live
Express Sport brings you the latest F1 news as Bahrain testing gets underway (Image: GETTY)
star will get a feel for the RB21 during this week’s Bahrain testing as he heads in to the new season with ambitions of winning his fifth consecutive world championship. The Dutchman eventually last time around, despite being hunted down by ace throughout the second half of the campaign.
Norris will be aiming to finally stop Verstappen in 2025, with hoping their car is strong enough to give them the edge.
, meanwhile, is eyeing up a record eighth world title after moving from to over the winter.
The first day of Bahrain testing got underway at 7am GMT this morning, with a lunch break scheduled for 11am before the session ends at 4pm.
The new F1 season will then begin in mid-March as drivers head to Australia for the opening race.
There will be plenty of F1 news throughout the day, so follow the Express Sport live blog below for the latest updates.
Marko reacts to Verstappen ‘offer’
Aston Martin used ’s interest in their GT3 car to “lure” the four-time reigning world champion, advisor Helmut Marko has claimed. Verstappen has been routinely linked with a move to ’s Formula One rivals over the past few months.
Wide-ranging reports claim that Aston have raised the prospect of signing the Dutchman during talks with potential sponsors. It was suggested during the off-season that they would be prepared to pay a whopping £790million ($1billion) to take him away from .
“Officially, there has been contact because of Max’s passion for GT racing,” Marko told Motorsport-Total. “As we know, Max is a team owner and regularly drives GT cars himself.
“Apparently the Aston Martin is seen as one of the most interesting cars in that category and one has now become part of Max’s GT programme. The GT3 was the lure. And it is no secret that [Adrian] Newey is a big fan of Max. And then it’s only logical that you make him an offer.”
Russell offers Mercedes assessment
has insisted that won’t be in the title race this season due to their underwhelming performance in 2024.
The Silver Arrows finished 198 points behind Constructors’ Championship winners , with Russell ending the campaign 192 points adrift of Drivers’ Championship winner .
And ahead of the first day of Bahrain testing, Russell said: “You always say you want to fight for a championship but, being realistic and knowing where we finished last year, that’s quite a stretch.
“But we know that if we go in every single weekend and we try to maximise every single result, who knows where that will take us. I’m just going into every race as though it’s a race we can win and seeing where that takes us over the course of the season.”
Hamilton worries emerge
is worried he won’t be able to fit into his car if he doesn’t cut down on the number of pizzas he is eating. The 40-year-old admitted he consumed three pizzas last week as the new F1 season draws ever closer.
“Oh God. I’ve eaten so many pizzas in the last few weeks,” Hamilton explained. “But funnily enough, I’ve lost weight. Last week alone I had three pizzas. I love Italian food.
“Yes, I have to watch my diet. But that will be difficult. I have to be careful and I can’t eat pizza all year round. Otherwise I won’t fit in the car anymore.”
Good morning!
Good morning and welcome to our live F1 blog as the start of the 2025 season draws ever closer.
There will be plenty of news to digest throughout the day as Bahrain testing gets underway, so stick around for live updates.