With the 2026 Formula 1 season officially underway, ushering in a brand-new era, the faces at the front remain reassuringly familiar. Day one in Bahrain delivered plenty of mileage, not least from Max Verstappen, who racked up an eye-catching 136 laps on his own — comfortably more than double a full race distance at this circuit.
What To Know?
- Day 1 of pre-season testing comes from Bahrain
- Each team will run one car on the track today
- The teams gets two four-hour sessions to test out their new cars, with a one hour break for lunch
- Colapinto was the first to cause a red flag after stopping out on track in his Alpine
- Verstappen topped the morning session for Red Bull ahead of Piastri
- Norris topped the afternoon session for McLaren ahead of Verstappen
When the chequered flag finally waved to bring the day to a close, it was Lando Norris who sat atop the timesheets for McLaren, ahead of Verstappen and Charles Leclerc. The familiar names setting the early benchmark — but whether that pattern holds remains to be seen when running resumes tomorrow.
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Taking over from McLaren team mate Oscar Piastri for the afternoon session, Norris steadily improved across his programme, ultimately posting a benchmark lap of 1m 34.669s as conditions cooled at the desert venue.
Reigning World Champion Max Verstappen, who had headed the timesheets in the morning, secured second overall in his Red Bull. He finished just 0.129s shy of Norris – a narrow margin on paper, though lap times and fuel loads remain notoriously difficult to interpret during testing.
The significance of the day went beyond raw pace. Teams are adapting to an entirely new technical framework for 2026, featuring overhauled aerodynamics and revised power units. The updated engines deliver increased electrical power and incorporate a broader range of deployment modes, presenting engineers and drivers alike with a steep learning curve.
Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc ended the day third fastest, roughly half a second adrift of Norris’ headline time. He was followed by Esteban Ocon, who delivered a productive outing for Haas, and Piastri, who laid the groundwork in the morning before handing the McLaren over.
Mercedes duo George Russell and seven-time World Champion Lewis Hamilton slotted into sixth and seventh respectively, Hamilton having driven in the morning session for Ferrari before stepping aside.
The afternoon also featured a brief interruption when Nico Hulkenberg stopped his Audi just before the final corner, triggering a short red flag. However, the German was able to return to the pits and rejoin proceedings around 15 minutes later, limiting disruption.
Completing the top 10 were Pierre Gasly for Alpine and Alex Albon for Williams. For Williams in particular, the mileage was significant after missing the Barcelona shakedown due to car preparation delays.
Just outside the top group came Mercedes’ Kimi Antonelli and the sole 2026 rookie on the grid, Arvid Lindblad. Lindblad completed the entire first day at the wheel for Racing Bulls, while team mate Liam Lawson observed from the garage as he marked his birthday.
Cadillac divided their track time between experienced returnees Sergio Perez and Valtteri Bottas, who were separated on the timesheets by Gabriel Bortoleto in positions 14 through 16. Lance Stroll for Aston Martin and Alpine’s Franco Colapinto – who experienced a stoppage earlier in the day – rounded out the order.
From a mileage perspective, Verstappen underlined Red Bull’s robust start. One of four drivers to remain in the car all day, he completed more than 130 laps – the highest total of the field. Ocon also crossed the 100-lap threshold individually, reinforcing Haas’s productive opening.
With one day complete, teams now turn their focus to data analysis in the Sakhir paddock, fine-tuning set-ups and reliability checks ahead of Thursday’s session. Isack Hadjar, Fernando Alonso, Ollie Bearman and Lawson are all scheduled to take to the track as testing continues.
Day 1 F1 2026 Pre-Season testing: Leaderboard
| 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 |
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