F1 2025 continues at relentless pace with this weekend’s Bahrain Grand Prix marking the second part of the season’s first triple head𓃲er.

After a fascinating opening three rounds, the world championship moves away from Asia for the first of back-to-back races in the Middle East, with the t🎃itle race beginningꦦ to hot up after a surprise victor in Japan.

Here are some of the biggest talking points as the F1 circus mov𝓀es on to Sakhir…

Is Max Verstappen now the title favourite?

Despite McLaren having the fastest car this season,168澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果历史: Max Verstappen finds himself just a single point adrift of early world championship leader 168澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果历史:Lando Norris following his remarkable Japanese Grand Prix win.

There is a general consensus in the♒ paddock that McLaren have an inherent pace advantage over the rest of the field, yet Verstappen’s inc🔜redible performances in what is considered to be the fourth-quickest car are keeping him right in the mix.

In the opening thre🐽e races Verstappen has maximised his results at every opportunity, finishing second, fourth and now first.

Red Bull anticipates that a fresh flexi-wing clampdown from the ninth round of the season could give them an advantage over McLaren, further boosting Verstappen’s hopes of sealing a fifth succ🌞essive world title.

Given Red Bull’s current competitive state, imagine what Verstappen can🐼 do if they improve it? The Dutchman’s displays are underlining why he a four-time world chamဣpion and considered the very best on the current grid. Japan was arguably one of the best weekends of his F1 career to date.

Verstappen may not be the👍 outright favourite just yet, but he is certainly in the hꦐunt. 

Will Ferrari address their problems?

In a bid to reset what has been a torrid start to the season, Ferrari are rumoured to be br𒈔inging their first upgrade💖 of 2025 to Bahrain.

Italian media report Ferrari will 168澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果历史:debut a new floor this weekend to try and address the major flaw currently holding 168澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果历史:Lewis Hamilton and 168澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果历史:Charles Leclerc back.

It was a disappointing ra🐭ce for Ferrari in Japan, with Leclerc finishing fourth and Hamilton only managing seventh. The Italian outfit are yet to score a podium this year and have been well off the pace of their rivals, except for Hamilton’s victory at the sprint event in China.

Ferrari are currently unable to run their car as low as they want, whiཧch is costing the team valuable p🍰erformance. Hamilton’s disqualification from the Chinese Grand Prix for excessive plank wear did little to dispel rumours the team are battling an inherent ride height problem.

After the race at Suzuka, Hamilton revealed his car is “underperforming” co💖mpared to teammate Leclerc and hinted at a fix to come, possibly as soon as this weekend’s fourth round of the season.

Hamilton’s com🔯ments appear to be backed u꧙p by the reports coming out of Italy. Could an upgrade be the key to getting Ferrari’s lacklustre campaign back on track?

Can McLaren bounce back at ‘bogey’ track?

McLaren remain strong favourites despite falling to their first grand prix defeat of 2025 at Suzuka, though th💛ey now head to a track they have traditionally struggled at in the past.

Many viewed the Japanese Grand Prix as a massive missed opportunity for McLaren, who boast the quickest pa✱ckage in the 2025 field. A win - and crucial points - that was seemingly there for the taking went begging and fell into the lap of McLaren and Norris’s main nemesis, Verstappen.

McLaren arrive at a circuit they have not had much s💎ucceಌss at knowing that another slip up will cost Norris the lead of the world championship.

Norris has suggested that Red Bull could actually be the favourites in Bahrain, citing the RB21’s strength in slow-speed corners. According to Norris, this is McLaren’s biggest “weakness”. The team did have a strong showing at the track🌸 in pre-season testing.

There is no reason for McLaren to panic just yet, but wi🥃tꦦh no breathing space to play with over a dogged Verstappen, the team will be feeling the pressure to return to winning ways.

Is Yuki Tsunoda an upgrade on Liam Lawson?

By his own standards, 168澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果历史:Yuki Tsunoda’s Red Bull debut was not a success. He went into the weekend hoping for points and came away with a 12th place finish - matching his predecessor 168澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果历史:Liam Lawson’s best result for the team.

Following his sudden promotion just two races into 🌃the season, Tsunoda was always going to be afforded some time to find his feet at the main Red Bull team.

But time is๊ a precious commodity. Red Bull’s second car is yet to 𓆉score any points this season and the team need Tsunoda to be regularly bagging strong hauls for the constructors’ championship.

There was reason for Red Bull to be encouraged, however. Ts😼unoda made a promising start to the weekend before things nosedived with a Q2 exit that set-up a challenging race which was dictated largely by qualifying.

While disappointed with his result, Tsunoda did at least feel he made progress with adapting to Red Bull’s tricky RB21. Red Bull also recognised Tsunoda did a solid job in the circumstances and have sufficient reason to believe the Japanese driver’s stint w🦋ill be more successful than Lawson’s.

Is Jack Doohan on borrowed time?

It has been a bruising start to life in F1 for 168澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果历史:Jack Doohan, who had another difficult weekend in Japan.

Having missed first practice as Ryo Hirakawa took his spot, Doohan suffered♒ a huge 185mph crash early in FP2. It later emerged that☂ the crash - Doohan’s second big accident in three races - was down to driver error.

The Australian went on to be convincingly outperformed by teammate 168澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果历史:Pierre Gasly, finishing a lowly 15th. The weekend has done little to ease the constant pressure whic💯h has surrounded Doohan since before a wheel was even turned this season.

With Alpine reserve Franco Colapinto continuing to be linked with Doohan’🎃s seat, the 22-year-old could really do with a breakthrough performance to diminish the threat of being axed.