Charles Leclerc sent a clear message to the rest of the grid on the final day of Formula 1’s second pre-season test in Bahrain, producing a stunning late lap to finish fastest and reinforce Ferrari’s credentials heading into the opening round in Melbourne.
What To Know?
- Day 3 of the second pre-season test closes out the final test in 2026 in Bahrain, before the Australian Grand Prix on March 6-8.
- George Russell was quickest on the first day for Mercedes while teammate Kimi Antonelli topped the second day.
- Charles Leclerc was fastest in the morning session for Ferrari and would end the day on top.
The Monegasque driver ended Friday a commanding 0.879s clear of Lando Norris, who begins his title defence at the Australian Grand Prix on March 6-8 live on Sky Sports F1. It was not only the outright pace that caught attention in the Sakhir paddock, but the authority with which Leclerc delivered it.
See Also…
Ferrari opted to keep Leclerc in the car for the entirety of the final day, with Lewis Hamilton observing from the garage. The decision paid off. Alongside his headline-grabbing qualifying simulation, Leclerc also completed an eye-catching race run in punishing afternoon temperatures — a performance that underlined Ferrari’s consistency as well as speed.
A benchmark lap — and more besides
Leclerc’s best time of 1:31.992 left the rest trailing. Max Verstappen was third, 1.117s adrift, while George Russell was 1.205s off the Ferrari benchmark. Yet despite Ferrari’s show of strength, many within the paddock still consider Mercedes favourites heading into Melbourne.
Verstappen appeared to be pushing hard on low fuel but could not match Leclerc’s single-lap pace. Russell, meanwhile, ended the day around three tenths slower than Mercedes’ quickest time of the entire Bahrain test — a lap set by rookie Kimi Antonelli on Thursday — hinting that the Silver Arrows may have more in reserve.
Antonelli’s Friday running was disrupted. The Italian teenager completed 66 laps in the morning session before a loss of pneumatic pressure in the engine forced Mercedes into a power-unit change. The issue cost the team over two-and-a-half hours and brought out a red flag after Antonelli slowed exiting Turn 10.
Mercedes did manage to return Russell to the track relatively swiftly, and he logged 82 laps, but there was a sense that the team did not fully reveal its hand.
Aston Martin endure difficult test
If Ferrari leaves Bahrain encouraged, Aston Martin departs with concerns. Lance Stroll managed only six laps on Friday and failed to record a lap time, compounding what has been a challenging week.
A battery-related issue on Fernando Alonso’s car on Thursday had already restricted Honda’s available power-unit components, leaving the team stretched. Reliability has been a recurring theme of their test, and their immediate priority in Melbourne may simply be to complete a clean race weekend.
Ferrari vs Mercedes in Melbourne?
Leclerc’s emphatic final-day display has intensified anticipation ahead of the season opener. No rival came close to his qualifying simulation, but, as ever in testing, outright times tell only part of the story.
Long-run data and race simulations offer a clearer picture of the competitive order, as teams often mask performance by using conservative engine modes or higher fuel loads during single-lap efforts.
In that regard, Ferrari’s week has been particularly impressive. Leclerc completed a full race simulation during the hottest period of Friday, conditions that typically slow the circuit significantly. Even so, his times were not far removed from the best long-run averages seen across the entire test.
It was a statement that would not have gone unnoticed.
Mercedes posted the strongest long-run figures overall across the three days, though they did not conduct a full race simulation on Friday. McLaren and Red Bull have shown flashes of promise, but on balance, Red Bull appears marginally behind McLaren — and certainly behind Ferrari — at this stage.
Midfield taking shape
Behind the established front-runners, Alpine and Haas look set to lead the midfield battle, with Racing Bulls, Audi and Williams closely grouped behind.
At the rear, Aston Martin and Cadillac appear locked in an early fight to avoid the foot of the standings, with Cadillac’s programme also encountering setbacks during the week.
Day 3 F1 2026 Pre-Season testing 2: Leaderboard
| Pos | Driver | Team | Time | Laps |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Charles Leclerc* | Ferrari | 1:31.992 | 132 |
| 2 | Lando Norris | McLaren | +0.879 | 47 |
| 3 | Max Verstappen | Red Bull | +1.117 | 65 |
| 4 | George Russell | Mercedes | +1.205 | 82 |
| 5 | Pierre Gasly* | Alpine | +1.429 | 118 |
| 6 | Oliver Bearman | Haas | +1.495 | 88 |
| 7 | Gabriel Bortoleto | Audi | +1.763 | 71 |
| 8 | Kimi Antonelli | Mercedes | +1.924 | 49 |
| 9 | Arvid Lindblad* | Racing Bulls | +2.157 | 165 |
| 10 | Carlos Sainz* | Williams | +2.350 | 141 |
| 11 | Oscar Piastri | McLaren | +2.360 | 66 |
| 12 | Esteban Ocon | Haas | +2.502 | 82 |
| 13 | Isack Hadjar | Red Bull | +2.519 | 59 |
| 14 | Valtteri Bottas | Cadillac | +3.298 | 38 |
| 15 | Nico Hulkenberg | Audi | +4.027 | 64 |
| 16 | Sergio Perez | Cadillac | +8.850 | 61 |
| 17 | Lance Stroll* | Aston Martin | No time set | 6 |
*Drove in both sessions
Seen in:
