A week of pre-season testing in Bahrain continues today as teams gear up for the 2026 F1 season and the complete overhaul of regulations that could herald a changing of the guard and a new era in the sport.
While lap times during testing should be taken with a pinch of salt, day one at the Bahrain International Circuit certainly didn’t suggest a shake-up, with reigning world champion Lando Norris posting the fastest lap in his McLaren and Max Verstappen only marginally behind. Mercedes boss Toto Wolff claimed Red Bull had “set the benchmark” with Verstappen’s straight-line speed, while McLaren chief executive Zak Brown suggested the “big four” of his team, Red Bull, Mercedes and Ferrari were still the big four at the front.
Meanwhile, Audi turned heads with their radical new sidepod design, much narrower and more vertical than the design showcased at the car launch, as storylines moved on from the private ‘shakedown’ event that took place in Barcelona at the end of January.
Aston Martin – who previously caused a stir when their Adrian Newey-designed car was revealed and featured a number of unorthodox elements – struggled on day one, with Lance Stroll only able to complete 36 laps, while Lewis Hamilton suggested the race engineer upheaval at Ferrari would be “detrimental” to his chances this season, which begins with the first race in Australia on 8 March.
Follow live updates from F1 testing with The Independent’s live blog below:
F1 PRE-SEASON TESTING - LATEST UPDATES
- The second F1 test concludes today in Bahrain
- Kimi Antonelli fastest on day three; Russell 2nd; Hamilton 3rd
- Max Verstappen slams new F1 cars: 'It's like Formula E on steroids'
- Lewis Hamilton frustrated at race engineer upheaval at Ferrari
- Charles Leclerc fastest on day two; Norris 2nd; Bearman 3rd
Final day leaderboard
16:30 , Kieran Jackson1. Kimi Antonelli - 1:33:669 (49 laps)
2. George Russell - 1:33:918 (78)
3. Lewis Hamilton - 1:34:209 (138)
4. Oscar Piastri - 1:34.549 (153)
5. Max Verstappen - 1:35:341 (61)
6. Isack Hadjar - 1:35:610 (53)
7. Esteban Ocon - 1:35:753 (68)
8. Franco Colapinto - 1:35:806 (137)
9. Ollie Bearman - 1:35:972 (70)
10. Nico Hulkenberg - 1:36:291 (49)
11. Alex Albon - 1:36:793 (71)
12. Liam Lawson -1:36:808 (119)
13. Carlos Sainz - 1:37:186 (68)
14. Gabriel Bortoleto - 1:37:536 (60)
15. Lance Stroll - 1:38:165 (69)
16. Valtteri Bottas - 1:38:772 (37)
17. Sergio Perez - 1:39:251 (62)
Kimi Antonelli fastest
16:14 , Kieran JacksonIt’s a Mercedes one-two to finish testing.
Antonelli ends with the fastest time, 1:33:669, 0.249 secs clear of George Russell. Lewis Hamilton’s fastest time was 0.540 secs off Antonelli.
Piastri came home fourth, 0.8 secs off, with Verstappen 1.6 secs behind.
6-10: Hadjar, Ocon, Colapinto, Bearman, Hulkenberg
Drama at standing start
16:05 , Kieran JacksonGosh.
It’s a standing start to conclude the session - and four out of 10 cars don’t get off the mark!
Franco Colapinto almost steered off the racetrack before finding his pit box, and then entered anti-stall when he got going!
Those revs on standing starts do... not sound good so far. Interesting...
Lewis Hamilton done and dusted
15:59 , Kieran JacksonA few minutes before the end of the session, Hamilton is out of the cockpit and done for the day, with his car stopping on track for some reason.
138 laps. Third on the leaderboard. Not too shabby.
Six cars out on track in closing minutes
15:52 , Kieran JacksonAntonelli, Hamilton, Piastri, Ocon, Colapinto, Albon and Perez are the drivers out on the circuit, as testing draws to an uneventful (at least on track) close.
Race runs in progress
15:38 , Kieran JacksonLewis Hamilton, Kimi Antonelli and Oscar Piastri are just finalising their race runs, with no impact on the timesheet.
Piastri has actually just come in, having completed 153 laps - almost three race distances in Bahrain.
The biggest one-day stint of anyone this week; key data for McLaren!
Oscar Piastri completes an overtake
15:22 , Kieran JacksonThe Australian storms down the inside at turn eight, making the move stick on Cadillac’s Sergio Perez.
A bit of late test excitement!
PHOTOS: Final day of F1 testing
15:18 , Kieran Jackson
Hadjar back out on track
15:09 , Kieran JacksonLimited running for the Frenchman in his stint, with work on the car taking 45 minutes.
He’s sixth on the leaderboard, 1.9 seconds off Antonelli, and is now on 48 laps...
