The 2025 Formula 1 season doesn’t officially begin until the green light at the end of the pit lane is switched on at the beginning of FP1 for the Australian Grand Prix, but pre-season testing has given fans an indication of how the grid might look this year.
McLaren were the standout team during testing in Bahrain, however, it’s impossible to know whether any of their rivals were saving some performance for the first race of the campaign.
Lewis Hamilton has had a decent start to his Ferrari career and will be encouraged by what he’s seen since joining the team in January.
Whether or not he can get the better of new teammate Charles Leclerc and the other frontrunning cars as he seeks an eighth world championship is yet to be seen.
However, several teams would have wanted to see more from their three days in Bahrain.
Red Bull have some unanswered questions about their performance after Liam Lawson failed to do a complete long-run simulation and teammate Max Verstappen spun on the final day.
Aston Martin appear to be off the pace and Lance Stroll falling ill on the final day delayed proceedings even further, with Ted Kravitz suggesting Aston Martin could be the ninth-quickest team this year.
However, a report from Blick has shared more details about Sauber’s test and the struggles they continue to go through after a worrying 2024 campaign.
Despite hiring two new drivers and with the takeover of Audi on the horizon, there are concerns for the future of technical director James Key.
James Key’s comments after pre-season testing sounded like a ‘farewell speech’
The report from the Swiss outlet – who look at Sauber’s performances very closely as the country’s only representative in the sport – wasn’t positive about their work in testing.
After only scoring four points in 2024 thanks to Zhou Guanyu’s drive in Qatar, they looked to have once again been cut adrift by the rest of the paddock during testing.
After hearing Key’s comments following the test, the report went on to say that it sounded ‘almost like a farewell speech’ from the technical director.
READ MORE: All you need to know about Sauber from team principal to 2026 Audi future
Key returned to Sauber in 2023 after previously working for the team a decade earlier, but things haven’t gone since his introduction.
After 486 Grand Prix starts, Sauber enter their final year as a manufacturer before Audi make their Formula 1 debut.
Given the German giant’s reputation when it comes to motorsport, they won’t want to be anywhere near the back of the grid.
It means the work they’re already doing behind the scenes is pivotal to avoiding that fate.
What James Key said about Sauber’s testing performance in Bahrain
Reflecting on the work Sauber did at the Bahrain International Circuit, Key said in a press release: “Overall, it has been a productive pre-season test, which allowed us to gather useful data that will serve as a foundation heading into the first race of the season in two weeks.
“We have managed to cover everything we had planned over these three days while gaining a lot of valuable insights.
“The C45 delivered a solid performance, completing over 350 laps in total, a testament to the hard work put in by the team throughout the winter.
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“As always in testing, lap times haven’t been our focus, as each team followed its own priorities and checklists, so we’ll have to wait until Melbourne to get a clearer picture of the competition.
“Still, it’s safe to say we delivered a decent, consistent performance and we will look to keep moving forward as the season unfolds.”
David Croft admitted he had heard worrying things about Sauber behind the scenes and that was reflected in their car’s performance.
Ted Kravitz noticed Nico Hulkenberg’s body language wasn’t great either and he and rookie teammate Gabriel Bortoleto are likely to have their work cut out this season.
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