Formula 1 is in full swing again, with preseason testing now in the books. The first Grand Prix of the season in Melbourne is just over a week ago, and it will be the first genuine showing of whether teams possess performance equal to or better than their preseason testing times.
Three teams in particular stood out last week in Bahrain, and rightfully so.
However, one key thing to note is that testing times mean very little, as teams are running their own programs, making it truly difficult to judge one team’s car versus another.
Here are the three biggest winners from what we noticed.
Mercedes
In the final year of current regulations, it seems like the Silver Arrows have finally corrected the mistakes they faced in the last three seasons. Early indications suggest the W16 is far more refined and well-balanced compared to previous seasons.
There seemed to be more consistency in the car across all three days with the differing conditions. Of course, the variation was small, and the W16’s performance still needs to be assessed during a cold and wet race this season versus a race during the hot European summer.
George Russell did quite well when comparing his best time in preseason testing against his time in Q3 of qualifying in Bahrain last season; the latter was faster by just 60 thousandths of a second. Things look fairly promising for Mercedes this season, and the general belief is that there is potential for them to compete with McLaren.
Williams
Despite reports throughout last season suggesting that Williams would sacrifice the 2025 season in favor of 2026, that was not the case during preseason testing. It seems as if the car was quite an upgrade from 2024 and should lift them into contention for P6 in the constructor championship.
All eyes were on Carlos Sainz Jr. as he got behind the wheel with his new team, and the Spanish driver did not disappoint. He set the overall fastest lap time during the three days of testing. What was even more surprising was that his lap time was nearly nine-tenths of a second quicker than Alex Albon’s time in Q2 of qualifying in Bahrain last season, before he was knocked out.
Sainz has openly admitted that, despite the positive performance in testing, podiums and top five finishes are still out of reach. Nevertheless, the initial sight of improvement from Williams is encouraging, and a top five finish at some point this season should not come as a surprise.
Alpine
Alpine were this season’s other team to make a drastic improvement over their qualifying time in Bahrain last season. Both Pierre Gasly and rookie Jack Doohan did quite well, and the French driver outdid his qualifying time by nearly nine-tenths of a second.
The A525’s development has gone according to plan under the leadership of Oliver Oakes. With both drivers doing well thus far, and Doohan already under pressure to avoid being replaced by Franco Colapinto, it is a safe bet the French team will be toward the top of the midfield battle this season.
The Australian Grand Prix is set to get the 2025 Formula 1 season underway on Sunday, March 16 at Albert Park Circuit. ESPN is set to provide live coverage beginning at 11:55 p.m. ET on Saturday, March 15. Start a free trial of FuboTV and don't miss it!