The 2025 Formula 1 season roared into Bahrain with Friday’s practice sessions delivering a mix of high-speed drama and technical intrigue at the Sakhir circuit.

McLaren emerged as the team to beat, dominating Free Practice 2 (FP2) with Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri setting blistering laps on soft tires, leaving rivals scrambling to catch up.

However, the spotlight also fell on Ferrari’s underwhelming performance despite a much-anticipated SF-25 upgrade and a heart-stopping incident involving Williams that resulted in a €7,500 fine, underscoring the fine margins in F1’s competitive landscape.

McLaren’s pace in FP2 was nothing short of commanding. Piastri topped the session with a 1m30.505s, edging out Norris by just 0.154 seconds, while Mercedes’ George Russell trailed by over half a second in third. The McLaren duo’s performance on various tire compounds, particularly the softs, showcased their car’s versatility and speed, positioning them as favorites for a potential front-row lockout in Saturday’s qualifying. Mercedes appeared to be the closest challengers, with Ferrari and Red Bull unexpectedly lagging behind. Red Bull’s Max Verstappen, visibly frustrated with brake issues, could only manage seventh, while Ferrari’s new upgrades failed to deliver the hoped-for boost, leaving both Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton grappling with a tricky car setup.

Ferrari arrived in Bahrain with high expectations, debuting a significant floor upgrade on the SF-25 aimed at improving balance, stability, and downforce. The team has struggled early in the 2025 season, with Leclerc’s P4 in Japan as their best Grand Prix result so far. Hamilton, speaking to Sky Sports F1, expressed cautious optimism about the upgrade, noting it could address the rear-end instability he’s been battling. “We’ve got an upgrade this weekend, so I’m excited. We’re going to hopefully have a bit more downforce,” he said. However, FP2 told a different story. Both Hamilton and Leclerc suffered from persistent lockups, understeer, and even oversteer, with the car appearing unbalanced through corners. Ferrari’s new floor, designed to enhance stability, seemed to exacerbate handling issues, leaving the team with significant work ahead to fine-tune the setup before qualifying.

Meanwhile, Williams found themselves in hot water after a dangerous incident in Free Practice 1 (FP1). Rookie Luke Browning, stepping into Carlos Sainz’s car, narrowly avoided a high-speed collision with teammate Alex Albon at Turn 13. Albon, unaware of Browning’s approach due to poor visibility and a lack of warning from his engineers, drifted onto the racing line, forcing Browning to take evasive action. The stewards’ investigation revealed that Williams’ engineers were “distracted” and failed to alert Albon, a lapse that could have led to a catastrophic crash given the high-speed delta. The team was fined €7,500, a penalty mitigated by the fact that Browning was on an out-lap rather than a push lap, but the incident highlighted the critical need for better communication and awareness in the pit lane.

As the Bahrain Grand Prix weekend progresses, McLaren’s dominance sets the stage for an intense qualifying battle, while Ferrari’s upgrade woes cast doubt on their ability to challenge the frontrunners. The Williams incident serves as a stark reminder of the sport’s inherent risks, even in practice sessions. With FP1’s daytime conditions less representative of the cooler evening settings for qualifying and the race, FP2 offered the clearest glimpse into the pecking order. For Ferrari, the clock is ticking to resolve their handling issues, while Williams will be eager to put this costly mistake behind them. As the desert sun sets over Sakhir, all eyes are on whether McLaren can maintain their edge—or if a rival can rise to the challenge in this high-stakes night race.

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