Starting Wednesday, the Bahrain International Circuit in Sakhir will kick off the new Formula 1 World Championship season by hosting the only winter preparatory tests. All eyes will be on the seven-time British world champion. Lewis Hamilton, dressed in red for the Ferrari team.
After a high-profile driver presentation evening in London, the mood will be calmer at the Bahrain circuit, where the teams will have some hard work to do before the first Grand Prix, which will take place in Australia on March 16.
Although the colours of the cars are now known with their new liveries and some images have circulated on the circuits, these three days of testing before the season will allow us to know more about the expected performances, which should be very close this season, both for the leading teams and for the others.
Ferrari's French boss, Frederic, predicts that the new season will be "a continuation of last year, with four teams (Red Bull, McLaren, Ferrari and Mercedes) capable of winning races and securing the championship. It will be a great battle."
In this last season before the revolution planned for 2026, which will see major changes in the technical regulations regarding the engine and structure, the rapprochement observed in 2024 will continue this year, making predictions of the results very difficult.
This year's cars will be an extension of last year's, and while teams have worked hard in the short run-up to the season to improve their situation, the biggest focus will be on the 2026 season. Very soon, teams will stop developing the 2025 car and focus all their resources on next year's.
While we wait to see how things evolve over the course of the 24-race season, the ten teams will use the three days of testing at the Gulf to learn more about their cars and adjust set-ups in preparation for the opening race.
Hamilton ready for the challenge
Although we should not rush to conclusions, the winter tests carried out last year allowed us to discover the superiority of Red Bull and the great difficulties encountered by the Alpine team.
But before talking about the times that will be recorded, the Sakhir circuit will above all be the scene of the event that has been eagerly awaited for a year: Hamilton's first official laps at the wheel of a Ferrari, after having spent the last 12 seasons in the colours of Mercedes.
The 40-year-old 'Sir', who won his last title with the 'Silver Arrows' in 2020, is chasing his record eighth title in a bid to surpass German legend Michael Schumacher.
Since losing his title in 2021 to the Dutch Red Bull driver Max Verstappen In the controversial last race at Yas Marina in Abu Dhabi, the Briton finished sixth, third and then seventh in the last three seasons, seeing his bitter rival 'Mad Max' dominate in those years.
Hamilton delighted his fans by testing the new SF-25 at Ferrari's Fiorano Modenese circuit, just outside Modena in northern Italy.
His arrival has ignited the passion of Scuderia Ferrari fans, who have been waiting for over 15 years for a return to winning ways, the last drivers' title dating back to 2007 with Kimi Raikkonen and the constructors' title in 2008.
Hamilton said in his first press conference in red on Wednesday: "I've worked with two world championship teams before (McLaren and Mercedes) and I know what a winning team looks like. The passion here is second to none and the team has all the elements needed to win the world championship. It's just a matter of putting it all together."
He added, with a record of 105 wins and 104 pole positions, among several other figures in the category: "The Ferrari team is completely different. As soon as you put on the overalls, enter the garage, put on the helmet and sit on the seat, you feel an incredible passion. It's all exciting. When I was a kid, I dreamed of racing for Ferrari, and I still pinch myself to believe that it's really happening."
Five new arrivals
The Bahrain test will allow five newcomers to experience driving as regular drivers rather than test or reserve drivers. They are Australian Jack Doohan (Alpine), British Oliver Berman (Haas), Brazilian Gabriel Portolito (Sauber), Italian Andrea Kimi Antonelli (Mercedes) and Frenchman Isaac Hajar (Racing Bulls).
While New Zealander Liam Lawson, the new teammate of four-time world champion Max Verstappen at Red Bull, has contested 11 races in 2023 and 2024 with Red Bull's junior team (AlphaTauri, then RB), Antonelli, Portolito and Hajar have no F1 experience and will have to absorb a lot of information this week. Berman already tested F1 in three races last season with Ferrari and Haas, while Doohan made an appearance in the final race of last season.
Hajar told AFP: "I'm looking forward to seeing how things go in Bahrain. I'm really looking forward to this test. Am I ready for F1? Honestly, I'll have my answer after the three days of testing. At the moment, I'm still a bit nervous, but I've done the necessary preparations before this test. I couldn't be better prepared."
