Who Will Dominate the F1 Pre-Season Testing This Year?

-by Dr. AK Rana F1 Pre-season testing is finally here! The moment that marks the start of a new season, and for F1 fans, this is pure therapy.

Across three days, drivers take turns testing their machines—four-hour shifts in the afternoon and night—since only one car per team is allowed on track at a time.

We love to see our favorite drivers back in action, pushing limits like never before.

The Rookies Step Up

Liam Lawson (Red Bull), Kimi Antonelli (Mercedes), Oliver Bearman (Haas), Isack Hadjar (RB), and Gabriel Bortoleto (Stake) all hit the track today. But out of these five, three were true rookies—Kimi, Isack, and Bortoleto—driving an F1 car in an official session for the first time.

For Kimi Antonelli, the pressure was immense. Unlike the others, he was stepping into a front-running machine, and after last year’s practice crash in Russell’s car, playing it safe was a priority.

He wouldn’t want to start off on the wrong foot, especially with Toto Wolff watching closely.

Yet, despite his cautious approach, Kimi steadily improved with each lap, eventually setting the fastest time in the morning session.

Liam Lawson, rocking his Red Bull and, apparently, a new hairstyle, was another driver grabbing attention. Whether it was Google searches or commentator debates, everyone seemed convinced that he had dyed or highlighted his hair.

At 23, he’s free to do whatever he wants with his hair—Red Bull certainly isn’t as strict as Alpine (just look at Jack Doohan and Pierre Gasly). As for Franco Colapinto? He wouldn’t even let anyone touch his hair! Ha! Ha! Ha!

But the real fun came when Liam was asked about it—he completely denied dyeing his hair! Now, is that the truth? Or is he just trying to keep it under wraps? Knowing Liam, he’s a shy guy who carefully maintains his public image. Maybe he just doesn’t want to make a fuss about it.

Oscar Piastri: The Silent Observer

Speaking of reserved personalities, there’s one guy in the paddock who speaks less but observes everything—Oscar Piastri.

When asked, “What would George Russell be if he weren’t an F1 driver?” he answered without hesitation:

“A politician. And you all know why.”

Of course, we do! George Russell has mastered the art of diplomacy—defending himself, attacking when necessary, gossiping like a pro, and maintaining connections with everyone. He’s the ultimate PR-trained driver. No wonder Max Verstappen was taken aback by his contrasting personalities inside and outside the FIA briefing room.

But love him or not, George just wants to blend in and maintain that “good guy” image.

Meanwhile, Piastri dropped another bombshell recently:

“If I weren’t part of the 2025 F1 grid, I would also be happy to see Lewis Hamilton winning his 8th title!”

Wow. That comment wasn’t just for Lewis—it was a message to his teammate, Lando Norris, too. And with the brewing tension between McLaren’s two drivers, no one wants to miss how this drama unfolds.

McLaren Playing the Long Game? – F1 Pre-season testing

McLaren seems to be playing a strategic game during pre-season testing. Neither Piastri nor Norris is pushing too hard, as if they’re intentionally staying under the radar. Why? Because every team’s engineers are still fine-tuning their cars, and McLaren doesn’t want to reveal its true pace—at least, not until the final day.

With multiple cameras watching their every move in Sakhir, McLaren is expected to be one of the fastest cars in 2025. Keeping secrets now might just be their biggest advantage.

At the end, Norris ended the show with the fastest lap. While Oscar was way below in the list. Two things, car improvised for evening session after data collection with Oscar, another thing is that if mystery is a task, then only Oscar can excel in it.

Lance Stroll’s Engineer Merry-Go-Round

Lance Stroll has a new race engineer—again. This time, it’s someone from Haas, making him Stroll’s third engineer in a short span. Seriously, Lance, is a race engineer really that important? Or are there other things you should be focusing on?

Bearman & Bortoleto’s F2 Flashbacks – F1 Pre-season testing

Oliver Bearman might be thinking, “I used to be fast in Ferrari’s junior program—what the hell is this thing? It feels like F2 all over again.”

Gabriel Bortoleto, meanwhile, seems completely at ease in an F1 car. That’s why I said Kimi had the biggest challenge—stepping straight into a front-running machine like Mercedes is a whole different beast.

Jack Doohan’s High-Stakes Gamble

Jack Doohan will get six races with Alpine this season, and he knows he needs to make them count. The pressure is enormous, especially with Franco Colapinto lurking as a wildcard. Colapinto, always the jokester, recently quipped:

“I look like a European after staying here for a few days.”

This guy never stops talking about his looks. Classic Franco.

F1’s Ruthless Reality

In Formula 1, there’s no room for favoritism. The one who excels stays; the rest are shown the door. That’s just how brutal the sport is.

As the season kicks off with the F1-75 livery reveal, the Hunger Games have officially begun!

“A team would love to have a driver who is fast because they can work on consistency, but not one who is just consistent—because there’s no trick to make you fast!”

A Cold Bahrain Night, A Heated Start

The first day of testing ended in dramatic fashion, with Bahrain’s cool evening air unable to contain the rising heat. A technical fault led to a red flag, forcing engineers to scramble with torches in hand.

And the un-welcomed rain which gave Alpine and Williams an extra data that comes with good choice of selecting wet tires!

And you know what we really miss during pre-season testing? Team radio! But no, they say they’re done with it. What a bad joke.

Best of luck to all the drivers on the grid!

Stay tuned with Halleysclinic.com for more updates. Share your thoughts in the comments below!

For collaborations and inquiries, contact us at: halleysclinic@gmail.com

Don’t forget to follow our Instagram account https://www.instagram.com/halleysclinic

also read Can Max Verstappen Secure His Fifth Title This Year?