Head over to today’s live F1 blog for the latest updates as Bahrain testing gets underway.
3 days ago22:56 Archie Griggs
Pre-season testing will finally get underway in Bahrain tomorrow morning.
The on-track action will begin at 7.00am (UK time) with the chequered flag set to drop at 4.00pm.
There will be a one-hour break at 11.00am so that drivers and team principals can have lunch and speak to the media.
You can watch the action live on Sky Sports F1 with coverage starting at 6.50am.
Those who are not subscribed can watch live coverage of testing via NOW with a Day or Month Sports Membership.
3 days ago22:12 Archie Griggs
Lewis Hamilton will be able to roll back the years and fight for titles again following his move from Mercedes to Ferrari.
That is the view of Red Bull advisor Helmut Marko, who said: “If Hamilton is motivated, he can continue where he left off in 2021.
“The comeback he delivered back then was impressive. The Ferrari has to be competitive, though.
“And Hamilton has to get qualifying right, that was never his strength.
“If he loses two or three tenths to Leclerc, he always has to work his way up a few starting positions. That puts a strain on the tyres.”
3 days ago21:10 Archie Griggs
Helmut Marko says it would be ‘logical’ for Aston Martin to make an attempt to sign Max Verstappen in the near future.
The reigning champion has been linked with a move to the British team since they landed former Red Bull designer Adrian Newey.
“You have a Newey who certainly expresses his own ideas and wishes on the driver side,” Marko told motorsport-total.
“It would only be logical if Aston Martin tried to make Max an offer.”
Quizzed on rumours that Aston Martin could make a £1bn offer, Marko replied: “I doubt whether it is really that high.
“It is said to have been a high offer, but we do not know whether the offer really existed.
“No team could afford that, no matter who is behind it. Should they even do that?
“I can’t comment on the team’s finances, but Red Bull is in a relatively good financial position compared to other teams in the pit lane.”
Helmut Marko has addressed rumours of Max Verstappen moving to Aston Martin (Image: GETTY)
3 days ago20:05 Archie Griggs
Max Verstappen has given his verdict after getting behind the wheel of Red Bull’s new challenger for the very first time.
The Dutchman, alongside his new team-mate Liam Lawson, took part in a filming run at the Bahrain International Circuit earlier today.
“It’s good to be back on track in Bahrain for this filming day before we head into testing,” said Verstappen.
“It is really nice to be back driving again and to get into RB21 for the first time.
“I got a few laps in, but today was more about getting comfortable in the car, seeing what fits and we will then learn more about the car over the next few days.”
3 days ago18:58 Archie Griggs
Lewis Hamilton has joked that he might not be able to fit into the Ferrari cockpit because he has been eating too much pizza.
“I’ve eaten so many pizzas in the last few weeks, but funnily enough, I’ve lost weight,” he said.
“Last week alone I had three pizzas. I love Italian food. Penne a la Arrabiata is still my absolute dish.
“”I have to watch my diet, but that will be difficult. I have to be careful.
“I can’t eat pizza all year round, otherwise I won’t fit in the car anymore.”
3 days ago16:50 Archie Griggs
Toto Wolff believes Lando Norris will have learned from his experiences last year heading into this season’s title fight.
The young Brit lacked the ruthlessness of Max Verstappen, leading to the Dutchman taking home the trophy despite being in a slower car.
“He’s a great driver,” said Wolff when quizzed on Norris’ title hopes.
“The team has done so well last year. He will have learned a lot [about] what he needs to work on.
“But overall, there were four teams that can win races. I hope the [upcoming] season is as competitive and exciting.”
Cadillac F1 chief Dan Towriss has revealed his team won’t be “just grabbing” any American driver when they enter F1 in 2026.
Cadillac have been accepted onto the grid, with F1 chiefs hoping their admission will grow the popularity of the sport in the USA.
