The first session of the second day of testing in Bahrain for Formula One has concluded and both Carlos Sainz and Fernando Alonso have been key players in this round of practice. The Spaniard from Madrid has slipped into third position and Alonso, who has been simulating race times, has achieved fifth place.
Carlos Sainz sets the third fastest time with the Williams
The FW47 works, or at least Carlos Sainz makes it work. The first day’s tests saw him set the fifth fastest time on the grid, very close to the best, and well ahead of Gasly in sixth place. In this morning’s session his times were very good again. His best lap was 1:30:090, 0.711 behind Hamilton’s best time (1:29:379) and 0.399 behind Russell’s second best time.
However, the leading drivers achieved their best times on intermediate tires, while Carlos Sainz achieved the third best time on hard tires. James Vowles, head of the Williams team, was the first to recognize the good sensations transmitted by the new car and the driver from Madrid.
The Spaniard will complete the entire session on Thursday, that is to say, he will also participate in the afternoon session, which begins at 1:00 p.m.
No more problems for Alonso
Yesterday’s session at Aston Martin was a mixed bag. When the car was able to run, the sensations were very good, and the telemetry shows this. The car was going very fast in corners and the team did not want to apply full power to the car.
The problems with the sensors at McLaren seem to have been solved. The Spaniard was able to drive without problems and focused on long runs and race simulations. The Spaniard, without looking for time, achieved a 1:30.700, placing the Aston Martin in fifth place. We will have to wait until tomorrow to see the Spaniard again and see where the time of his AMR25 can be set.
Hamilton sets the best time
And on the second day he appeared… Lewis Hamilton set the fastest time of the morning session with the SF-25 (1:29:379), as Leclerc did yesterday. Ferrari looks set to be the strongest team, but Mercedes seems to be the dark horse in these first pre-season tests.
Red Bull, with problems
On this first day of the second day, the problems have been for Red Bull. Lawson has hardly been able to drive on this day, and the team is talking about technical problems with the hydraulic pressure. We will see if the team is able to solve these errors for the second phase of the tests, with Max Verstappen.
With the conclusion of these tests, we reach the halfway point of the official F1 tests for the new season that begins in two weeks in Australia. It is there that we will see the real situation of each team and how the grid is made for 2025, but we are left with a good feeling for the Spanish.
It seems clear that Aston Martin has taken a step forward to be able to be at a similar level to that shown in 2023. Fernando Alonso wants podiums and to achieve the long-awaited 33rd victory. And Williams is the big surprise. Carlos Sainz seems to have landed on his feet at the legendary British factory and has managed to exceed expectations. With his third place finish in this session, it is the second day in a row that he has basked in the glory of being among the best on the grid.