Liam Lawson has completed his 2025 Formula One pre-season testing in Bahrain, concluding a full day of running in the Red Bull RB21.
The Kiwi driver delivered a solid performance, completing 91 laps during the eight hours of running, securing a commendable seventh-fastest time with a lap of 1:30.252.
However, the day wasn’t without its challenges. Lawson encountered several “teething gremlins,” as he described them, including a suspected water pressure issue that cost him valuable track time. Unforeseen wet weather further disrupted the testing schedule, impacting his overall run plan.
“We were fighting a few teething gremlins with the car through the day,” Lawson explained, “A few of our runs were cut short a little bit and we had to deal with the weather too, which wasn’t great timings for our run plan, as I imagine was the case for most of the pitlane.”
Despite these setbacks, Lawson expressed a positive outlook, stating, “I am getting more comfortable in the car, it has been a busy day overall.”
His teammate, Max Verstappen, will now take over driving duties for Red Bull, concluding their pre-season testing.
At the head of the timesheets for Day two was new Williams’ recruit Carlos Sainz Jr., who set the fastest lap of the day with a 1:29.348. Close behind, the Ferrari pair of Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc rounded out the top three, both within a tenth of Sainz’s time.
Day one pace-setters McLaren had a comparatively quieter day, with Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris finishing 13th and 14th respectively. This highlights that raw speed in testing isn’t everything; McLaren remain the pre-season favorites, a strong consensus within the paddock.
Lawson’s next opportunity to pilot the RB21 comes at the season-opening Australian Grand Prix in Melbourne, March 14-16, where he’ll aim to build on this pre-season testing. The action kicks off in just two weeks time!
Header Image: Red Bull Content Pool
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