Russell sets the pace as Formula 1 Aramco Pre-Season Testing 2025 wraps up at BIC

Russell sets the pace as Formula 1 Aramco Pre-Season Testing 2025 wraps up at BIC

• Russell leaves it late and clocks overall fastest lap of 1:29.545 in closing minutes of afternoon session
• Charles Leclerc goes quickest in F1’s morning runs on concluding day of tests in Bahrain

George Russell set the pace for Mercedes this evening on the third and final day of Formula 1 Aramco Pre-Season Testing at Bahrain International Circuit (BIC) in Sakhir.

Three days of valuable running wrapped up at ‘The Home of Motorsport in the Middle East’, and F1’s superstar drivers and their teams signed off from their only on-track preparations ahead of the start of the 2025 FIA Formula 1 World Championship.

Russell left it late and went quickest overall in the closing minutes of the afternoon session, held under lights. He clocked a best lap time of 1:29.545 seconds in his W16 contender.

Russell joined McLaren’s Lando Norris and Williams’ Carlos Sainz as the pace-setters over the three days of testing at BIC. Norris was the top man on day one and Sainz on day two.

Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc led today’s morning runs. His quickest lap was 1:30.811 in his SF-25 challenger.

BIC welcomed a large crowd of fans for today’s concluding day of tests. They were able to watch all the action from the circuit’s Main Grandstand and were also able to enjoy plenty of off-track family entertainment with all kinds of colourful attractions.

Those in attendance got to see the F1 drivers and their teams hard at work before they head into a two-week break leading up to the season-opening grand prix in Australia, scheduled for 14 to 16 March in Melbourne.

The Chinese Grand Prix follows in Shanghai, China from 21 to 23 March, and then the Japanese Grand Prix will be held in Suzuka, Japan from 4 to 6 April.

F1 then returns to the Kingdom for the F1 Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix 2025, taking place 11 to 13 April in Sakhir as the fourth round of the world championship.

Leclerc was joined in today’s morning testing by Red Bull Racing’s four-time defending drivers’ world champion Max Verstappen in his RB21, Williams’ Alex Albon in his FW47, Norris in his MCL39, Mercedes’ Kimi Antonelli in his W16, Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso in his AMR25, Alpine’s Jack Doohan in his A525, Haas’ Oliver Bearman in his VF-25, Racing Bulls’ Isack Hadjar in his VCARB 02, and Kick Sauber’s Gabriel Bortoleto in his C45.