Lewis Hamilton is enjoying his new Ferrari as Carlos Sainz goes fastest in testing

SAKHIR, Bahrain (AP) — Lewis Hamilton said he's “really enjoying” driving his new Ferrari after he was narrowly beaten in Formula 1 testing results on Thursday by the driver he replaced at Ferrari, Carlos Sainz, Jr.

Hamilton's time from the morning session was the fastest for much of the day until new Williams driver Sainz beat it by .031 of a second.

Hamilton's Ferrari teammate Charles Leclerc was third fastest, .083 off the pace, with a much larger gap to Mercedes' George Russell in fourth, 0.43 off Sainz's time.

Hamilton and Sainz were over a second faster than the best lap from the first day of testing Wednesday, which was set by Lando Norris for McLaren.

“I am really enjoying the car. We’re slowly bonding, I think,” Hamilton said in televised comments. “Today was a bit more of getting to explore my interaction with my engineer, but so far I really enjoy driving this car."

Ferrari team principal Fred Vasseur said he was satisfied with the team's work in testing.

“So far so good, but the first topic is reliability. It’s always a question at the start of the season, and it went well,” Vasseur said part-way through Thursday. He added it’s harder to tell a car’s true performance because it isn’t clear how much fuel competitors have in their cars for test runs.

Adding to the unseasonably cold conditions, the rare sight of light rain in Bahrain was an extra complication for teams trying to learn more about their new cars.

Expecting dry conditions in the desert, only two teams — Aston Martin and Haas — brought wet-weather tires for the test.

There is a third and final day of testing on Friday. The first race of the season is the Australian Grand Prix in Melbourne on March 16.

AP auto racing: https://apnews.com/hub/auto-racing

Ferrari driver Lewis Hamilton of Britain in action during a Formula One pre-season test at the Bahrain International Circuit in Sakhir, Bahrain, Thursday, Feb. 27, 2025. (AP Photo/Darko Bandic)

Williams driver Carlos Sainz of Spain in action during a Formula One pre-season test at the Bahrain International Circuit in Sakhir, Bahrain, Thursday, Feb. 27, 2025. (AP Photo/Darko Bandic)

Williams driver Carlos Sainz of Spain leaves the pit lane during a Formula One pre-season test at the Bahrain International Circuit in Sakhir, Bahrain, Thursday, Feb. 27, 2025. (AP Photo/Darko Bandic)

Ferrari driver Lewis Hamilton of Britain rides a scooter during a Formula One pre-season test at the Bahrain International Circuit in Sakhir, Bahrain, Thursday, Feb. 27, 2025. (AP Photo/Darko Bandic)

Crew pushes Ferrari driver Lewis Hamilton of Britain during a Formula One pre-season test at the Bahrain International Circuit in Sakhir, Bahrain, Thursday, Feb. 27, 2025. (AP Photo/Darko Bandic)

Ferrari driver Lewis Hamilton of Britain leaves the pit lane during a Formula One pre-season test at the Bahrain International Circuit in Sakhir, Bahrain, Thursday, Feb. 27, 2025. (AP Photo/Darko Bandic)

Mercedes driver George Russell of Britain in action during a Formula One pre-season test at the Bahrain International Circuit in Sakhir, Bahrain, Thursday, Feb. 27, 2025. (AP Photo/Darko Bandic)

Ferrari driver Lewis Hamilton of Britain makes a pit stop during a Formula One pre-season test at the Bahrain International Circuit in Sakhir, Bahrain, Thursday, Feb. 27, 2025. (AP Photo/Darko Bandic)

Ferrari driver Lewis Hamilton of Britain drives through the pit lane during a Formula One pre-season test at the Bahrain International Circuit in Sakhir, Bahrain, Thursday, Feb. 27, 2025. (AP Photo/Darko Bandic)

Ferrari driver Lewis Hamilton of Britain in action during a Formula One pre-season test at the Bahrain International Circuit in Sakhir, Bahrain, Thursday, Feb. 27, 2025. (AP Photo/Darko Bandic)

Ferrari driver Lewis Hamilton of Britain leaves the pit lane during a Formula One pre-season test at the Bahrain International Circuit in Sakhir, Bahrain, Thursday, Feb. 27, 2025. (AP Photo/Darko Bandic)

MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Sep 17, 2026--

Utopai Studios today announced that Scott Muller, the casting director known for The Simpsons, Futurama and King of the Hill, will lead voice casting for The Most Serious Fart, the studio’s animated feature based on Mike Bender’s bestselling children’s book. Coyote vs. Acme story artist Andy Brooks has also joined the production as key story artist.

