McLaren has delivered the first major statement of the 2025 season. Norris’ performance does not stand out on the day’s final classification—where he sits only in 14th place—but it is clear from the lap data of the afternoon session.
McLaren was among the teams that completed a full race simulation with three stints, and Norris’ pace was extremely fast—better (and by a notable margin) than what allowed Max Verstappen to win last year’s Bahrain Grand Prix. At the end of the three long runs, the reactions in the ‘papaya’ garage were quite telling, even though celebrations were limited to a few pats on the back.
Shortly after, Norris returned to the track for two qualifying simulations on C3 tires. In both cases, he pushed hard through the first two sectors before returning to the pits, preventing rivals from getting an accurate reference time.
Despite the missing data on a single fast lap, the real topic of discussion in the Sakhir paddock was Norris’ race simulation. The most pessimistic observers bluntly remarked, “They’re playing a different sport,” while others pointed out factors that may have worked in McLaren’s favor, such as the cooler temperatures and the possibility that all data acquisition instruments—usually present in testing—had been removed from Norris’ car before the long runs.
Tomorrow’s session should provide more clarity, as higher temperatures are expected compared to today’s 15°C, but the impression is that McLaren has already sown doubt among its direct competitors, particularly Mercedes and Ferrari.
For Ferrari, there was an opportunity to compare data from Norris’ long run with Leclerc’s race simulation, and despite the different conditions, the findings were not encouraging. Red Bull is saving everything for the final day, when Max Verstappen will take the wheel alongside some minor technical updates that arrived in Bahrain today.
Liam Lawson’s day was not without issues, starting with a water leak in a radiator that cost almost an hour in the garage. On the bright side, Kimi Antonelli continued his learning process, completing his first race simulation. There were a couple of mistakes in the final stint, but overall, his pace was solid and consistent.
Besides McLaren, there were also a few smiles in the Williams garage. While it doesn’t carry absolute value, Carlos Sainz’s fastest lap of the day was still a positive sign. He set it on C3 tires, the same as his rivals, and while engine mapping and fuel load may have played a role, Carlos Sainz’s performance was not just a one-off.
From his very first laps at Sakhir, Carlos looked comfortable in the car, and the volume of work he completed over a day and a half was significant. There are no miracles in Formula 1, and Williams will likely find itself behind the top four teams in Melbourne, but a spot in Q3 no longer seems impossible—at least based on what we’ve seen so far. That’s no small feat, considering the struggles the team faced last season, and it’s good news for Carlos Sainz, who, just over six months ago, put his trust in a team that was in much deeper trouble.
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