F1: Lewis Hamilton, motivated, Carlos Sainz, enhanced

Ferrari’s English was the fastest in the morning of the second pre -season day in Baréin and is excited about the fight for the crown. Williams Spanish was the fastest of the day.

Is Lewis Hamilton back? The mere fact of sliding the question can be irreverent. Because the seven times world champion never left, it is true. But it was off. His last three years, especially 2022 and 2023, were tortuous for English. After winning six crowns in seven years, the change of regulations that implemented the F1 by 2022 was the end of the Apogeo de Mercedes. And the Via Crucis del Britanic began, he included back pain by the gallop of his silver arrow. Little by little, he went out, demotivated himself. But suddenly the chance that he waited so much appeared, that he dreamed, that he wanted … Ferrari. In February 2024 it was announced that Hamilton would run in 2025 with Maranello’s house and began the resurgence of that competitive beast. He even closed his cycle with the German Team with the return to triumph, and in duplicate (Great Britain and Belgium).

With renewed energy and its backpack loaded with illusions, Hamilton began his journey through the Scuderia. After rigorous presentations and complete a few kilometers in old models, the time for the preseason in Baréin arrived. For Lewis, every lap that overlooks the red machine, is a pamper to his soul. He is the child who finally managed to have that long -awaited toy. And on the second day of preseason in Sakhir, the heptampeon was left with the best time in the morning batch, enjoying each return, every moment. The desire to get the eighth title and be the most champion in solitude (today tied with Michael Schumacher) regained strength at age 40 turned on January 7.

The English marked 1M29S379 in the best of its 45 laps and was 200 thousandths of the time with which Max Verstappen achieved the pole position in 2024. And it was in a complicated batch, within a very difficult day. Because the F1 searches Baréin a temperature closer to what is usually the category in each Grand Prix; That is, high. Except Las Vegas, the rest of the competitions are given with heat. But, incredibly, in Sakhir the temperature in the air was 15 degrees and on track, 17. And, as if that were not enough, it rained! What never happens in the small country of the Persian Gulf, happened on the second day of trials. It is so rare that water falls, that eight of the ten teams did not ask for rain tires among the 35 games available, when Pirelli closed the list of orders back in September. Only Haas and Aston Martin had the forecast.

Of the four hours of morning batch, for almost one there was no activity. Except they were Ocon with the Haas, who went out for some turns with the intermediate tires; The rest, guard. Before the Chubasco, Hamilton had made the best time. And when the rain stopped and the track dried up, he went out with his SF-25 and managed to improve his own brand. At first glance, when Lewis is seen in the talks inside his box and before the images that arrive from the TV, his countenance is another. He is on, his hunger is back. And before that, how the typhosi will not be excited! Ferrari has not won a pilot crown since 2007 and teams, since 2008.

Yes, it is true, it is barely a preseason trial and nobody knows well what work program each team had, how many kilos of fuel they carried, what they tried, the motor maps … That is why the times are relative, very relative. To know at what point each team is standing, we will have to wait for the classification of the Australian race. There, nobody will keep anything. And, a day later, you can evaluate how the tire wear, the race and speed administer each car.

Knowing all that, Hamilton has caution, but with his enormous illusion in tow. “They were a couple of good days. The weather prevented us from taking about 30 more laps. We have completed much of the program. The car felt good on the track, ”said Hamilton in statements he made while the evening batch was developed. “With every return and every session I am learning more about the car, feeling more comfortable with the different control systems we have. I am still in the learning phase to understand the rear and front suspension and all the adjustments, ”he added.

“It is soon to say if the concept of this car is better for me than the previous one I had. It is soon to say it, but I’m really enjoying the car, little by little we are connecting, ”said Hamilton, Before making a reference to Charles Leclerc, his partner: “Charles has a huge talent, seeing him work in front of the table and observing it in the box has been great. Obviously, it has been here for a long time, he knows the team well, he speaks Italian, he feels at home … ”

Carlos Sainz stayed with the best

The Spanish was the only Williams pilot to turn on the second pre -season day and thus closed his participation (this Friday will be Alex Albon who will be all day). Ferrari’s Expiler will no longer get to the FW47 again to the first training of the Australian GP that will open the World Cup on the third weekend of March. And better end could not have the Spanish in his preseason: he stayed with the best time. At the start of the afternoon session, the Madrid nailed the clock in 1m35S748, surpassed by 31 thousandths the brand that Hamilton had achieved in the morning and left the car of the Grove team up well.

After two days, Williams showed potential, At least in the lap launched, as if to get into the discussion it would be in the middle of the table and leave the background that could not take off in 2024. Hamilton remained second with his morning record and Leclerc was third, just 52 thousandths of his partner, showing a good parity between the two pilots.

Behind the Ferrari duo, Mercedes’s couple appeared, with George Russell, fourth, and Kimi Antonelli, fifth. The Italian was six thousandths of English. Lance Stroll got sixth with Aston Martin, just ahead of the Alpine duo. The Australian Jack Doohan, who turned in the evening batch, exceeded Pierre Gasl for 62 thousandthsand. And McLaren? Oscar Piastri was 13th and Lando Norris, 14th, in a long batches program, without going for a while.

Red Bull, with problems

The team of energizing drinks left Max Verstappen on the second day And Liam Lawson was the only one who turned. And he couldn’t do it as much as he expected because he lost a good part of the morning. First, for the rain, and then, by A hydraulic pressure leak that forced the New Zealand to return to boxes unforeseen, save the RB21 And expect the mechanics to dismantle everything and could only return to the afternoon session. With his disrupted program, former Racing Bulls was seventh at the end of the day, 904 thousandths from Sainz.

This Friday will take place on the last day of preseason. It is expected that, for the first time in the week, the pilots will heat the soft tires and simulate classification.