Track action for the 2025 F1 season begins in Bahrain tonight with the first of three days of running.
Teams will field their new cars in the only test ahead of the new season starting in Australia next month.
As teams look to understand their new cars, it’s also an opportunity for drivers to acclimatise themselves in the new machine and, in many instances, begin to gel with their new team.
Only McLaren (Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris) and Aston Martin (Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll) will have the same driver pairing into the coming campaign, which will include a host of high-profile swaps up and down the grid.
Lewis Hamilton headlines the list as he joins Charles Leclerc at Ferrari following a dozen years with Mercedes.
Making way for the seven-time champ, Carlos Sainz has landed at Williams alongside Alex Albon.
That has seen interim racer Franco Colapinto swap allegiances to Alpine, where he’s now reserve driver to Pierre Gasly and Australia’s own Jack Doohan.
So of five-time motorcycling world champion Mick, Doohan has been promoted from the squad’s junior ranks and made his F1 debut at Abu Dhabi last year.
It was an opportunity that came about courtesy of Esteban Ocon electing to switch to Haas for 2026, where he’s been joined by Oliver Bearman following cameos at both Ferrari and Haas last season.
While Kevin Magnussen has stepped out of F1, Nico Hulkenberg has found a new home at Sauber alongside F2 champ Gabriel Bortoleto.
Another rookie set for debut is Isack Hadjar at Racing Bulls who replaces the new Red Bull driver Liam Lawson alongside Yuki Tsunoda.
Lawson will instead partner up with four-time world champion Max Verstappen.
Completing the field is Kimi Antonelli, the highly rated young Italian stepping in at Mercedes alongside George Russell.
The dramatic driver changes come as teams look to position themselves for new regulations in 2026, with the coming year the last of the current regulations.
It is expected that four teams will challenge for wins on any given weekend, and potentially more with Aston Martin flagged as a potential dark horse.
How to watch F1 pre-season testing: TV times, championship favourites, dark horses, and more
Our first glimpse comes over the next three days, with two sessions per day at the Bahrain International Circuit.
F1 2025 team’s testing schedule
McLaren
Wednesday, February 26: Oscar Piastri (AM), Lando Norris (PM)
Thursday, February 27: Oscar Piastri (AM), Lando Norris (PM)
Friday, February 28: Lando Norris (AM), Oscar Piastri (PM)
Ferrari
Wednesday, February 26: Lewis Hamilton (AM), Charles Leclerc (PM)
Thursday, February 27: TBC
Friday, February 28: TBC
Red Bull
Wednesday, February 26: Liam Lawson (AM), Max Verstappen (PM)
Thursday, February 27: Liam Lawson
Friday, February 28: Max Verstappen
Mercedes
Wednesday, February 26: Kimi Antonelli (AM), George Russell (PM)
Thursday, February 27: George Russell (AM), Kimi Antonelli (PM)
Friday, February 28: Kimi Antonelli (AM), George Russell (PM)
Aston Martin
Wednesday, February 26: Fernando Alonso (AM), Lance Stroll (PM)
Thursday, February 27: Fernando Alonso (AM), Lance Stroll (PM)
Friday, February 28: Lance Stroll (AM), Fernando Alonso (PM)
Alpine
Wednesday, February 26: Jack Doohan (AM), Pierre Gasly (PM)
Thursday, February 27: Pierre Gasly (AM), Jack Doohan (PM)
Friday, February 28: Jack Doohan (AM), Pierre Gasly (PM)
Haas
Wednesday, February 26: Oliver Bearman (AM), Esteban Ocon (PM)
Thursday, February 27: Esteban Ocon (AM), Oliver Bearman (PM)
Friday, February 28: Oliver Bearman (AM), Esteban Ocon (PM)
Racing Bulls
Wednesday, February 26: Yuki Tsunoda (AM), Isack Hadjar (PM)
Thursday, February 27: Yuki Tsunoda (AM), Isack Hadjar (PM)
Friday, February 28: Isack Hadjar (AM), Yuki Tsunoda (PM)
Williams
Wednesday, February 26: Alex Albon (AM), Carlos Sainz (PM)
Thursday, February 27: Carlos Sainz
Friday, February 28: Alex Albon
Sauber
Wednesday, February 26: Nico Hulkenberg (AM), Gabriel Bortoleto (PM)
Thursday, February 27: Nico Hulkenberg (AM), Gabriel Bortoleto (PM)
Friday, February 28: Gabriel Bortoleto (AM), Nico Hulkenberg (PM)
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