Pre-Season Testing – Day 3

Sakhir, 28 February 2025 – Stake F1 Team KICK Sauber wrapped up the final day of pre-season testing at the Bahrain International Circuit. Gabriel Bortoleto and Nico Hulkenberg completed a total of 104 laps, bringing the team’s three-day tally to 354 laps overall—covering 1,915.848 kilometres. The data and feedback gathered over the course of these three busy testing days are being carefully analysed, as the team finalises preparations for the 2025 season opener, the Australian Grand Prix, taking place in Melbourne in two weeks’ time.

On the final day of on-track action, it was Gabriel’s turn to drive the C45 in the morning, with Nico set to take over in the afternoon. A hydraulic leak, alongside another delay due to a red flag caused by glass debris on track, caused some downtime, but the garage crew worked efficiently to get Gabriel back on track for the remainder of his session, allowing the team to complete its planned programme for the day.

Overall, it has been a productive three days of testing for the team, providing valuable insights to help better understand the C45 ahead of the first race of the season.

Circuit: Bahrain International Circuit / 5.412 km
Driver:  Gabriel Bortoleto (morning); Nico Hulkenberg (afternoon)
Laps: 35 laps, 189.420 km (BOR); 69 laps, 373.428 km (HUL)
Fastest Lap: 1:32.147 – P17 (BOR); 1:31.726 – P14 (HUL)

James Key, Technical Director: "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. Although we had to take some time off Gabriel’s final session in the car earlier today due to a hydraulic leak, which the team promptly investigated and solved, we still completed our full programme for the final day of track action. 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."

Nico Hulkenberg (Car 27): "It’s been good to be back on track, and to keep working with the team—I really enjoy this side of things, getting into the details and figuring out how to get the most out of our car. Now, testing is done, and it’s been three dynamic days with lots of running, trying different things, and collecting plenty of data to go through. We got a decent first feel for it, and there is definitely still more to discover as we keep refining things. Now, we’ll go through all the information and make sure we get to Melbourne with the best possible package for the first race."

Gabriel Bortoleto (Car 5): “It’s been a solid three days of testing – I got to learn a lot about the car and the team, and overall, it’s been productive for all of us. Now, we’ll use the next two weeks to go over the details and fine-tune, to understand what worked well and see in which areas we can improve. The season opener in Australia is just around the corner, and we’ll keep working hard to be as prepared as possible. I would like to say a big thank you to the team both trackside and in the factory for all their effort throughout these days—it’s great to be working with them. My first Formula One race is coming up, and I’m really looking forward to it.”