MOTORSPORT – Formula 1 teams hit the track at Bahrain International Circuit (BIC) yesterday in promotional events ahead of tomorrow’s start to Formula 1 Aramco Pre-Season Testing 2025.
F1 teams are permitted to run their cars on two occasions as promotional events, usually used for a shakedown or for filming.
Aston Martin, Alpine, and Haas announced online yesterday that they were back on track in Sakhir to get their first running in their new contenders.
Aston Martin’s star drivers Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll both got some time driving their AMR25 challenger at BIC.
For Alpine, both Pierre Gasly and rookie Jack Doohan split the 200km-restricted programme as part of their shakedown in their A525.
Alpine team principal Oliver Oakes commented: “It is always a moment of pride when a new car goes on track for the first time, so well done to everyone at Enstone and Viry-Châtillon for their hard work in developing the A525 ahead of this season.
“Despite the overcast and strong gusts of wind, we have had a good day’s running in Bahrain with 200km completed, split evenly between Pierre and Jack.
“It is important to give them a first go each and allow them both to have a first feeling at the wheel ahead of a busy three days of testing later this week.
“There are certainly multiple areas of interest for us to keep learning and progressing and we look forward to continuing the hard work beginning on Wednesday with Jack driving the morning and Pierre the afternoon.”
Meanwhile, Haas had Oliver Bearman suited up to go out on track in the team’s VF-25 car. Bearman is also marking his first full campaign in the top flight.
F1 Aramco Pre-Season Testing gets underway tomorrow at BIC. All 10 F1 teams will be in action as they step up their final preparations for the start of the 2025 FIA F1 World Championship.
The season kicks off with the Australian Grand Prix from March 14 to 16. The action will continue with races in China and Japan before returning to Bahrain for the fourth event of the 24-round championship – the F1 Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix 2025, scheduled for April 11 to 13.
This week’s tests will be the fifth consecutive year that the Kingdom is hosting the F1 pre-season testing, which were first held in Sakhir in 2009 and then again in 2014. They have since been held at BIC each year since 2021.
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