Carlos Sainz marked the second day of the Formula 1 pre-season testing in Bahrain with the fastest lap recorded so far in the three-day event, surpassing the earlier time set by Lewis Hamilton.

Sainz clocked a time of 1m29.366s shortly after the testing resumed post-lunch and further improved his lap time to 1m29.348s during the initial hour of the afternoon, utilizing the C3 tire compound.

This achievement placed Sainz just ahead of Hamilton by 0.03s, although he did experience a minor spin later while testing the C4 tires.

Despite a brief light rain shower before sunset, conditions improved and did not hinder testing as significantly as the earlier downpour, which had interrupted an hour of running.

Once Sainz established his lead on the time sheets, few drivers attempted to challenge him, as most teams focused on race simulations. Sainz himself engaged in an extended stint on C3 tires instead of pushing to beat his own record.

Lando Norris sought to rival his former teammate by setting a competitive time in the last 15 minutes with C3 tires, but he was unable to take full advantage of a strong middle sector after going off track at Turn 14, quickly returning to the pits.

Lando Norris, McLaren

Photo by: Steven Tee / Motorsport Images

As a result, Sainz held his top spot, completing the day with the highest lap count of 127.

Charles Leclerc, who took over driving duties from Hamilton in the afternoon session, secured the third fastest time, just 0.05s behind Sainz. Despite spinning at Turn 14 while trying to improve his pace on C4 tires, he managed to finish with 83 laps.

George Russell’s morning performance allowed him to retain fourth place, narrowly ahead of his rookie teammate Andrea Kimi Antonelli. Despite encountering a couple of run-offs as he familiarized himself with F1, Antonelli showed promising speed.

Lance Stroll came in sixth, outpacing Liam Lawson, as Red Bull resolved a water pressure issue plaguing the Kiwi’s vehicle during the morning session.

The Alpine team members, Jack Doohan and Pierre Gasly, secured the eighth and ninth positions, respectively, while Isack Hadjar rounded out the top ten, being the only driver to clock his best time on C4s instead of C3s.

McLaren’s Oscar Piastri and Norris finished in 13th and 14th place, respectively. Despite Norris’s interrupted lap, their race pace has shown potential.

The Haas drivers remained at the bottom of the timesheets, focusing primarily on longer runs throughout the day.

Day 2 Results from 2025 F1 Pre-Season Testing

Highlights from the Bahrain Pre-Season Testing – Day 2