Ferrari finishes in top 3 fastest on day 2 of Testing

Ferrari had a good outing on the second day of the 2025 pre-season testing, with Lewis Hamilton, who was among the morning drivers, finishing with the second-fastest time, ahead of Charles Leclerc, who took over the car later in the day. Carlos Sainz gave William the top position after setting a time less than half a second faster than Hamilton. 

The seven-time world champion is currently preparing for his 19th season in F1 and this time, he will be doing it with Ferrari. A new team means new systems he has to familiarise himself with, as he hopes to win his eighth title with the Italian outfit. So this pre-season test is a way for him to get accustomed to the new phase of his career, and he seems to be getting on quite well. 

Speaking at the end of day 2 test, Hamilton noted that it’s been good so far and he, together with the team, has been able to achieve a lot these past few weeks since his unveiling: “It’s been a really good couple of days. The weather got in the way a little bit today but nevertheless we got through a lot of the programme. 

“We are just focusing on exploring and, for me, getting integrated into the team as much as possible. It might seem like it’s been a long time but it’s only been a month with the team, so we have crammed in a lot in a short space of time. And the car feels good on track.”

Sainz, who left Ferrari at the end of last season, did good for William, even though the team boss James Vowles is not so confident that their car will be competitive this season. 

Hamilton’s former teammate, George Russell, led Mercedes, after he finished fourth fastest, with his new colleague, Andrea Kimi Antonelli, coming one spot behind him. 

Liam Lawson, who held it down for Red Bull, finished seventh while McLaren duo Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris ended the day as 13th and 14th fastest respectively.