Aston Martin struggles continue
15:01 , Kieran JacksonWhile drivers taking part all day, such as Hamilton, Piastri, Lawson and Colaptino have all hit three figures for lap times completed, Lance Stroll has only completed 62 across nearly seven hours of running.
After his “four seconds behind the leaders” comments yesterday, it feels like Aston Martin are the team who’ve underperformed the most, so far.
Work to do for Adrian Newey...
Kimi Antonelli fastest
14:39 , Kieran JacksonThe Italian teenager has pipped his Mercedes teammate at the top of the timesheet, setting a 1:33:669 - 0.249 secs ahead of George Russell.
3-10: Hamilton, Piastri, Verstappen, Hadjar, Bearman, Ocon, Lawson, Hulkenberg
We’re around 20 minutes away from live broadcast coverage as well...
F1 2026: All the new rules and regulations you need to know
14:15 , Kieran JacksonIn light of Verstappen’s comments yesterday, here’s a quick overview of all the main rule changes this season:
Verstappen's teammate, Isack Hadjar, on 2026 cars:
14:01 , Kieran Jackson"The only difference is that there’s a lot less aerodynamic downforce, so it will be easier to follow and that’s good for racing, but you click on the 'overtake', you pass the car in front... and then you spend five laps having to recover energy.
“It’s going to be interesting in the race."
VIDEO: New Drive to Survive trailer
13:50 , Kieran JacksonMax Verstappen gives damning verdict on 2026 F1 rules: ‘It’s like Formula E on steroids’
13:30 , Kieran JacksonMax Verstappen has described F1’s new set of regulations as “anti-racing”, claiming the energy management aspect of the 2026 rules makes it feel like “Formula E on steroids.”
Arguably the biggest rules change in F1’s 76-year history, with new engine and chassis regulations for the 2026 season and beyond, have divided opinion up and down the now-11-team Formula 1 grid.
In the midst of the second pre-season test in Bahrain this week, four-time world champion Verstappen has delivered a damning verdict, despite Red Bull impressing in the first few days while producing their own power unit for the first time alongside Ford.
Full quotes below:
Verstappen gives damning verdict of 2026 F1 rules: ‘It’s like Formula E on steroids’
Oscar Piastri goes third-fastest
13:20 , Kieran JacksonThe Australian sets the fastest time of the afternoon so fat with a 1:35:402, 1.3 seconds off Russell’s leading testing time from this morning.
Only four cars now on track: Hadjar, Ocon, Albon, Perez
Slow start to afternoon proceedings...
Colapinto and Hadjar out on track
12:29 , Kieran JacksonThe two youngsters are the first drivers out for the afternoon session.
Usually the second four-hour window takes a bit of time to get going, as the teams smooth back into gear after lunch.
Nigel Mansell on F1's new cars:
12:14 , Kieran Jackson“The FIA have got to pay special attention that it’s still flat-out racing,” the 1992 world champion told The Observer. “We don’t want to have situations where someone has to slow down and let everyone pass because they’re having to conserve the battery.
“I’d hate to see what happens on the motorway sometimes when these electric vehicles pull over on the side of the road because they’ve run out of power.
“That wouldn’t be very good, would it?”
Afternoon session begins
12:00 , Kieran JacksonWe’re now underway with the final four-hour session of this week’s test.
Isack Hadjar replaces Max Verstappen for Red Bull while Kimi Antonelli gets in the cockpit for George Russell at Mercedes.
What is 'active aero'?
11:44 , Kieran JacksonFor the first time, F1 has introduced dynamically adjustable angles for the front and rear wings, changing automatically depending on whether the driver is on a straight or in a corner.
The wings will open (reducing drag) on the straights and close (increasing downforce) in the corners, with the cars operating in X (straight) mode or Z (corner) mode respectively. It is hoped this will maximise the full usage of the car’s power through greater on-track grip.
Overall, downforce has been reduced by 15-30% for 2026, as a result of the cars losing the ground-effect floor tunnels used in the 2022-2025 regulation cycle.
Max Verstappen on Toto Wolff saying Red Bull are the 'benchmark'
11:30 , Kieran Jackson“I mean, let’s look back at the last 10 years of winter testing. I don’t think you can say who is the World Champion on day one, especially with a new rule set like this,” said Verstappen.
“For me personally, it’s more just like diversion tactics.
“But that’s okay. I focus on what we’re doing here with the team, because honestly, for us, there’s still so much to learn, these new rules that is so complex.
“We just want to do our laps and, just go from there, to be honest.”
George Russell fastest this morning
11:03 , Kieran JacksonRussell’s time early on of 1:33:918 is the benchmark for the day so far, 0.291 secs quicker than Ferrari’s Lewis Hamilton. 78 laps clocked for the Briton, too - a productive morning.
