Pre-Season 2025 Testing

[FB]

After the razzamatazz of the car launches at F1 75 the teams now pack up and make there way to Bahrain for three days of pre-season testing. The testing is sponsored, well of course it is.

One assumes all the cars are evolutions of the 2024 machines. It will be interesting to see if anything significantly different rolls out of the garages in the tests.

I don't believe Sky will be covering the testing live but I'm sure there will be there usually evening round up where cider_and_toast can luxuriate in Ted's Testing Note Book. Let us hope that one team hasn't stolen a lead on the others during the closed season and we have close, competitive, racing.

 

[F1Brits_90]

I don't believe Sky will be covering the testing live

if im correct, the last few years testing has been joint effort between F1TV & Sky

 

[cider_and_toast]

It will be interesting to see if anything significantly different rolls out of the garages in the tests

I've heard that this years McLaren is a very, very slightly lighter shade of papaya and that a screw that holds the drivers drinks bottle in place is three microns thinner this year.

Sounds like a race winner to me.

 

[Johnny Carwash]

It’s on Sky Sports at 06.50 on Wednesday morning FB .

 

[F1Brits_90]

1 of the stranger red flags ive seen. power cut at the circuit

 

[Il_leone]

No one giving away anything although the rookies were doing more laps which was expected

 

[F1Brits_90]

this is a weird test, red flag for power cut & now wet tyres in the desert

https://twitter.com/x/status/1895031792291254665

https://twitter.com/x/status/1894803336626360670

 

[F1Brits_90]

No one giving away anything although the rookies were doing more laps which was expected

no, every chat starts with, "its testing". but i think george russell is very pleased with his mercedes. as when laura winter was repeating his phrase of "within 5 laps you'll know if your having a good season". he seemed very happy

 

[Il_leone]

no, every chat starts with, "its testing". but i think george russell is very pleased with his mercedes. as when laura winter was repeating his phrase of "within 5 laps you'll know if your having a good season". he seemed very happy

Still think Mclaren are not showing their hand

Mercedes probably is better than last year

Ferrari look good

The Red Bull looks a bit sensitive

 

[Johnny Carwash]

Lando Norris‘s race pace looked extremely quick.

 

[Dirty_Camaro]

Lando Norris‘s race pace looked extremely quick.

Yes - his race sim run was, in total, 20 seconds up. But we all know the caveats.

I just hope MBS doesn't mess it all up by taking sides and coming up with some spurious rulings that decide the outcomes. I can well see it, with his thirst for ultimate power.

Anyway, having free stream on Sky Sports online has been nice this pre-season.

 

[cider_and_toast]

For a team that's supposedly concentrating on 2026, Williams look to have a reliable car with the decent amount of performance.

 

[The Artist.....]

For a team that's supposedly concentrating on 2026, Williams look to have a reliable car with the decent amount of performance.

Amazingly, Williams are running the same tub as in 2024 - which surprised me no end...

 

[F1Brits_90]

For a team that's supposedly concentrating on 2026, Williams look to have a reliable car with the decent amount of performance.

with 2 great drivers as well. with a albon that cant get away with being 7/10 anymore. i can see them being 5th fastest car this year

 

[cider_and_toast]

No doubt Autosport will ruine my hopes by doing their usual calculations at the end of testing which will reveal each teams approximate race pace, but for now, could we see Williams trouble the top 3 at some point this season?

 

[F1Brits_90]

No doubt Autosport will ruine my hopes by doing their usual calculations at the end of testing which will reveal each teams approximate race pace, but for now, could we see Williams trouble the top 3 at some point this season?

sadly no. because the top 4 are just that good. but to go from 9th to 5th is still an incredible job from james vowles. for whats its worth my guess is

Mclaren
Ferrari
Mercedes
Red Bull

Williams
Alpine
Toro Rosso AlphaTauri RB Racing Bulls
Aston Martin
Haas
Audi kick sauber

 

[Johnny Carwash]

I don’t think they’ll be a clear picture until after the race in Japan.

 

[Il_leone]

Apart from Mclaren look like it has the quickest car

 

[F1Brits_90]

some interesting technical discussion with ted & bernie