And Towriss told Sky Sports News: “I think we would love to see an American driver in Formula One, but we certainly want to make sure we do it the right way.
“I think it’s crucially important that that person is set up for success. It won’t be a process of just grabbing an American and sticking him behind the wheel. We want to do it proper, and so more to come on that.”
Red Bull advisor Helmut Marko thinks it’s “logical” for Aston Martin to offer Max Verstappen a mouthwatering financial package to leave his current employers.
It has been reported that the Silverstone-based outfit are preparing to offer the Dutchman a £1billion deal to join them after they landed former Red Bull design leader Adrian Newey.
And Marko told Motorsport-Total: “That Newey is a big Max fan is no secret. And then it’s only logical that you make him an offer.
“I doubt whether it (the rumoured £1bn deal) is really that high, especially given Aston Martin’s current share price. It is said to have been a high offer. But we don’t know whether the offer really existed.”
Red Bull have showcased their updated car design for the 2025 F1 season after unveiling their RB21 ahead of the Bahrain testing.
The RB21 is an evolution of the RB20, with Red Bull posting a series of images of the vehicle on their website.
Red Bull technical director Pierre Wache told Motorsport.com: “The main thing that you are trying to achieve is a balance between making a car that is quicker than the others and making it nice to drive so that drivers can extract the most from it.
You know that if you increase the [operating] window you also reduce the overall potential. In 2023 we were proved that our direction was correct because we were quicker than the others. Last season we were proved that we were not correct.
“Every time there is a limit when the balance takes the benefit compared to the overall potential of the car. We have to fix it for this year.”
George Russell has admitted he’s been surprised by Andrea Kimi Antonelli’s demeanour in front of the camera. The two stars will race alongside each other at Mercedes this year after the Italian replaced seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton.
Russell and Antonelli chatted in a video on the Mercedes YouTube channel as the Briton asked his new team-mate to name something about himself that surprised people.
But before the 18-year-old could answer, Russell exclaimed: “I’d say one thing that you’ve surprised me [with], to be honest, is, like, you talk very well with all of these cameras considering how young you are.”
Antonelli then explained: “No, actually it’s what most people tell me to be honest. Also, some Italians are surprised by my English.”
F1 testing will take place in Bahrain on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday this week, with the likes of Max Verstappen, Lando Norris and Lewis Hamilton getting to grips with their cars ahead of the new season.
Testing will start at 7am GMT each day and will run until 4pm. Drivers will be given a lunch break between 11am and midday.
Lewis Hamilton has become a global brand ambassador for clothing company Lululemon. The collaboration was confirmed after Lululemon posted an epic teaser video featuring the Ferrari star.
In an article published to coincide with the announcement, Hamilton told GQ magazine: “I didn’t actually know they were doing men’s [clothing]. Obviously, there were women that I’d met who would just be raving about Lululemon. I was like, ‘Uh, I can’t wear the leggings.’
“I’m looking for that extra one per cent. Honestly, running, being in the gym [with] the weight, the feel of the fabric, it’s so rich. Feel is everything. When it comes to all the fabrics that I work with – when I’m designing clothes for example – the material is very, very important for me. There’s some brands I just can’t wear because it’s itchy.
“The silhouette is very important. I love colour-matching things – you want to look good when you go somewhere to work out.”
Max Verstappen has insisted he has no intention of missing any F1 races to witness the birth of his first child. The Dutchman’s long-term partner Kelly Piquet is due to give birth soon after announcing her pregnancy last December.
Verstappen explained, as quoted by Dutch publication Algemeen Dagblad: “It’s possible [that I could miss a race], but I won’t do it. This is just part of being a Formula One driver. If it happens, it happens. I can’t do anything about it.
“Unfortunately, Formula One drivers don’t get any free time, but at the same time, I’m not the one who gives birth. Anything is possible, but in Formula 1 that doesn’t exist. You can’t take two months off. Or I have to be suspended because I have too many penalty points for swearing.”