Max Verstappen ends his testing week in third for the day (so far), 1.423 secs off Russell.
4-10: Bearman, Piastri, Colapinto, Sainz, Lawson, Bortoleto, Stroll, Bottas
Five drivers on track as session finishes
10:54 , Kieran JacksonInto the closing stages of this morning’s running and there’s five drivers still out on the circuit: Bearman, Piastri, Lawson, Stroll, Bortoleto.
Russell remains on top
10:41 , Kieran JacksonRussell is currently on a hard tyre stint, having done 21 laps, and has completed over a race distance at 78 laps.
Top-5:
- Russell - 1:33:918
- Hamilton +0.291
- Verstappen +1.423
- Bearman +2.054
- Piastri +2.472
Lando Norris responds to Max Verstappen’s criticism of new F1 cars: ‘He can retire’
10:29 , Kieran JacksonVerstappen also did not rule out walking away from the sport, if the new cars are “not fun to drive”, and is already participating in endurance racing at the Nurburgring alongside his F1 commitments.
Yet Norris, who pipped Verstappen to last year’s world championship by two points, does not agree with his rival and was dismissive of the Red Bull driver’s comments.
"I had a lot of fun. I really enjoyed it," Norris said on Thursday evening. "So yeah, if he wants to retire he can retire.
Full quotes below:
Lando Norris responds to Max Verstappen’s criticism of new F1 cars: ‘He can retire’
Russell remains on top
10:12 , Kieran JacksonNot only is Russell still at the top on lap time, but he’s also top of the lap count as we head into the final hour:
Russell - 71 laps
Lawson - 65
Sainz - 56
Piastri - 55
Hamilton - 50
Colapinto - 50
Verstappen - 44
Bearman - 43
Bortoleto - 43
Stroll - 42
Bottas - 19
Problems for Valtteri Bottas
09:58 , Kieran JacksonBottas ran into an issue earlier in the day, causing a brief red flag, and we’re yet to see the Cadillac again.
F1’s newest team do look the slowest out there at the moment, as somewhat expected. But there’s plenty of time to develop over the next few weeks and races...
George Russell fastest after first two hours
09:12 , Kieran JacksonMercedes, who encountered issues yesterday, have found their feet again this morning, with Russell fastest with a 1:33:918 - 0.291 secs ahead of Ferrari’s Lewis Hamilton. It’s also a quicker time than Charles Leclerc’s fastest lap yesterday.
Max Verstappen is third, 1.423 secs off the pace, with Ollie Bearman fourth and Franco Colapinto fifth.
6-11: Piastri, Sainz, Lawson, Bortoleto, Stroll, Bottas
Lance Stroll on Adrian Newey and Aston Martin's season ambitions:
08:30 , Kieran Jackson"He's all about performance,” Stroll said of Newey. “He's just obsessed about how he can bring more performance to the car and he's a great leader overall."
"We are where we are. Do we want to fight for race wins? Yes. Are we fighting for race wins today? Doesn't look like it. Does that mean we can't fight for race wins in the future? No, I believe we can.
"I don't have a crystal ball. It doesn't look like it's amazing."
Williams boss James Vowles on Red Bull's pace:
08:15 , Kieran Jackson"We are seeing six tenths consistently. Into Turn 1, we can't get close to that. There speed into Turn 1 is mightily impressive.
"The Red Bull from scratch to be built on an entirely new programme, to deliver it, be reliable and deliver performance with it. They have achieved all of that."
Current leaderboard
08:03 , Kieran JacksonGeorge Russell is currently the fastest man on track, followed by Max Verstappen and Liam Lawson.
Early stages today though...
- RUS 1:34.075 - 12 laps
- VER +1.266 - 10 laps
- LAW +3.163 - 16 laps
- SAI +3.247 - 15 laps
- BEA +3.689 - 8 laps
- HAM +3.888 - 8 laps
- COL +5.093 - 6 laps
- STR +7.744 - 11 laps
- BOR - 6 laps
- PIA - 5 laps
- BOT - 5 laps
PHOTOS: Hamilton and Verstappen on track
07:57 , Kieran Jackson
Lewis Hamilton out on track
07:39 , Kieran JacksonThe Ferrari driver, in the cockpit for the whole day, is among the first cars out on track, with an aero-rake on his car.
Max Verstappen, Gabriel Bortoleto and Franco Colapinto also amongst the cars on track. Unfortunately, F1’s live timing data is currently broken, so we’re not able to bring you live timing updates at the moment.
Hopefully there’ll be a fix soon...
Who's in the cockpit today?
