This post was created with help from AI. Header image is courtesy of Diego Merino.

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F1 TV has Sam Collins and “JoPal” Palmer, we don’t have neither Sam, nor JoPal (for budgetary reasons) – but we do have our own paddock insider in the shape of Irwin D Trenton who is simply mighty in all things F1.

Irw has kept a close eye on what all Formula 1 teams have been up to in Bahrain and here are his personal conclusions, with the usual caveat of mind games, glory runs and sandbagging and all that jazz… Sadly, I cannot illustrate this post with exclusive images I’ve got on my Iberian pen drive since WordPress all of a sudden told me to upgrage or eff off, so “my wings have been so denied”. Just last week I had a whole bunch of GBs available to me. Had I known 15 years ago, I’d have gone with a different solution. Suckers.

Irw’s F1 Testing Takeaways

Formula 1 pre-season testing in Bahrain for 2025, which wrapped up on February 28th, offers a tantalizing but incomplete glimpse into the upcoming season. Held at the Bahrain International Circuit from February 26-28, this was the only official pre-season test before the season kicks off in Melbourne on March 16th. With just three days of running—one car per team, split between drivers—it’s a high-stakes, low-time-pressure environment where teams aim to validate their winter development, iron out reliability issues, and get a rough sense of the pecking order. But as always with testing, the picture is murky—lap times and mileage tell only part of the story.

McLaren emerged as the standout, with Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri posting seriously impressive race simulations. Norris’s Day 2 long run was a statement—30 seconds ahead of Ferrari and Mercedes in similar stints—while Piastri backed it up on Day 3, looking untouchable until a minor slip at the final corner cost him a headline time. Given Bahrain has historically been a bogey track for McLaren (think brake woes in 2022 and fuel system gremlins in 2024), this pace is a big deal. It’s not just about raw speed either—the MCL39 looked planted and consistent, suggesting they’ve broadened their car’s operating window. If they’re this strong here, circuits like Melbourne or Suzuka could see them dominate early on.

Ferrari and Mercedes were close behind but less conclusive. Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton (in his first real Ferrari outing) showed flashes of competitiveness, with Sainz topping Day 2 at 1:29.348 on the softer C4 tire. Mercedes, meanwhile, had George Russell and rookie Andrea Kimi Antonelli looking comfortable—Russell’s 1:30.379 on Day 3 was solid, and Antonelli racked up laps like a veteran (78 on Day 1 alone). Both teams seem to have addressed some 2024 weaknesses—Ferrari’s tire management, Mercedes’ unpredictability—but neither screamed “frontrunner” like McLaren did. They’re in the mix, probably within a few tenths, though Bahrain’s unseasonably cool weather (low 20s Celsius versus the usual 40s) might’ve flattered Mercedes, which thrived in colder 2024 races like Silverstone.

Red Bull, the reigning champs, had a surprisingly shaky test. Max Verstappen and Liam Lawson managed decent times (Verstappen’s 1:30-ish on C3s was close to the top), but the RB21 didn’t behave as hoped. A water leak cost Lawson track time on Day 2, and Verstappen’s Day 3 was spent chasing setup solutions for persistent understeer rather than nailing a race sim. Technical director Pierre Wache admitted the car’s upgrades didn’t deliver the expected step forward. It’s not panic stations—Red Bull’s still fast—but they’re not the untouchable force of 2024’s early tests. This could hint at a tighter field, especially with 2025 being the last year of these regs before 2026’s overhaul.

The midfield is a scrum. Williams, with Sainz and Alex Albon, looks like a sleeper hit—Sainz’s pace and 405 total laps suggest they’ve got a solid base to challenge the top four. Alpine’s Pierre Gasly popped a 1:30.040 on Day 3, hinting at a leap from last year’s misery, while Sauber (Nico Hulkenberg) and Aston Martin (Fernando Alonso) underwhelmed—Sauber was slow, Aston barely ran (306 laps, second-fewest). Haas and Racing Bulls (Yuki Tsunoda) seem stuck in the lower midfield, though Tsunoda’s 74 laps on Day 1 showed reliability.

Conditions threw a curveball—cold temps, gusty winds, even a 10-45% rain chance on Days 1 and 2 (rare for Bahrain)—making it hard to judge true pace. A power cut on Day 1 delayed running, and only Ferrari and Williams brought the softest C5/C6 tires, skewing some comparisons. Pirelli’s full compound range was on offer, but most stuck to C3/C4, which’ll be the race softs in Australia. Reliability was stellar across the board—no crashes, just minor spins—expected in year four of these rules.

So, what’s the takeaway? McLaren’s got an edge, maybe 0.2-0.3 seconds on race pace, but Ferrari, Mercedes, and Red Bull are close enough to pounce if McLaren stumbles. The midfield’s tighter than ever—Williams and Alpine could surprise, while Aston and Sauber have work to do. Testing’s a teaser, not a verdict; Melbourne will reveal more when fuel loads and engine modes are equalized. Still, the convergence after four years of regs and the looming 2026 reset suggest 2025 could be a banger—less domination, more dogfights. What do you think—did McLaren’s form catch your eye, or are you skeptical of testing hype?

