Kimi Antonelli and Mercedes topped the final day of the first pre-season test in Bahrain, though outright pace in testing rarely tells the full story. Programmes differ, fuel loads vary and engine modes remain unknown, making it difficult to draw firm conclusions from headline times alone.
In terms of the pecking order, much remains unclear. The established front-running group appear likely to contest the top positions once racing begins, but the exact order — particularly in the tightly packed midfield — is still difficult to predict.
What To Know?
- Mercedes finished strongest, with Andrea Kimi Antonelli leading a 1–2 for Mercedes-AMG Petronas Formula One Team on Day 3, underlining the team’s late-test pace after overcoming earlier reliability concerns.
- Early honours were shared, as Lando Norris topped Day 1 for McLaren and Charles Leclerc led Day 2 for Ferrari, suggesting multiple frontrunners are already in the mix.
- Mileage told its own story, with McLaren completing 422 laps across the test compared to Aston Martin’s 206, highlighting a significant difference in track time and data gathered.
- Reliability was a recurring theme, as Mercedes changed a power unit, Cadillac suffered stoppages for Sergio Perez and Valtteri Bottas, and several other drivers — including Lewis Hamilton and Lance Stroll — experienced interruptions.
- The true pecking order remains unclear, with varying fuel loads, engine modes and run plans masking outright performance — particularly in what looks to be an extremely tight midfield battle heading into Melbourne.
Day 1: Bahrain
Lando Norris set the benchmark on the opening day of 2026 pre-season testing in Bahrain, edging out Max Verstappen by just 0.129s. Charles Leclerc followed in third, as teams began unlocking performance from radically redesigned cars.
Read The Full Report From Day 1
Beyond outright pace, reliability and mileage were central themes. Verstappen led the lap charts with over 130 laps, while Esteban Ocon also surpassed 100 laps. A brief red flag for Nico Hulkenberg provided minor disruption, but overall it was a productive first day as teams gathered crucial data ahead of the remaining sessions.
Day 1 Times
| Pos | Driver | Team | Gap | Tyres Used |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lando Norris | McLaren | 1:34.669 | 13 |
| 2 | Max Verstappen | Red Bull Racing | 0.129 | 19 |
| 3 | Charles Leclerc | Ferrari | 0.521 | 13 |
| 4 | Esteban Ocon | Haas F1 Team | 0.909 | 23 |
| 5 | Oscar Piastri | McLaren | 0.933 | 11 |
| 6 | George Russell | Mercedes | 1.439 | 9 |
| 7 | Lewis Hamilton | Ferrari | 1.764 | 13 |
| 8 | Pierre Gasly | Alpine | 2.096 | 10 |
| 9 | Nico Hulkenberg | Audi | 2.192 | 10 |
| 10 | Alexander Albon | Williams | 2.768 | 12 |
| 11 | Kimi Antonelli | Mercedes | 2.96 | 5 |
| 12 | Arvid Lindblad | Racing Bulls | 3.276 | 9 |
| 13 | Carlos Sainz | Williams | 3.552 | 14 |
| 14 | Sergio Perez | Cadillac | 4.159 | 8 |
| 15 | Gabriel Bortoleto | Audi | 4.202 | 13 |
| 16 | Valtteri Bottas | Cadillac | 4.481 | 11 |
| 17 | Lance Stroll | Aston Martin | 5.214 | 10 |
| 18 | Franco Colapinto | Alpine | 5.661 | 4 |
| 19 | Isack Hadjar | Red Bull Racing | – – | 0 |
| 20 | Fernando Alonso | Aston Martin | – – | 0 |
| 21 | Liam Lawson | Racing Bulls | – – | 0 |
| 22 | Oliver Bearman | Haas F1 Team | – – | 0 |
Day 2: Bahrain
Charles Leclerc led the way on Thursday in Bahrain, setting a morning time of 1m 34.273s that remained unbeaten through to the evening session. He finished comfortably ahead of Lando Norris and Oliver Bearman, with all three drivers surpassing 100 laps despite intermittent stoppages. Mercedes split duties between Kimi Antonelli and George Russell, though Antonelli’s morning was severely limited by a power unit issue, leaving Russell to secure fourth overall.
Read The Full Report From Day 2
Elsewhere, Isack Hadjar rebounded from early technical issues to finish fifth, while Audi’s Gabriel Bortoleto and Nico Hulkenberg continued preparations for their debut season. Several drivers encountered minor disruptions, including Sergio Perez and Valtteri Bottas, as Race Control also conducted systems checks late in the day. Teams will now analyse their findings before returning for the final day of testing on Friday.
