Sainz tops the timesheets ahead of Hamilton on Day 2 of pre-season testing in Bahrain

Carlos Sainz set the pace on the second day of pre-season testing at the Bahrain International Circuit, with the Williams driver also recording the highest lap count of 127 after taking part in both of Thursday’s sessions.

After Lewis Hamilton led the way for Ferrari during the morning on Thursday, most teams swapped their drivers for the afternoon’s running – with the exception of Red Bull and Williams, as Liam Lawson and Sainz stayed behind the wheel for the duration before their respective team mates take over on Friday.

LIVE COVERAGE: All the action from Day 2 of 2025 pre-season testing in Bahrain

Sainz showed no signs of slowing down in the afternoon, the Spaniard being one of the first out on track when the session got underway at 1500 local time. Others soon joined him, while Lando Norris – the man who topped the timesheets on Wednesday – emerged a little later on in the McLaren.

It wasn’t entirely smooth sailing for Sainz, who suffered a spin during his time on track despite going fastest early on, while Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc also had a moment as drizzle fell at the circuit in the first half of the session.

As the afternoon wore on and the sun set in Sakhir, Sainz remained on top after working his way down to a best time of 1m 29.348s, putting him 0.031s clear of Hamilton’s pace-setting lap from the morning session. Coincidentally, Sainz also set the pace on Day 2 of 2024’s pre-season testing – on that occasion at the wheel of a Ferrari.

The Spaniard’s former team mate Leclerc slotted into third place on the timesheets – off the back of the Monegasque branding Ferrari’s first day of running as “positive” – while another morning runner, George Russell, placed fourth ahead of fellow Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli.

READ MORE: Hamilton fastest on second morning of pre-season testing in Bahrain

Lance Stroll was sixth for Aston Martin ahead of Lawson in seventh, the Red Bull man having lost some track time earlier in the day owing to a water systems issue with the RB21. Jack Doohan followed in eighth for Alpine, putting him in front of team mate Pierre Gasly in ninth.

Rookie Isack Hadjar rounded out the top 10, the Frenchman having recorded 94 laps during the afternoon. Fellow Racing Bulls driver Yuki Tsunoda was 12th with his time from the earlier session, while Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso was sandwiched between them in 11th, also one of the morning runners.

Oscar Piastri’s time from Thursday morning put him in P13, ahead of McLaren team mate Norris in P14 while the Kick Sauber pairing of Gabriel Bortoleto and Nico Hulkenberg took P15 and P16 respectively.

The Haas duo of Esteban Ocon and Ollie Bearman were 17th and 18th, with the American outfit yet to show their true pace as they focus on their own programme.

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Thursday’s session ended with some procedural checks for F1 governing body the FIA, which included the drivers participating in a simulation formation lap and practice start before the day’s action came to a close.

The third and final day of pre-season testing will take place on Friday, with the morning session kicking off at 1000 local time.