mercedes and the Woking team.

The snapshot does not yet show Fernando Alonso's revolutionary Aston Martin (15th, set in the morning session) in the leading positions, but it does show a promising Williams of Carlos Sainz in fifth.

The opening session of the pre-season was marked by a power outage - unusual in F1 and in Bahrain (which is hosting winter testing for the fifth year in a row) - which left the track inactive for an hour, as daylight began to fade, and by rain that appeared timidly.

On track, Norris, the winner and poleman of the last GP of 2024, moved into first place on the timesheets with an hour and a half to go in the day. The final moment saw the front end move further, with Sainz moving up to fifth place and Verstappen to second (later relegated to third by Russell).

Until that final moment, Leclerc dominated the afternoon session in the Ferrari (he finished fourth), with a 1m30s878 after setting a record in the first and second sectors. He was overtaken by Russell, Verstappen and finally Norris.

In the morning session, the fastest was the Italian Andrea Kimi Antonelli, the new Mercedes driver, replacing Lewis Hamilton. He was followed by Fernando Alonso, second with the Aston Martin AMR25, which sported a flexible front wing. The Spaniard was later overtaken by another debutant, in this case at the wheel of another car, Hamilton with a Ferrari. The Englishman completed 70 laps in his first contact with the SF25 in testing.

Training will continue on Thursday at the Sajir circuit in Bahrain.