By Alan Baldwin
MANAMA (Reuters) – Lewis Hamilton will have a first impression of how his Ferrari rates against the rest when Formula One starts three days of testing in Bahrain on Wednesday with a new crop of cars and drivers.
The seven times world champion, who moved from Mercedes at the end of last season and is now 40, will also be able to compare his lap times to those of teammate Charles Leclerc.
The test is the only one before the Australian Grand Prix in Melbourne kicks off the 24-race season on March 16, a round which will also be a first season-opener for six of the 20 drivers.
A huge buzz surrounds Hamilton and everyone is waiting to see how he fares in what promises to be an epic year with no shortage of storylines around the paddock.
He has driven the SF-25 for a filming day and also worn the red overalls at the wheel of older cars, but Wednesday will be his first official session with Ferrari running alongside rivals.
The last time Hamilton experienced such a first day was when he joined Mercedes from McLaren in 2013.
Normally no fan of testing, because of the repetitive nature of tasks and lack of racing thrills, Hamilton has seemed genuinely delighted at the prospect and completely up for the occasion.
He has joked about eating plenty of pizza since he arrived in Italy but more seriously he claims to be feeling fitter and more energised than ever as he bids for a record eighth championship.
Wednesday will see Max Verstappen, chasing his fifth successive drivers’ title, get to grips with the first Red Bull since the departure to Aston Martin of star designer Adrian Newey.
New Zealander Liam Lawson, who has competed in 11 races as a stand-in replacement, and Verstappen drove the RB21 for a limited-mileage filming day on Tuesday and both will share the driving on Wednesday.
Hamilton’s 18-year-old Italian replacement at Mercedes, Kimi Antonelli, will be sharing first day duties with old hand George Russell.
Australian Jack Doohan at Alpine, Brazilian Gabriel Bortoleto at Sauber, Frenchman Isack Hadjar at Racing Bulls and Briton Oliver Bearman at Haas are the other rookies in action, although Doohan and Bearman have both made race debuts already.
Spaniard Carlos Sainz, who previously occupied Hamilton’s seat at Ferrari, will be aiming to put in plenty of laps at Williams.
Tickets are being sold for fans to attend on Thursday and Friday, with the Sakhir circuit also hosting the country’s grand prix in April.
A season-opener last year, the race has been moved back in the 2025 calendar to accommodate Ramadan.
(Reporting by Alan Baldwin, Editing by Andrew Cawthorne)
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