Lead
Charles Leclerc ended the second and final 2026 pre-season test in Bahrain as the quickest driver, topping the timesheets on the last day ahead of Lando Norris and Max Verstappen. Leclerc set the session benchmark of 1m 31.992s at the Bahrain International Circuit on Friday, finishing 0.879 seconds clear of Norris. The final afternoon run provided teams their last meaningful track time before the season opener in Melbourne on March 6-8. Several teams completed targeted programmes while a few crews ran curtailed schedules due to technical issues.
Key Takeaways
- Charles Leclerc posted the fastest lap of the three-day test with a 1m 31.992s on Friday, the quickest time of the entire Bahrain pre-season programme.
- Lando Norris finished second, 0.879s adrift of Leclerc with an effective best lap of about 1m 32.871s after McLaren returned the Briton to the car for the afternoon.
- Max Verstappen placed third for Red Bull, with George Russell fourth as Mercedes recovered significant mileage following a morning pneumatic issue that affected Kimi Antonelli.
- Arvid Lindblad completed the most laps on the day, recording 165 circuits in the Racing Bulls car, the session’s highest lap count.
- Aston Martin ran a heavily limited programme because of a battery-related problem; Lance Stroll managed only six non-timed laps before the team concluded its running with more than two hours remaining.
- Pierre Gasly was fifth for Alpine, while the rest of the top ten included Ollie Bearman, Gabriel Bortoleto, Kimi Antonelli, Lindblad and Carlos Sainz in varying order.
- Oscar Piastri ranked 11th on the timesheets, followed by Esteban Ocon and Isack Hadjar; Valtteri Bottas, Nico Hülkenberg and Sergio Perez occupied mid-pack positions with Stroll classified 17th without a timed lap.
Background
The Bahrain pre-season programme comprised two consecutive three-day tests intended to give teams a final opportunity to evaluate aero, reliability and race-run pace before the 24-round 2026 Formula 1 season begins in Melbourne on March 6-8. Pre-season tests traditionally feature mixed agendas: some teams prioritise short-run pace checks, others focus on long runs and race simulations that better reflect Grand Prix conditions. This year’s test took place at the Bahrain International Circuit, a track often chosen for early-season work because it combines high temperatures with long straights and heavy braking zones that stress components and cooling systems.
Teams approached the second test with varied objectives shaped by earlier findings, in-season regulation tweaks and updates to power-unit and chassis packages. Reliability remains a central concern, as any late hardware issues can force hurried fixes and restrict mileage ahead of the opening race. Manufacturers and suppliers — including power-unit partners — monitor battery, cooling and gearbox performance closely in Bahrain’s heat, with constrained runs sometimes required when anomalies appear. The mix of veteran drivers and rookies on test duty reflects each team’s plan to balance setup work with driver familiarisation.
Main Event
The final day began with a subdued green light and a number of teams executing planned driver swaps before the afternoon sprint of activity. Aston Martin confirmed earlier in the day that a battery-related issue limited its running; as a result the team ended the session early and Stroll completed six non-timed laps only. McLaren delayed Lando Norris’s first outing while completing work on the MCL40; Norris later headed out with roughly two hours remaining and produced competitive pace to claim P2 for the day.
Ferrari and Leclerc used the afternoon window to put together both long runs and single-lap efforts, with Leclerc lowering his benchmark across the session. The Monegasque improved incrementally from a morning quick time to a 1m 31.992s in the later stages, showing both one-lap speed and useful running mileage. Several teams elected to run C5 soft tyres in the closing phase to assess qualifying-style pace, while others concentrated on race simulations that yielded longer stints and higher lap counts.
Red Bull collected solid data with Verstappen third fastest overall, while Mercedes focused on regaining mileage after a morning stoppage for Antonelli caused by a pneumatic issue. Williams and Racing Bulls logged heavy stints, with Carlos Sainz and rookie Arvid Lindblad among those posting lengthy sequences to validate race trim. In the final minutes a practice start lights routine was executed across the grid, marking the end of the three-day evaluation and formalising some start-procedure checks ahead of Melbourne.