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260907335778/en/

Brooks joins a creative team that includes Academy Award-nominated and BAFTA-winning Shrek screenwriter Joe Stillman as co-executive producer; former Pixar art director John Lee as production designer; and Chuck Dillon, illustrator of the original book, as creative art director. Bender will write, direct and produce the film, with Russell Hollander producing alongside him. The film is planned for a wide theatrical release in 2027.

The Most Serious Fart follows Siegfried, an uptight fart who is ashamed of who he is and determined to change farts into something respectable. Siegfried sets out on a journey that ultimately teaches him to accept himself, find friendship and discover fun along the way.

“Voice casting will define how audiences first connect with Siegfried and the world around him,” said Muller. “Mike has created characters that invite bold comedy but also have a genuine emotional point of view. I am excited to find the voices that can make the humor land while giving the story the warmth and humanity at its center.”

“From the beginning, our goal has been to make a film that feels as distinctive as the book,” said Bender. “Scott understands how much performance shapes an animated world. Andy brings a remarkable ability to tell stories through character, expression and movement. Together with the rest of our creative team, they will help make Siegfried’s world feel completely original while keeping its heart intact.”

Carlos Lutterbach, head of animation at Utopai Studios, is working closely with Bender to assemble the film’s creative team. “The story, art and animation teams collaborate from the moment pencil touches paper,” said Lutterbach. “Every choice supports Mike’s vision for the movie.”

Brooks brings more than 30 years of experience as a character animator, visual development artist and story artist, with work for Disney, Paramount, Aardman Animations and Warner Bros. His credits include Tom and Jerry, The Chronicles of Narnia, Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget, Coyote vs. Acme and the Academy Award-winning animated short The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse.

Muller currently serves as casting director for The Simpsons and previously worked on Futurama, King of the Hill and the animated Napoleon Dynamite series. Stillman co-wrote Shrek and Shrek 2, earning an Academy Award nomination and BAFTA Award for Shrek, as well as two Emmy nominations for King of the Hill.

Lee has designed at Disney Feature Animation, Pixar and Skydance Animation, with credits including the Cars, Toy Story and The Incredibles franchises, as well as Finding Dory, Inside Out and Ray Gunn. Dillon has worked as an illustrator for more than three decades, creating award-winning work for clients including Highlights for Children. As creative art director, he will help carry the book’s distinctive visual identity into the feature.

Bender and Hollander developed the project over several years before partnering with Utopai Studios to bring it to the screen through the studio’s artist-first, AI-assisted production model. Bender and the creative team will retain control of the writing, design, direction, performances and final creative decisions.

Human animators and illustrators will lead the creative process and originate the film’s artwork. AI will be used selectively as a production tool to support iteration under their direction.

Bender previously co-wrote and co-produced the Sony Pictures comedy Not Another Teen Movie. He is also the award-winning author of the children’s books Bored Panda, The End Is Just the Beginning and The Book About Nothing, and the co-creator and No. 1 New York Times bestselling co-author of Awkward Family Photos.

Hollander’s producing credits include Flight Risk, starring Mark Wahlberg; Adulthood, starring Josh Gad; the ensemble romantic comedy Valentine’s Day, directed by Garry Marshall; and the upcoming Honeymoon With Harry, starring Kevin Costner and Jake Gyllenhaal at Amazon Studios.

About Utopai Studios

Utopai Studios is a next-generation, AI-native global entertainment studio creating original intellectual property (IP) and building new franchises across film and television. The company develops, finances, and produces its own projects and partners with filmmakers, studios, and rights holders on co-productions, bringing filmmaker-led production, creative infrastructure, and proprietary technology together under one roof. Utopai Studios also develops and localizes IP rooted in individual markets for audiences worldwide. Directors, producers, writers, actors and artists lead its productions and retain creative control throughout the process. The company develops PAI, its proprietary cinematic storytelling engine for long-form productions, designed to maintain consistency and control across characters, worlds, scenes and sequences. Headquartered in Mountain View, Calif., Utopai Studios’ international footprint includes Utopai Studios APAC and Utopai GmbH in Germany. For more information, visit www.utopaistudios.com.

Utopai Studios today announced that Scott Muller, the casting director known for The Simpsons, Futurama, and King of the Hill, will lead voice casting for The Most Serious Fart, the studio’s animated feature based on Mike Bender’s bestselling children’s book.