Antonelli tops morning session in Bahrain test on Day 1

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Mercedes rookie Kimi Antonelli topped the opening morning of pre-season testing at the Bahrain International Circuit as teams entered in earnest their preparations for the 2025 F1 season.

The young Italian, who has taken over Lewis Hamilton seat at Mercedes, topped a trouble-free four hours of running at Sakhir, with all ten teams displaying rock solid reliability with their new-spec cars.

Antonelli’s fastest lap of 1m31.428s edged Red Bull’s Liam Lawson by 0.132s, while Alex Albon was third quickest for Williams, 0.145s adrift.

Racing Bulls Yuki Tsunoda clocked in just outside the top three, 0.182s behind Antonelli, but with the greatest number of laps – 78 – under his belt.

Lewis Hamilton enjoyed a productive work session during his first public appearance with Ferrari, the Briton snagging fifth in the pecking order, although he was 0.406s behind his Mercedes successor.

Meanwhile, Jack Doohan didn’t put a foot wrong with Alpine, racking up 68 laps and claiming sixth with a razor-close 1:31.841s.

Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso, on the other hand, took it a bit easier, cruising through just 46 laps—the fewest of the morning group bunch—but still posted a respectable 1:31.874s.

Oscar Piastri worked diligently with McLaren, powering through 65 laps and landing eighth with a 1m32.169s, while Nico Hulkenberg was fifth for Sauber.

Rounding out the top 10, young gun Oliver Bearman showed stamina as he put 72 laps on the board but his 1m35.522s was a significant 4.094s off the pace.

The session rolled on smoothly, with only a single eyebrow-raising moment when Lawson spun out on Turn 3’s exit, giving the trackside crew a little excitement.

Up next, the afternoon session fires up at 15:00 local time (12:00 BST), where the other half of the grid gets their shot to shine.

Pos.	Driver	Team	Best Time	Gap	Laps
1	Kimi Antonelli	Mercedes	1'31.428		78
2	Liam Lawson	Red Bull	1'31.560	0.132	58
3	Alexander Albon	Williams	1'31.573	0.145	63
4	Yuki Tsunoda	Racing Bulls	1'31.610	0.182	77
5	Lewis Hamilton	Ferrari	1'31.834	0.406	70
6	Jack Doohan	Alpine	1'31.841	0.413	68
7	Fernando Alonso	Aston Martin	1'31.874	0.446	46
8	Oscar Piastri	McLaren	1'32.084	0.656	65
9	Nico Hulkenberg	Sauber	1'32.169	0.741	55
10	Oliver Bearman	Haas	1'35.522	4.094	72

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Phillip van Osten

Motor racing was a backdrop from the outset in Phillip van Osten's life. Born in Southern California, Phillip grew up with the sights and sounds of fast cars thanks to his father, Dick van Osten, an editor and writer for Auto Speed and Sport and Motor Trend. Phillip's passion for racing grew even more when his family moved to Europe and he became acquainted with the extraordinary world of Grand Prix racing. He was an early contributor to the monthly French F1i Magazine, often providing a historic or business perspective on Formula 1's affairs. In 2012, he co-authored along with fellow journalist Pierre Van Vliet the English-language adaptation of a limited edition book devoted to the great Belgian driver Jacky Ickx. He also authored "The American Legacy in Formula 1", a book which recounts the trials and tribulations of American drivers in Grand Prix racing. Phillip is also a commentator for Belgian broadcaster Be.TV for the US Indycar series.