Analysis & Implications
Leclerc’s clear margin at the top highlights Ferrari’s capacity to extract a fast lap when required, but testing times alone are an imperfect indicator of race competitiveness given varying fuel loads, tyre compounds and distinct programme goals across teams. Some outfits prioritised qualifying simulations on soft rubber while others focused on long-run degradation and systems durability, so a straightforward ordering of performance would be misleading. Teams that completed heavy mileage — notably the names near the front and those with high lap counts — will enter Melbourne with firmer baseline data for race setups and component life estimates.
Aston Martin’s restricted running is the main reliability headline from the final day; battery-related limitations can indicate cooling or integration issues that must be resolved before the first race. Limited track time compromises preparations for both race and qualifying simulations, placing pressure on engineers to replicate lost data in shorter windows during final race weekend practice. Conversely, teams that logged consistent long runs have an advantage preparing strategy calls and tyre plans for the early rounds of the season.
From a championship perspective, the test establishes early storylines — Ferrari shows single-lap potential, Red Bull retains depth, and Mercedes appears to have remedied morning troubles — but winter testing historically produces swing results. The balance of one-lap pace and race durability will be decisive once fuel loads are representative and tyre allocations come under race pressure in Melbourne. Expect a handful of teams to arrive with unfinished work and incremental updates across the opening rounds as data from the first races refines development paths.
Comparison & Data
| Driver | Team | Best Lap | Laps (Day) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Charles Leclerc | Ferrari | 1:31.992 | — |
| Lando Norris | McLaren | 1:32.871 (approx.) | — |
| Max Verstappen | Red Bull | — | — |
| Arvid Lindblad | Racing Bulls | — | 165 |
The table highlights confirmed figures and the day’s highest lap total. Leclerc’s best lap is official; Norris’s best is an inferred value calculated from the published margin of 0.879s. Many teams ran mixed programmes, so direct comparisons of best laps can be skewed by tyre choice and fuel load. Lindblad’s 165 laps stand out for accumulated mileage and reliability verification, while several competitive teams posted fewer timed laps but focused on targeted systems checks.
Reactions & Quotes
Aston Martin described its final-day schedule as running a very limited programme because of a battery-related issue that curtailed Fernando Alonso’s running.
Aston Martin (team statement via media)
Ferrari’s test work left Leclerc atop the timesheets and suggested the SF-26 can produce strong single-lap speed when asked, although team programmes varied across the field.
Formula 1 technical desk (media analysis)
Several engineers noted that heavy long runs by teams such as Racing Bulls and Williams provided valuable race-pace data that will inform strategy choices in Melbourne.
Independent technical commentators (media)
Unconfirmed
- No independent confirmation was available about the precise fuel loads used by each team when their best laps were set, which affects direct time comparisons.
- Specific root-cause details of Aston Martin’s battery-related problem were not disclosed publicly at the time of reporting and remain subject to team technical bulletins.
Bottom Line
Charles Leclerc closed the Bahrain pre-season programme as the quickest driver, posting the fastest lap of the entire test and finishing well clear of his nearest rival on Friday. That performance underlines Ferrari’s ability to extract single-lap pace but should be weighed against the varied test objectives across teams and the lack of directly comparable runs. Teams that prioritised long stints — and those who completed heavy mileage such as Arvid Lindblad’s 165 laps — arrive in Melbourne with stronger datasets for race setups and tyre strategies.
Aston Martin’s curtailed running is the principal reliability concern from the final day, while Mercedes and Red Bull showed solid operational continuity despite isolated issues. With the 2026 season starting on March 6-8 in Melbourne, expect the first race weekend to clarify the balance hinted at in Bahrain and to prompt early development responses from squads that identify gaps in pace or durability.
Sources
- Formula1.com — Motorsport news report summarising official team statements and test times.