07:20 , Kieran JacksonMcLaren - Oscar Piastri (all day)
Mercedes - George Russell (morning); Kimi Antonelli (afternoon)
Red Bull - Max Verstappen (morning); Isack Hadjar (afternoon)
Ferrari - Lewis Hamilton (all day)
Williams - Carlos Sainz (morning); Alex Albon (afternoon)
Racing Bulls - Liam Lawson (all day)
Aston Martin - Lance Stroll (all day)
Haas - Ollie Bearman (morning); Esteban Ocon (afternoon)
Audi - Gabriel Bortoleto (morning); Nico Hulkenberg (afternoon)
Alpine - Franco Colapinto (all day)
Cadillac - Valtteri Bottas (morning); Sergio Perez (afternoon)
Testing underway!
07:00 , Kieran JacksonAnd we are a go with the third and final day of this week’s pre-season test!
Verstappen on new F1 rules:
06:50 , Kieran Jackson“To drive, not a lot of fun to be honest,” he said in Bahrain on Thursday.
“I would say the right word is management, but, at the other end, I also know how much work has been going on in the background, also, from the engine side for the guys.
“So, it’s not always the nicest thing to say, but I also want to be realistic as for as a driver, the feeling is not very F1-like. It feels a bit more like Formula E on steroids.
“But the rules are the same for everyone, so you have to deal with that. That’s also not my problem, because I’m all for that and equal chances.I don’t mind that, but, as a pure driver, I enjoy driving flat out, and, at the moment, you cannot drive like that.”
Lewis Hamilton reveals ‘detrimental’ Ferrari plan – three weeks before 2026 F1 season
06:30 , Kieran JacksonLewis Hamilton admits plans to hire a new race engineer are “detrimental” to the start of his F1 season with just three weeks until the first race in Australia.
After a tumultuous first year at Ferrari, Hamilton opted to ditch race engineer Riccardo Adami last month, with the pair regularly clashing on team radio amid a 2025 campaign where the Briton, for the first time in his 19-year career, failed to register a podium.
It is understood that Hamilton is keen to hire Cedric Michel-Grosjean, formerly Oscar Piastri’s performance engineer at McLaren, yet the Frenchman must serve his notice period after leaving the team at the end of 2025.
Full story below:
Lewis Hamilton reveals ‘detrimental’ Ferrari plan – three weeks before 2026 F1 season
F1 world championship - odds:
06:20 , Kieran JacksonGeorge Russell is still the favourite, though Max Verstappen is a very close second-favourite, given his impressive stint yesterday.
- George Russell - 11/5
- Max Verstappen - 12/5
- Lando Norris - 6/1
- Kimi Antonelli - 9/1
- Oscar Piastri - 10/1
- Charles Leclerc - 11/1
- Fernando Alonso - 11/1
- Lewis Hamilton - 14/1
- Isack Hadjar - 50/1
- Pierre Gasly - 60/1
- Carlos Sainz - 60/1
- Alex Albon - 100/1
- Lance Stroll - 100/1
Good morning!
06:01 , Kieran JacksonWelcome to live coverage of the final day of this week’s pre-season test in Bahrain.
Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen are among the drivers back in action on Friday, with Red Bull and Mercedes in particular looking to bounce back after a frustrating day on the sidelines on Thursday.
Action on track starts at 7am GMT.
See you tomorrow
Thursday 12 February 2026 16:59 , Kieran JacksonThat’s it for our coverage today - join us tomorrow for the final day of this week’s pre-season test in Bahrain, where the likes of Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton will re-enter the fray.
We’re back on at 7am GMT, see you then!
Day two leaderboard in full
Thursday 12 February 2026 16:20 , Kieran Jackson1. Charles Leclerc - 1:34:273 (139 laps)
2. Lando Norris +0.511 (149)
3. Ollie Bearman +1.121 (130)
4. George Russell +1.193 (54)
5. Isack Hadjar +2.288 (87)
6. Gabriel Bortoleto +2.397 (67)
7. Pierre Gasly +2.450 (97)
8. Valtteri Bottas +2.551 (67)
9. Alex Albon +2.956 (62)
10. Nico Hulkenberg +2.993 (47)
11. Arvid Lindblad+3.197 (83)
12. Carlos Sainz +3.319 (69)
13. Liam Lawson +3.744 (50)
14. Fernando Alonso +3.975 (98)
15. Sergio Perez +4.380 (42)
16. Kimi Antonelli - no time (3)
Charles Leclerc fastest on day two
Thursday 12 February 2026 16:01 , Kieran JacksonThat is a very good day of running for Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc.
The Monegasque is fastest on day two, by half-a-second to McLaren’s Lando Norris, and has racked up 139 laps in the process.
Norris set 149 laps as well, with Ollie Bearman in third clocking in at 130 laps.
