Red Bull in trouble?

Red Bull’s RB21 raised eyebrows the moment it was revealed. Many expected a big step forward, but at first glance, the car looked too similar to last year’s RB20, which was suffering with a lot of issues. The team insisted that most of the changes were under the surface, but on track, the problems were clear.

Max Verstappen spent the test trying out different front wings, rear wings, floors, and setups in search of answers. He did manage to set the second-fastest time on the final day, but it wasn’t smooth sailing. Liam Lawson also lost track time due to an engine water leak, hinting that the car is not easy to handle.

Even Red Bull’s new technical boss, Pierre Wache, admitted that the car is not where the team would like it to be after the testing and that there is more work to do than expected before the season starts.

McLaren looks like the team to beat

The MCL39 looked fast from the very first session, with Lando Norris topping the times on day one. Oscar Piastri nearly did the same on the final day, only missing out after a small mistake at the last corner.

What’s even more impressive is that McLaren wasn’t just quick over one lap—their long-run pace was also strong. Some in the paddock are already worried about just how fast this car really is.

If there’s a weakness, it could be rear instability, which was noticeable on day two and even mentioned by Norris. But overall, the MCL39 seems like a serious contender.

Mercedes and Ferrari are close behind

Neither Mercedes nor Ferrari stood out as much as McLaren, but both teams look solid.

Mercedes’ W16 seems like a well-rounded car and the team believes they’ve made good progress over the winter. The car is more stable than last year’s W15, but there’s still a tendency for front locking under braking, which could be an issue in race conditions.

Ferrari also had a productive test, with Lewis Hamilton settling in well to his new team. The SF-25 looks competitive, but their final day was disrupted when Hamilton had to stop his race simulation early due to a telemetry issue. The Ferrari might have a bit more raw pace than the Mercedes, but it’s hard to say for sure.

Williams is making big progress

Williams was one of the biggest surprises of testing, showing real progress compared to last season. Carlos Sainz set the fastest lap on day two, which turned heads, though it's likely that lighter fuel loads or an aggressive engine mode played a role.

Still, the FW47 looked consistently strong across all three days, with both Sainz and Alex Albon giving positive feedback. It's not quite ready to challenge the top teams, but it seems to have leapfrogged Aston Martin and Alpine, positioning Williams as a strong midfield contender.

Alpine heading in the right direction

Last year, Alpine was in a mess. Their car was slow and overweight, and for a factory team, it was embarrassing to be running at the back. But things have changed.

Alpine made steady improvements last season, and they’ve also strengthened their leadership team with some key hires. Pierre Gasly and Jack Doohan were happy with the new car, and the team now looks much more organised.

They won’t be fighting for wins just yet, but Alpine should be much more competitive this year and potentially fight for podiums a bit more often.

Aston Martin has a lot of work to do

Aston Martin heads into 2025 with plenty of questions still unanswered. The AMR25 has made some improvements, addressing a few of the handling issues Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll complained about last year, but the overall pace just isn’t there.

The team finished fifth in the Constructors’ standings last season, but their performance steadily declined in the second half of the year.

In Bahrain this week, Alonso admitted that the car feels very similar to how it did in Abu Dhabi, where Aston Martin was struggling to score points.

Right now, they look to have fallen behind Williams and Alpine. With Adrian Newey set to start his new role as Managing Technical Partner next week, expectations are high that he’ll help turn things arounď, however even he can’t do it overnight.

What to think about Racing Bulls?

Racing Bulls with their new VCARB 02 had a solid pre-season test, but the big question is whether they have the speed to compete in the midfield.

Yuki Tsunoda looked confident and consistent, putting in strong lap times and showing he’s ready to lead the team. His best time of 1:30.497 placed Racing Bulls ahead of Haas and Sauber, but still behind Williams and Alpine.

Rookie Isack Hadjar had a steady start, learning quickly but still getting up to speed with F1. Team boss Laurent Mekies was pleased with his progress, calling him a “quick learner.”

The car seems reliable, and the team completed plenty of laps, but their outright pace isn’t quite there yet. If Racing Bulls can develop the car further, they could be fighting for points—but right now, they seem just on the edge of the midfield battle, not quite breaking into it.

Haas struggles with bodywork issues

Haas didn’t focus much on setting fast lap times during testing, instead prioritizing long-run performance. But one issue stood out—pieces of their car kept falling off.

It happened first at their Silverstone shakedown, when Esteban Ocon returned to the pits missing part of his sidepod. Then, in Bahrain, Oliver Bearman had a similar problem, with bodywork flying off his car during a run.

Team boss Ayao Komatsu admitted they made an “overly aggressive” change from last year’s design, likely trying to save weight. He insists it will be an easy fix before the first race, but it’s still not ideal to have your car shedding parts during testing.

Audi’s future team is still at the back

Sauber had a terrible 2024 season, and unfortunately, the data from Bahrain testing suggests that 2025 won’t be much better. The car looked slow both in short runs and over race simulations, with no real signs of improvement.

Nico Hulkenberg used all his experience to extract some decent lap times, but even he admitted the car feels stiff and difficult to drive. The setup window seems incredibly narrow, meaning the team will struggle to get consistent performance from race to race.

For Audi, which is set to take over in 2026, this is concerning. They’ve invested heavily in the project, hoping to build a competitive team before the new engine regulations come in but instead of progress, Sauber looks stuck at the back of the grid once again. If they can’t find a way forward soon, Audi might be facing a much bigger challenge than expected when they officially join the sport.