Formula 1 cars hit the track Friday for the first practice session of 2025 as the new season kicks off this weekend with a race in Melbourne, Australia.

Lewis Hamilton has been gaining more attention than Charles Leclerc, a key point that he has commented on ahead of the 2025 season opener.

Verstappen’s teammate last year, Sergio Pérez, has been replaced by Liam Lawson this season, with the New Zealand driver set to make his full-time F1 debut in 2025. In the drizzly conditions in Bahrain, Lawson said he was fighting “a few teething gremlins” with his car as he sought to adjust to life alongside Verstappen.