Mercedes, today, the team who have set the least amount of laps, with just 57 for Russell (54 laps) and Antonelli (3 laps), due to a power unit issue.
Ollie Bearman moves into third
Thursday 12 February 2026 15:51 , Kieran JacksonThe Haas driver, who is one of three drivers to rack up over 100 laps today, goes third on the leaderboard with a 1:35:394 - 1.1 seconds off Charles Leclerc’s time.
Final runs coming in now...
Aston Martin 'four seconds' off rivals
Thursday 12 February 2026 15:45 , Kieran JacksonAston Martin’s Lance Stroll has been speaking to the media in Bahrain and believes the team are “four seconds” off the pace-setters, after a patchy start to pre-season testing.
“We have a lot of work to do, catching up to do,” Stroll said. “We have probably 400 less laps than the competition with Barcelona and everything that we missed, so we just have to keep pushing.”
“Right now we look like we’re four seconds off the top team, four and a half seconds. So, again, impossible to know what fuel loads and everything people are running.
“But now we need to try and find four seconds of performance. I don’t think it falls from the sky.”
VIDEO: Jenson Button on Lewis Hamilton's 2026 chances
Thursday 12 February 2026 15:30 , Kieran JacksonJenson Button backs former McLaren team-mate Lewis Hamilton to be “back to his best” in the 2026 season 💪 pic.twitter.com/Qg4yErc8YZ
— Sky Sports F1 (@SkySportsF1) February 11, 2026
PICTURED: Audi's new sidepods
Thursday 12 February 2026 15:15 , Kieran Jackson
Lando Norris hits 100 laps
Thursday 12 February 2026 15:01 , Kieran JacksonStill no change at the top of the timesheets with an hour left, with Leclerc on top, but Lando Norris has now clocked over 100 laps for the day - on 105.
Haas’ Ollie Bearman is next-best on 104, with Pierre Gasly and Leclerc closing in on 95 and 94 respectively.
One hour left of running, as dusk turns to dark over the Bahrain International Circuit.
Alonso and Alcaraz
Thursday 12 February 2026 14:25 , Kieran JacksonThe two Spanish sporting legends embrace in the Aston Martin garage in Bahrain...
Day two leaderboard with two hours left
Thursday 12 February 2026 14:10 , Kieran JacksonHere’s the full leaderboard, with less than two hours left and 16 different drivers on track so far today:
1. Charles Leclerc - 1:34:273
2. Lando Norris +0.511
3. George Russell +2.185
4. Pierre Gasly +2.450
5. Ollie Bearman +2.752
6. Alex Albon +2.956
7. Nico Hulkenberg +2.993
8. Gabriel Bortoleto +3.704
9. Liam Lawson +3.744
10. Sergio Perez +4.380
11. Isack Hadjar +4.615
12. Fernando Alonso +4.687
13. Carlos Sainz +5.133
14. Arvid Lindblad +6.413
15. Valtteri Bottas +6.840
Gasly stops on track
Thursday 12 February 2026 13:57 , Kieran JacksonSecond red flag of the afternoon - after Valtteri Bottas stopped on the start-finish straight earlier - with Gasly’s Alpine now coming to a halt on an escape road between the pit-exit and turn 1.
Unknown what the issue is at this point.
George Russell out on track
Thursday 12 February 2026 13:38 , Kieran JacksonFinally, the championship favourite emerges from the garage!
A quick start for Russell now he’s finally on track, with 11 laps posted and a time of 1:36:458 putting him third on the leaderboard, two seconds off Leclerc’s time this morning.
Who's quickest out of afternoon runners so far?
Thursday 12 February 2026 13:21 , Kieran JacksonSlowly building into the session are the following...
- Isack Hadjar (Red Bull) - 1:40:014 (24 laps)
- Gabriel Bortoleto (Audi) - +0.162 (10 laps)
- Arvid Lindblad (Racing Bulls) - +0.672 (17 laps)
- Carlos Sainz (Williams) - +1.966 (4 laps)
Mercedes still not out on track
Thursday 12 February 2026 13:05 , Kieran JacksonKimi Antonelli only completed three laps this morning due to a power unit issue and George Russell is yet to emerge this afternoon. We’re hearing the Silver Arrows may have had to change the entire PU.
Antonelli’s media session has been delayed to tomorrow, as a result.
And suddenly, Mercedes don’t seem such dominant frontrunners after all...
Carlos Alcaraz in Bahrain
Thursday 12 February 2026 12:50 , Kieran JacksonThe world number one, who completed the career Grand Slam at the Australian Open earlier this month, is present at day two of testing as he makes his way to Qatar for his next tournament.
Alcaraz has been spotted in the McLaren, Aston Martin and Williams garage - and is pictured here with compatriot Carlos Sainz.
