£949m-valued F1 team now behind plans with ‘lairy’ 2025 car after ‘disappointing’ pre-season

McLaren emerged with the best car on the 2025 grid during F1 testing in Bahrain, but it was not clear sailing for every team as one rival outfit failed to meet their expectations.

The 2025 Formula 1 season is now just around the corner after a three-day test in Sakhir last week. Racing is set to start in Melbourne on March 16 as the Australian Grand Prix gets back the opening round, having last held the first meeting in 2019 with the 2020 race abandoned.

Expectations are now rife that McLaren had the best car at F1 testing, with Lando Norris the favourite to win the 2025 drivers’ title, as well. The Woking crew had a clear edge over their rivals in race pace and qualifying simulations during the test at the Bahrain Grand Prix track.

F1 testing in Bahrain was below Sauber’s expectations with their 2025 car only ninth best

But while McLaren’s new front suspension could now help them defend the F1 constructors’ championship in 2025, Sauber left F1 testing on the back foot. That is according to Lawrence Barretto, who reports the Swiss squad could not meet their pre-event expectations in Sakhir.

The 2025 Formula 1 season marks Sauber’s final effort operating under their name ahead of becoming the works Audi team in 2026. They also start the last year of the current technical regulations bidding to bounce back from being the worst team in 2024 with just four points.

READ MORE: Who is 2025 Sauber driver Gabriel Bortoleto? Everything you need to know

But Sauber are now looking behind schedule in their quest to respond from last season with the C45 that Nico Hulkenberg and rookie Gabriel Bortoleto will drive a ‘lairy’ car at testing in Bahrain. Both drivers ‘had their work cut out’, despite Sauber improving their car’s handling.

Tweaks Sauber made during F1 testing in Bahrain helped Hulkenberg and Bortoleto with the handling of the C45. But the Hinwil native’s 2025 machine was still only the ninth-fastest car in qualifying trim (1.21 seconds off the pace) and race trim (1.02s a lap slow than McLaren).

Sauber could be relying on Nico Hulkenberg’s qualifying magic transferring over from Haas

So, last week’s trip to Bahrain thus proved to be disappointing and Sauber technical director James Key’s speech after F1 testing sounded like a farewell. While the Swiss squad were not focusing on outright lap times during the test, he only highlighted the 350 laps they posted.

READ MORE: Sauber driver Nico Hulkenberg’s life outside F1 from wife to height

Now, Bortoleto and Hulkenberg will head to Melbourne just hoping to get out of Q1 at most. Sauber will also hope the latter of their new drivers – after Audi chose against keeping Zhou Guanyu and Valtteri Bottas – continues the qualifying form that Hulkenberg showed at Haas.

Hulkenberg joined the £949m-valued Sauber F1 team from Haas, the only squad who were worth less last year at £807m, after penning his best qualifying result of 2024 with P4 at the Abu Dhabi GP. The German reached Q3 11 times to his teammate Kevin Magnussen’s three.