Day 2 Times
| Pos | Driver | Team | Gap | Tyres Used |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Charles Leclerc | Ferrari | 1:34.273 | 23 |
| 2 | Lando Norris | McLaren | 0.511 | 22 |
| 3 | Oliver Bearman | Haas F1 Team | 1.121 | 32 |
| 4 | George Russell | Mercedes | 1.193 | 10 |
| 5 | Isack Hadjar | Red Bull Racing | 2.288 | 13 |
| 6 | Gabriel Bortoleto | Audi | 2.397 | 15 |
| 7 | Pierre Gasly | Alpine | 2.45 | 18 |
| 8 | Valtteri Bottas | Cadillac | 2.551 | 11 |
| 9 | Alexander Albon | Williams | 2.956 | 12 |
| 10 | Nico Hulkenberg | Audi | 2.993 | 16 |
| 11 | Arvid Lindblad | Racing Bulls | 3.197 | 15 |
| 12 | Carlos Sainz | Williams | 3.319 | 10 |
| 13 | Liam Lawson | Racing Bulls | 3.744 | 9 |
| 14 | Fernando Alonso | Aston Martin | 3.975 | 19 |
| 15 | Sergio Perez | Cadillac | 4.38 | 6 |
| 16 | Kimi Antonelli | Mercedes | – – | 2 |
| 17 | Max Verstappen | Red Bull Racing | – – | 0 |
| 18 | Lance Stroll | Aston Martin | – – | 0 |
| 19 | Esteban Ocon | Haas F1 Team | – – | 0 |
| 20 | Franco Colapinto | Alpine | – – | 0 |
| 21 | Lewis Hamilton | Ferrari | – – | 0 |
| 22 | Oscar Piastri | McLaren | – – | 0 |
Day 3: Bahrain
Mercedes concluded the opening 2026 Bahrain pre-season test in emphatic fashion, with Kimi Antonelli leading George Russell to secure a 1-2 finish on the final day. Antonelli’s 1m 33.669s lap edged out Russell’s morning benchmark, while Lewis Hamilton placed third for Ferrari after a full day of long-run work that ended with a late stoppage. Oscar Piastri impressed with extensive mileage for McLaren, finishing fourth ahead of Red Bull’s Max Verstappen and Isack Hadjar.
Read The Full Report From Day 3
Elsewhere, Haas, Alpine and Audi filled out the midfield positions, with several drivers experiencing lock-ups as teams continued to understand their new-generation cars. Lance Stroll admitted Aston Martin are currently “around four-and-a-half seconds off the pace”, while Cadillac overcame an early red flag to log significant mileage. With one Bahrain test complete, teams now turned their focus to analysing data before returning to Sakhir on February 18–20 for the final pre-season session.
Day 3 Times
| Pos | Driver | Team | Gap | Laps |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kimi Antonelli | Mercedes | 1:33.669 | 61 |
| 2 | George Russell | Mercedes | +0.249 | 78 |
| 3 | Lewis Hamilton | Ferrari | +0.540 | 150 |
| 4 | Oscar Piastri | McLaren | +0.880 | 161 |
| 5 | Max Verstappen | Red Bull Racing | +1.672 | 61 |
| 6 | Isack Hadjar | Red Bull Racing | +1.941 | 59 |
| 7 | Esteban Ocon | Haas F1 Team | +2.084 | 75 |
| 8 | Franco Colapinto | Alpine | +2.137 | 144 |
| 9 | Oliver Bearman | Haas F1 Team | +2.303 | 70 |
| 10 | Nico Hulkenberg | Audi | +2.622 | 58 |
| 11 | Alexander Albon | Williams | +2.996 | 78 |
| 12 | Liam Lawson | Racing Bulls | +3.139 | 119 |
| 13 | Carlos Sainz | Williams | +3.517 | 68 |
| 14 | Sergio Perez | Cadillac | +3.696 | 67 |
| 15 | Gabriel Bortoleto | Audi | +3.867 | 60 |
| 16 | Lance Stroll | Aston Martin | +4.496 | 72 |
| 17 | Valtteri Bottas | Cadillac | +5.103 | 37 |
| 18 | Lando Norris | McLaren | – | 0 |
| 19 | Pierre Gasly | Alpine | – | 0 |
| 20 | Fernando Alonso | Aston Martin | – | 0 |
| 21 | Charles Leclerc | Ferrari | – | 0 |
| 22 | Arvid Lindblad | Racing Bulls | – | 0 |
What next?
We’ll be back on Wednesday for more coverage from Bahrain as the second pre-season test gets underway at the Bahrain International Circuit. The format remains unchanged, with three days of running split into two four-hour sessions per day, giving teams another crucial opportunity to gather data and refine their packages.
After that, attention turns fully to Melbourne and the season-opening race at the Albert Park Circuit. With upgrades already confirmed for next week, the next test should offer a clearer indication of who has made gains — and who may finally reveal their true pace.
Work To Do for Some
Not every team enjoyed smooth running during the first test. Aston Martin completed 206 laps across the three days, a solid effort but significantly fewer than McLaren, who racked up an impressive 422 laps and maximised their time on track.
Cadillac Formula 1 Team encountered a couple of interruptions, with Sergio Perez stopping out on track yesterday and Valtteri Bottas doing the same today. Alpine F1 Team also lost valuable running time, while Mercedes-AMG Petronas Formula One Team were forced to change a power unit after detecting an issue.
Behind the scenes, factory crews now face an intense few days analysing data, addressing reliability concerns and preparing new components ahead of the second test.
Reliability, meanwhile, has already become a talking point. Several teams experienced stoppages across the three days, including Lewis Hamilton and Valtteri Bottas on Day 3, while Lance Stroll and Andrea Kimi Antonelli both spent spells in the garage. That, however, is precisely the purpose of testing: to uncover weaknesses now rather than on race day.
The next three days in Bahrain should provide further clarity, especially once upgrades arrive and teams begin to edge closer to showing their true performance.
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