Carlos²
— Atlassian Williams F1 Team (@WilliamsF1) February 12, 2026
Formula 1 meets Tennis. Ace to have you with us in Bahrain, @carlosalcaraz 🎾👋 pic.twitter.com/TmfiIvprB3
Toto Wolff: Red Bull are the 'benchmark'
Thursday 12 February 2026 12:15 , Kieran Jackson"They [Red Bull] are able to deploy far more energy on the straights than everybody else," Wolff said on Wednesday. "You are speaking a second, over consecutive laps.
"On a single lap we have seen it before, but now we have seen it on 10 consecutive laps with the same kind of straight-line deployment.
"I would say that as per today, on the first official day of testing, which is always with the caveat of that, they have set the benchmark."
Afternoon session underway
Thursday 12 February 2026 12:00 , Kieran JacksonWith the clock striking 3pm in Bahrain, we’re underway with the afternoon session on day two. Here’s who we’re expecting:
- McLaren: Lando Norris
- Mercedes: George Russell
- Red Bull: Isack Hadjar
- Ferrari: Charles Leclerc
- Williams: Carlos Sainz
- Racing Bulls: Arvid Lindblad
- Aston Martin: Fernando Alonso
- Haas: Oliver Bearman
- Audi: Gabriel Bortoleto
- Alpine: Pierre Gasly
- Cadillac: Valtteri Bottas
VIDEO: A fun cockpit cover from Williams!
Thursday 12 February 2026 11:52 , Kieran JacksonEye-catching creativity from @WilliamsF1 😍#F1 #F1Testing pic.twitter.com/YtNJkouJhn
— Formula 1 (@F1) February 11, 2026
Lando Norris leads lap count
Thursday 12 February 2026 11:35 , Kieran JacksonMore valuable data for the world champion, who set 64 laps this morning:
Norris - 64 laps
Leclerc - 62
Albon - 62
Gasly - 61
Bearman - 55
Alonso - 55
Lawson - 50
Hulkenberg - 47
Antonelli - 3
Hadjar - 1
Leclerc fastest this morning
Thursday 12 February 2026 11:22 , Kieran JacksonThe Ferrari driver’s table-topping time of a 1:24:273 is five-tenths quicker than Lando Norris in second, with Alpine’s Pierre Gasly in third.
4-11: Bearman, Albon, Hulkenberg, Lawson, Perez, Alonso, Antonelli, Hadjar
Hadjar, incidentally, did get out for one solitary lap this morning.
Norris goes quicker
Thursday 12 February 2026 10:39 , Kieran JacksonThe world champion sets a 1:34:784, now just half-a-second off Leclerc’s table-topping time.
Meanwhile, Fernando Alonso has done well to clock up a good amount of laps after his slow start - he’s on 42, with Norris and Albon leading the way jointly now on 62.
Norris with longest stint
Thursday 12 February 2026 10:32 , Kieran JacksonFrom the timesheets I can see, Lando Norris has done the longest stint this morning with 17 laps on the mediums.
Pierre Gasly continues to lead the way on lap count though, now on 39.
Lewis Hamilton on 'difficult' race engineer plan
Thursday 12 February 2026 10:20 , Kieran JacksonHamilton ditched his race engineer last month, but a full-time replacement will not be in place for the first race in Australia.
He said in Bahrain: "It's actually quite a difficult period because it's not long-term, the solution that we currently have, it's only going to be a few races.
"So, early on into the season, it's going to be switching up again, and I'll have to learn to work with someone new, so that's detrimental to a season where you want to arrive with people that have done multiple seasons, have been through thick and thin and are calm.
"But it is the situation that I'm faced with and I'll try to do the best that I can. The team is trying to do the best they can to make it as seamless as possible."
VIDEO: All 11 F1 teams on track in Bahrain
Thursday 12 February 2026 10:10 , Kieran JacksonA first look at all 11 teams on track 🤩#F1 #F1Testing pic.twitter.com/vcUhm8OvKM
— Formula 1 (@F1) February 11, 2026
Charles Leclerc fastest with one hour left
Thursday 12 February 2026 10:00 , Kieran JacksonLeclerc has gone quicker, by a tenth, with a fastest time of 1:34:442. Lando Norris is 1.3 seconds off in second.
3-8: Gasly, Albon, Bearman, Lawson, Alonso, Perez
One hour until the lunch break in Bahrain...
Antonelli could miss whole morning
Thursday 12 February 2026 09:40 , Kieran JacksonIt’s my understanding that Mercedes have a power unit issue with the W17 - and it’s touch and go whether Kimi Antonelli will leave the pit-lane this morning.
Despite the setback, Mercedes are set to stick with their run plan of Russell in the car this afternoon, despite Antonelli only driving 33 laps so far across two days.
