MANAMA - Lewis Hamilton will have a first impression of how his Ferrari rates against the rest when Formula One starts three days of testing in Bahrain on Wednesday with a new crop of cars and drivers.

Hamilton went over two years without a race win following that controversial race, as Red Bull emerged as the dominant force in the sport. He did come back to claim two wins in 2024, but Mercedes clearly had the fourth-fastest car on the grid, something the seven-time champ appeared to see coming as he announced an early exit to Ferrari.