The first day of Formula 1 pre-season testing at the Bahrain International Circuit marked the beginning of the 2025 season preparations for McLaren. Both of the team’s drivers, Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri, took to the track to gather crucial data and assess the performance of their new cars. The day was pivotal in fine-tuning the set-up, especially as McLaren prepares to defend their World Constructors’ Championship title from 2024.
Norris off to a fast start
Lando Norris had a strong start to pre-season testing, finishing the first day with the fastest lap time of 1:30.430. This time was set during the afternoon session. It was extended by an extra hour due to a red flag as power was lost. Norris ended the day ahead of several notable competitors, including George Russell of Mercedes and Max Verstappen from Red Bull.
In addition to his on-track performance, Norris also contributed to the team’s data collection efforts. McLaren applied flow visualization paint, or Flow-vis, to his car during the session. This paint helps aerodynamicists analyze airflow over the car’s components, providing valuable insights for further adjustments and refinements.
Piastri focused on fine-tuning
Oscar Piastri’s first day of pre-season testing involved a more cautious approach as McLaren worked on optimizing the car set-up. The team had noted that this year’s car was significantly different from the previous season’s title-winning model. That means adjustments were necessary. As a result, Piastri’s performance was slower at the start of the day, with his lap time of 1:32.084 placing him 8th in the morning session.
Throughout the day, McLaren focused on fine-tuning the car’s set-up to meet the specific needs of Piastri. It could ensure that the car would perform optimally in a variety of conditions. Despite the slower start, Piastri’s efforts contributed to the ongoing development process.
McLaren’s prospects for the 2025 season
McLaren’s approach to the 2025 season is focused on refining the performance of their new car. With Lando Norris setting the fastest time on Day 1 and Oscar Piastri helping to adjust the car’s setup, the team is working towards ensuring that both drivers are prepared for the challenges of the upcoming season.
As they aim to defend their 2024 World Constructors’ Championship title and chase a World Drivers Championship, McLaren will continue to assess the car’s performance throughout the pre-season. Adjustments to the set-up and further development will be key in ensuring that the team remains competitive as the season progresses. Day 1 of testing has provided useful data. The team will look to build on this in the coming days to optimize both car performance and driver setup.
Norris and Piastri’s thoughts
Norris: “It’s nice to be back in the car! A big shout-out to the team for getting everything ready and prepared for today. It was a good, fun day on track, and we progressed through a lot of the tests that we wanted to do. I’m looking forward to pushing the car a bit more over the next couple of days.”
Piastri: “So, the first day in the MCL39 is done. Thank you to everyone in the team for getting us ready for today. It was a productive morning for me, as we tried quite a few different things and it was really nice to be back on track. We still have many more areas to cover in the coming days to keep putting the car through its paces and to see how it works, but overall, a solid day.”