VIDEO: Norris's table-topping time from day 1
Thursday 12 February 2026 09:30 , Kieran JacksonOur first onboard of 2026! 😍
— Formula 1 (@F1) February 11, 2026
Jump aboard Lando Norris' McLaren as he set the fastest time of day one 👀#F1 #F1Testing pic.twitter.com/DjP6D5fbuc
PHOTOS: Cars on track on day two
Thursday 12 February 2026 09:20 , Kieran Jackson
Day two leaderboard:
Thursday 12 February 2026 09:10 , Kieran Jackson1. Leclerc - 1:34:442
2. Norris +1.353
3. Gasly +2.281
4. Albon +2.787
5. Bearman +3.244
6. Alonso +4.993
7. Perez +5.969
8. Lawson +16.621
Hulkenberg (17 laps) and Antonelli (3 laps) have not set any competitive times yet.
Isack Hadjar yet to enter the fray
Thursday 12 February 2026 09:03 , Kieran JacksonRed Bull are working on fixing a problem with Hadjar’s car.
Bit of a surprise, given their prowess yesterday, but I suppose that’s what testing is all about!
We’re now at the midway point of the morning session - Charles Leclerc still fastest.
Red Bull lead speed trap times
Thursday 12 February 2026 08:52 , Kieran JacksonAmid all the talk of Red Bull’s speed advantage on the straights yesterday, this latest info on the maximum speed at the speed trap from day one is interesting!
Both Red Bull cars lead the way...
- Verstappen - 336.40 km/h
- Lindblad - 329.70
- Russell 327.60
- Antonelli - 327.10
- Leclerc - 326.80
- Norris - 326.50
- Hamilton - 325.80
- Ocon - 324.90
- Gasly - 316.20
- Sainz - 314.30
VIDEO: Ferrari out on track
Thursday 12 February 2026 08:38 , Kieran JacksonThe pure sound of cars being on track 🤩 pic.twitter.com/fDbiW4VaZd
— Scuderia Ferrari HP (@ScuderiaFerrari) February 12, 2026
Pierre Gasly leads the way on laps
Thursday 12 February 2026 08:33 , Kieran JacksonThe Alpine was among the first out on track and he’s set the most laps so far on 29, three ahead of Leclerc.
Full totals:
- Gasly - 29
- Leclerc - 26
- Bearman - 21
- Albon - 17
- Norris - 17
- Hulkenberg - 13
- Lawson - 11
- Alonso - 9
- Perez - 6
- Antonelli - 3
Charles Leclerc goes fastest
Thursday 12 February 2026 08:20 , Kieran JacksonA few more of the typical contenders now at the top of the timesheet, with Ferrari’s Leclerc quickest with a 1:34:442 - 1.353 seconds faster than McLaren’s Lando Norris in second.
Fernando Alonso is now out on track, incidentally, but still no sign of Isack Hadjar.
PHOTOS: Perez stops out on track
Thursday 12 February 2026 07:46 , Kieran Jackson
Red Bull yet to appear
Thursday 12 February 2026 07:37 , Kieran JacksonWith Isack Hadjar running all day for Red Bull, a delay for the Frenchman. Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso is also yet to appear from the pit-lane.
Early lap times after the first half-an-hour:
- Gasly - 1:39.625
- Bearman - +7.436
- Leclerc - +7.972
- Lawson - +11.438
A reminder of yesterday's lap times:
Thursday 12 February 2026 07:30 , Kieran Jackson1) Lando Norris (McLaren) 1:34.669, 58 laps
2) Max Verstappen (Red Bull) 1:34.798, 136 laps
3) Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) 1:35.959, 80 laps
4) Esteban Ocon (Haas) 1:35.578, 115 laps
5) Oscar Piastri (McLaren) 1:35.602, 54 laps
6) George Russell (Mercedes) 1:36.108, 56 laps
7) Lewis Hamilton (Ferrari) 1:36.433, 52 laps
8) Pierre Gasly (Alpine) 1:36.765 49 laps
9) Nico Hulkenberg (Audi) 1:36.861, 73 laps
10) Alex Albon (Williams) 1:37.437, 68 laps
11) Kimi Antonelli (Mercedes) 1:37.629 30 laps
12) Arvid Lindblad (Racing Bulls) 1:37.945, 75 laps
13) Carlos Sainz (Williams) 1:38.221, 77 laps
14) Sergio Perez (Cadillac) 1:38.828, 58 laps
15) Gabriel Bortoleto (Audi) 1:38.871, 49 laps
16) Valtteri Bottas (Cadillac) 1:39.150, 49 laps
17) Lance Stroll (Aston Martin) 1:39.883, 36 laps
18) Franco Colapinto (Alpine) 1:40.330, 28 laps
RED FLAG
Thursday 12 February 2026 07:23 , Kieran JacksonFirst stoppage of the day is an early one.
