George Russell topped the timing sheets on the final day of F1 pre-season testing
Three days of Formula 1 pre-season testing are in the books, and the new era at Mercedes has officially begun.
With Lewis Hamilton clad in red for his first season at Ferrari, the new Mercedes driver pairing of George Russell and Andrea Kimi Antonelli wrapped up three days of pre-season testing at Bahrain International Circuit. The third day drew to a close with Russell atop the timing sheets, posting a lap time of 1:29.545 on the C3 compound. That time was also good enough for fourth over the three days of testing, behind Carlos Sainz Jr., Hamilton, and Charles Leclerc.
The Mercedes pair also banked 458 laps over the three days in Bahrain, the most of any team.
Following the three days of work both Russell and Antonelli, along with Trackside Engineering Director Andrew Shovlin, sounded positive in their assessment.
“We’ve had a solid three days of pre-season testing here in Bahrain. The team has worked hard over the winter to improve on the weaknesses of the W15 and, from the initial signs, we seem to have made good steps in those areas with our 2025 challenger. Despite a few red flag interruptions and some rain, we’ve managed to get through most of the program. It is a testament to the hard work of everyone at Brackley and Brixworth that we were able to complete the most laps of any team over the course of the test,” said Shovlin.
”Over the next week, we will pick through that data to assess areas of improvement and to bring the most effective race car we can for the first race in Melbourne in two weeks’ time. It is of course far too early to make an accurate prediction of the competitive order. However, we can be pleased with how the test has gone and look forward to heading to Australia to begin the 2025 season,” added the Mercedes Engineering Director.
“We’ve had a productive three days here at pre-season testing in Bahrain. The team at Brackley, Brixworth, and here trackside have done a great job to have us ready for the test and rack up a significant amount of mileage. We’ve had a seamless three days, and the car is running well. It is no surprise to see some of our competitors, particularly McLaren, looking strong,” said Russell. “We’ve compiled significant data and knowledge which gives the opportunity to find further improvements ahead of Melbourne. Kimi and I will be in the factory next week, driving on the simulator, and everyone will be pushing flat out to ensure we bring our best to Australia. I can’t wait to get started!”
As for Antonelli, he described his first F1 pre-season testing as a “positive.”
“Overall, it’s been a good three days on track here in Bahrain. It’s been a positive test, and we’ve built our knowledge of the W16 with plenty of running. There were a few interruptions and red flags that delayed our program, but we got through everything we wanted to. The conditions have also been mixed, with cold and windy conditions particularly on the first two days,” said Antonelli. “That has made it even more difficult than usual to get an idea of the competitive order, but we have just focused on our own work and are pleased with what we’ve achieved. We can now go away, look through the data and continue to work on how we can bring the best race car possible to the first race in Melbourne in two weeks’ time.
”From my own perspective, I’ve enjoyed getting out on track for the first time as a Mercedes works driver. It’s been good to continue building my experience of working with the team and furthering my preparations for my rookie season. I’m excited to get to Melbourne now and get the 2025 season properly underway.”
The team now has less than two weeks to prepare for the season-opening Australian Grand Prix.
