F1: Carlos Sainz Tops Day 2 of 2025 Bahrain Pre-season as Williams Shows Strong Pace

Carlos Sainz topped the second day of Formula 1 pre-season testing in Bahrain, setting the fastest lap of 1m29.348s. He edged out Lewis Hamilton’s morning benchmark by just 0.03s, showcasing Williams' strong pace. Sainz also completed the most laps of the day, clocking 127 despite a spin on C4 tyres. Light rain briefly appeared before nightfall but caused less disruption than the pre-lunch shower, which had taken an hour from the session. With most teams shifting to race simulations in the afternoon, Sainz’s time remained unbeaten. Lando Norris made a late attempt to challenge for the top spot but ran wide at Turn 14 and abandoned his lap. McLaren prioritised long runs, with Norris and teammate Oscar Piastri finishing outside the top 10.

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Charles Leclerc, taking over Hamilton’s car in the afternoon, secured third place, just 0.05s behind Sainz. He completed 83 laps. George Russell’s morning time was enough for fourth, narrowly ahead of rookie Andrea Kimi Antonelli.

Lance Stroll took sixth place, followed by Liam Lawson, who recovered from a water pressure issue that limited his morning running.

Alpine’s Jack Doohan and Pierre Gasly finished eighth and ninth, while Isack Hadjar completed the top 10 as the only driver to set his fastest lap on C4s. Williams and Haas focused on long runs rather than outright speed.

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Haas finished at the bottom of the timesheets again, prioritising race simulations over single-lap performance. As testing continues, teams will refine their setups ahead of the season opener in Bahrain.