Fans have been asking me whether Sauber F1 Team score any points in 2025 and will Nico Hulkenberg get his first podium in F1? What can I say? I’m tired of these questions. Be off, or I’ll kick you, like KICK Sauber, downstairs…

Predicting whether the Sauber F1 Team will score points in 2025 and if Nico Hulkenberg will finally snag his first Formula 1 podium involves a mix of current data, historical context, and a bit of educated guesswork. Let’s break it down based on what we saw in Bahrain testing and the broader F1 landscape as of March 7, 2025.

Sauber’s 2024 season was a disaster—dead last in the Constructors’ Championship with just 4 points, courtesy of Zhou Guanyu’s late Qatar haul. Bahrain testing for 2025 didn’t exactly set the world alight either. Nico Hulkenberg and rookie Gabriel Bortoleto racked up decent mileage (Sauber completed 404 laps, fifth-most), but their pace was uninspiring. Hulkenberg’s best time was a 1:32.943 on C3 tires, landing him 14th on Day 3, while Bortoleto’s 1:33.421 on the same compound was 16th on Day 2. Compare that to McLaren’s Piastri (1:30.039) or Ferrari’s Sainz (1:29.348), and Sauber’s still in the midfield mud.

That said, testing isn’t the full story—fuel loads, engine modes, and setup experiments obscure true performance. Sauber’s new C45 car blends evolution (refined aerodynamics) with revolution (a reworked suspension), and Hulkenberg himself called 2025 a “building year” at the F1 75 Live event. The team’s focus seems to be on development ahead of Audi’s 2026 takeover rather than instant results. Last year’s C44 was a dog, often stuck outside the top 10, but even then, they snagged points when chaos struck (like Qatar’s sprint). With 24 races in 2025, including sprints, and a field that’s tightening up under stable regs, opportunities will arise—think attrition-heavy races like Monaco or Baku.

The kicker is Hulkenberg. He’s a midfield maestro—dragged Haas from 14.5 average finish in 2022 to 11.2 in 2024, scoring 41 points last year alone. His qualifying nous (11 top-10s in 2023) often puts him in places the car doesn’t belong. Pair that with Bortoleto’s raw talent—F2 champ in 2024, F3 in 2023—and Sauber’s got a lineup that can capitalize on others’ mistakes. Posts on X echo this: one user pegged Hulkenberg to “get his Sauber into a position in qualifying it doesn’t deserve,” which aligns with his track record.

So, will they score? Yeah, probably. The bar’s low—5 points beats 2024—and Hulkenberg’s consistency plus a sprinkle of race-day luck (safety cars, red flags) should get them there. But don’t expect a flood; they’re still a bottom-half team, maybe 8th or 9th in the Constructors’ if Williams or Haas falter.

Will Hulkenberg Get His First Podium?

This is the big one. Hulkenberg’s at 227 starts without a podium, an F1 record he’d love to ditch. Bahrain testing didn’t scream “breakthrough”—Sauber’s pace lagged the top four (McLaren, Ferrari, Mercedes, Red Bull) by over a second. His best shot at a podium historically has been chaos races—think Brazil 2010 (pole at Williams) or Canada 2014 (5th at Force India)—but Sauber’s current form doesn’t suggest they’ll be in the mix without major disruption.

The 2025 field looks tight, though. Red Bull’s testing woes (understeer, upgrades flopping) hint at vulnerability, and the midfield—Williams, Alpine—could steal points off the big dogs. Hulkenberg’s experience is his ace: he’s nabbed P6 twice in 2024 (Austria, Britain) and qualified P2 in Canada 2023. If Sauber’s C45 finds a sweet spot on a tire-friendly track (say, Silverstone or Spa), and if rain or crashes shuffle the deck, he’s got a sniff. X chatter leans pessimistic—“slowest car, silent season”—but that underestimates his knack for overperforming.

Still, it’s a long shot. Sauber’s not in podium contention on merit—McLaren, Ferrari, and Mercedes look too strong, and Red Bull’s hiccups won’t last. Hulkenberg needs a perfect storm: a wet race, multiple retirements, and a flawless drive. He’s come close before—4th in Korea 2013 with Sauber—but “close” is his curse. I’d peg his odds at maybe 10-15% across 24 races. Possible? Sure. Likely? Nah.

Bottom line: Sauber will likely scrape some points in 2025—Hulkenberg’s too good not to—but don’t hold your breath for a podium. He’ll outscore Bortoleto and punch above the car’s weight, but that first rostrum? Probably still a year (or an Audi) away. What’s your take—got a wild card race where you see him sneaking it?