The second day of F1 pre-season testing saw Charles Leclerc behind the wheel of the SF-25 in the PM session once more as Ferrari completed their scheduled programme at the Bahrain International Circuit.
With light rain coming down a couple of times, the Monégasque driver concluded the session with 84 laps around the track. His best lap time of 1:29.431 came from a set of C3 compound tyres.
Earlier in the rain-affected AM session, Lewis Hamilton had completed 45 laps and topped the time sheets for the Italian team. The seven-time world champion clocked his best time of 1:29.379—the second-fastest of the day—on C3 tyres.
How Day 2 of testing went for the Ferrari duo
Unlike yesterday, Hamilton spent the entire AM session on the C3 tyres, alternating between fresh and used sets. He also pushed the SF-25 harder than before and helped the team gather further information regarding its limits. Following a break in the session with the rain intensifying and Ferrari opting to bring only slick tyres, the 40-year-old bolted on a fresh set and became the fastest of the morning runners.
After starting the PM session on a used set of C3 tyres, Leclerc took to the track fitting a new one and picked up his pace. In the midst of a light drizzle that impacted their performance, he carried on with the planned programme, including a qualifying and race simulation. While the 27-year-old used the C3 and C4 tyres on his flying laps, the long run was completed with the C3, C2, and C1 compounds.
On the final day of F1 testing, Ferrari will run Leclerc in the morning for the first time, with Hamilton taking over from the eight-time race winner in the afternoon.
Hamilton’s thoughts on the second day of testing
Hamilton stated that the second day of F1 testing with the Ferrari SF-25 was a positive one for him. Commending their excellent reliability so far, he revealed that they are going in the right direction in terms of understanding the characteristics of the car and extracting the most out of it.
Although he lamented the limited running during his rain-interrupted session, Hamilton added that he is excited to proceed with their programme tomorrow and further build up his confidence in the car.
“It’s been another positive day for us in Bahrain. We’re making strong progress in understanding the SF-25 and learning how to get the most out of it, and the reliability is good so far which is a really positive sign.
“We didn’t get to do as much running as we hoped because of the weather, but we have more time on track tomorrow to work through our programme and to build even more comfort in the car.
“I’m really enjoying working with the team and we’re all looking forward to the final push tomorrow.”
Hamilton’s increasing confidence in the SF-25
When asked whether his first Ferrari feels better than the last Mercedes he drove in 2024, Hamilton responded that it is too early to arrive at an answer. Nonetheless, he remarked that he is gradually “bonding” with the new Ferrari challenger.
“I think it’s a bit early to say, but I am really enjoying the car. We’re slowly bonding, I think.”
With regard to pushing the SF-25 to its limits, the 105-time race winner underscored the purpose of F1 testing and acknowledged that there is further room for exploration.
“I mean, that’s what these days are about. It’s about exploring. At the moment, I think there’s still room to explore more.”
Hamilton also addressed the challenges he has faced in terms of adapting to the new settings and getting to grips with how a Ferrari F1 car behaves on track in comparison to a Mercedes one.
“Bit by bit, I’m just eking out a little bit more each time. All the settings are so different, so even just brake bias and all those sorts of things – it’s much different to what I had in the previous place.
“It’s not necessarily unlearning what I did before, but kind of relearning this new way of working and the way the car likes to be driven, as it likes to be driven differently. That’s a really fun journey, learning that.”
Following his second F1 testing session in 2025, the 40-year-old nevertheless sounded rather content that Ferrari have produced a responsive car and revealed that modifications to the set-up have boosted his confidence in the SF-25.
“I can definitely feel the car underneath me; I feel like the car is responding to my inputs. Today was positive, making those incremental steps with the set-up.”
Leclerc on his tricky second session
Despite completing more laps than Hamilton, Leclerc labelled his session as tricky given that rain and a drop in temperature had adversely impacted the track conditions.
Confirming that they had completed the pre-scheduled programme for the second day of F1 testing, the Monégasque revealed that Ferrari found it challenging to determine the progress they had made since yesterday. Nonetheless, he added that they would thoroughly evaluate the data and capitalise on the final day of testing tomorrow.
“It was more tricky today on track because of what are unusual weather conditions for Bahrain, with cooler temperatures and even some rain.
“We ran through our planned programme, but with the conditions changing quickly, it was difficult to draw many conclusions. Tonight, we are fully focused on analysing our data and preparing for the last day of testing tomorrow.”
