The inaugural day of Formula 1’s 2026 Bahrain pre-season testing kicked off with McLaren’s Lando Norris setting a blazing pace, clocking in 0.129 seconds quicker than Red Bull‘s Max Verstappen. However, it was Verstappen who outperformed in terms of lap count, completing more laps than McLaren managed throughout the day.
In the morning session, Oscar Piastri recorded a commendable best time of 1m35.602s over 54 laps. Once Norris took command of the MCL40 in the afternoon, he achieved the day’s fastest lap, registering a time of 1m34.669s while adding 58 laps to the team’s total, exceeding the full race distance at the Bahrain International Circuit.
Given the early stage of the season, the track conditions were less than ideal, with a ‘green’ surface, gusty winds, and many drivers testing their vehicles equipped with aerodynamic measuring tools. Consequently, the initial lap times did not generate much excitement. As drivers began to push their limits, several encountered difficulties at Turn 10, primarily due to tailwinds and varying braking techniques.
During the morning, Verstappen topped the charts with a time of 1m35.433s, which was notably slower than Piastri’s 1m29.841 pole time from the previous year’s Bahrain Grand Prix. Notably, Verstappen was the first to hit the 100-lap milestone, showcasing the Red Bull’s capability to harness more electrical power than its competitors over multiple laps.
Ultimately, Verstappen completed an impressive 136 laps, with his fastest time of 1m34.798s achieved during a late afternoon stint on soft tires, just 0.129 seconds behind Norris. Charles Leclerc represented Ferrari with a lap time that was 0.521 seconds slower than Norris’s best while managing 80 laps, marking a fruitful day for the Scuderia. Lewis Hamilton also had a productive morning, finishing with the seventh-fastest lap after 52 laps.
Esteban Ocon emerged as the second busiest driver, logging 115 laps in the Haas VF-26 and recording the fourth-best time of the day. Meanwhile, Mercedes faced challenges amid ongoing issues with its power unit, as George Russell completed 56 laps, but his fastest time lagged 1.439 seconds behind Norris’s performance.
Aston Martin struggled, with its AMR26 achieving only 36 laps. Lance Stroll completed 33 laps in the morning but was sidelined after just three additional laps in the afternoon due to what the team called “a data anomaly” with the new Honda power unit. Stroll’s best lap was clocked at 1m39.883s.
On a brighter note, Williams rebounded from missing the Barcelona shakedown by completing an impressive number of laps. Carlos Sainz managed 77 laps in the morning, surpassing a full race distance, while teammate Alex Albon added 68 laps in the afternoon.
Among teams unveiling upgrades or concepts, Audi was particularly noticeable, showcasing a distinct sidepod design on its R26 compared to the one used during the launch. Gabriel Bortoleto drove the car reliably for 49 laps in the morning, but it encountered mechanical issues shortly after Nico Hulkenberg took over, leading to a red flag. Hulkenberg eventually completed 73 laps. The only other interruption of the day occurred when Franco Colapinto’s Alpine halted on track after 17 laps, though he later managed to finish with 28 laps before handing over to Pierre Gasly.
Cadillac made its debut with a striking two-tone livery revealed at the Super Bowl weekend, with Valtteri Bottas racing for 49 laps before handing off to Sergio Perez, who finished the day with 58 laps.
Rookie Arvid Lindblad completed 75 laps in the Racing Bulls VCARB 03 during the morning session before the car suffered from a fluid leak.
F1 Bahrain Pre-Season Test Day 1 Results
- Lando Norris – McLaren MCL40 / Mercedes F1 M17 E Performance
- Max Verstappen – Red Bull RB22 / Red Bull Ford DM01
- Charles Leclerc – Ferrari SF-26 / Ferrari 067/6
- Esteban Ocon – Haas VF-26 / Ferrari 067/6
- Oscar Piastri – McLaren MCL40 / Mercedes F1 M17 E Performance
- George Russell – Mercedes F1 W17 E Performance / Mercedes F1 M17 E Performance
- Lewis Hamilton – Ferrari SF-26 / Ferrari 067/6
- Pierre Gasly – Alpine A526 / Mercedes F1 M17 E Performance
- Nico Hulkenberg – Audi R26 / Audi AFR 26 Hybrid
- Alexander Albon – Williams FW48 / Mercedes F1 M17 E Performance
- Andrea Kimi Antonelli – Mercedes F1 W17 E Performance / Mercedes F1 M17 E Performance
- Arvid Lindblad – Racing Bulls VCARB 03 / Red Bull Ford DM01
- Carlos Sainz – Williams FW48 / Mercedes F1 M17 E Performance
- Sergio Perez – Cadillac ? / Ferrari 067/6
- Gabriel Bortoleto – Audi R26 / Audi AFR 26 Hybrid
- Valtteri Bottas – Cadillac ? / Ferrari 067/6
- Lance Stroll – Aston Martin AMR26 / Honda RA626H
- Franco Colapinto – Alpine A526 / Mercedes F1 M17 E Performance