Cadillac’s Sergio Perez has stopped on track - it’s unclear why - but his car has been removed from the racetrack and we are back underway.
Testing underway
Thursday 12 February 2026 07:09 , Kieran JacksonWe’re a go with the morning session in Bahrain! Here’s a reminder of the line-ups today:
- McLaren: Lando Norris (all day)
- Mercedes: Antonelli (morning) / Russell (afternoon)
- Red Bull: Isack Hadjar (all day)
- Ferrari: Charles Leclerc (all day)
- Williams: Albon (morning) / Sainz (afternoon)
- Racing Bulls: Lawson (morning) / Lindblad (afternoon)
- Aston Martin: Fernando Alonso (all day)
- Haas: Oliver Bearman (all day)
- Audi: Hülkenberg (morning) / Bortoleto (afternoon)
- Alpine: Pierre Gasly (all day)
- Cadillac: Pérez (morning) / Bottas (afternoon)
Testing about to get underway
Thursday 12 February 2026 06:55 , Luke BakerOk, we’re about five minutes away from testing getting underway on day two in Bahrain.
As a reminder, we’ll have a four-hour session from 7am GMT to 11am GMT before an hour’s break for lunch, then an afternoon session from 12pm GMT to 4pm GMT.
Let’s have at it!
Aston Martin suffering power unit issues
Thursday 12 February 2026 06:45 , Luke BakerA bad opening day for Aston Martin, who managed just 33 laps in the morning with Lance Stroll before adding just three more in the afternoon for a paltry total of 36 (by contrast, Williams did 145).
There was optimism around the team when they revealed their Adrian Newey-designed car, which looked different to a lot of the other teams, but they confirmed an issue with the Honda power unit the car uses.
“Our power unit test plan today with Lance went as planned in the morning, however, we detected a data anomaly this afternoon,” said Aston Martin on Wednesday.
“We are now proceeding with precautionary checks on the PU to understand the exact root cause before we can resume testing.”
Lewis Hamilton says race engineer upheaval 'detrimental' to his chances
Thursday 12 February 2026 06:35 , Luke BakerLewis Hamilton is cutting a slightly frustrated figure in Bahrain. He won’t have a new permanent race engineer ahead of the new season, which he has said will be “detrimental” to his chances.
In January, Ferrari confirmed his race engineer from last season’s struggle, Riccardo Adami, was being shifted to another role elsewhere in the organisation.
The team has yet to make any further official statements regarding a replacement but it is understood that Carlo Santi has been appointed on an interim basis, although Hamilton suggested there would be another switch soon.
Speaking in Bahrain, Hamilton said: “It’s actually quite a difficult period because it’s not long-term, the solution that we currently have, it’s only going to be a few races.
“So, early on into the season, it's going to be switching up again, and I’ll have to learn to work with someone new, so that’s detrimental to a season where you want to arrive with people that have done multiple seasons, have been through thick and thin and are calm.
“But it is the situation that I’m faced with and I’ll try to do the best that I can. The team is trying to do the best they can to make it as seamless as possible.”
Zak Brown: Big four are still the big four
Thursday 12 February 2026 06:25 , Luke BakerMcLaren chief executive Zak Brown was asked about the current pecking order in this era of new regulations and he believes that early signs suggest it could be same old, same old.
“I think we can’t come to any firm conclusions,” hedged Brown. “But if I had to go Vegas (to bet on it), it looks like the big four [McLaren, Red Bull, Mercedes, Ferrari] are the big four, kind of hard to tell in what order.
“Mercedes were very strong in Spain. Max has done some great lap times around here. But it kind of looks like the grid is in a similar position.”
Lap counts by team
Thursday 12 February 2026 06:15 , Luke BakerSome teams laid down more impressive mileage than others on the opening day.
Here are the lap totals by team - a great shift by Williams but a disaster for Aston Martin, who battled a power unit issue.
- Williams - 145
- Red Bull - 136
- Ferrari - 132
- Audi - 122
- Haas - 115
- McLaren - 112
- Cadillac - 107
- Mercedes - 86
- Alpine - 77
- Racing Bulls - 75
- Aston Martin - 36
Toto Wolff: Red Bull are 'the benchmark'
Thursday 12 February 2026 06:05 , Luke BakerMercedes are considered to be the early title favourites but their boss Toto Wolff was incredibly impressed by Red Bull yesterday in Bahrain, calling them “the benchmark”.
“I was hoping they would be worse than they are,” Wolff said of Red Bull yesterday. “They have done a very good job.
“The car, the power unit, are the benchmark at the moment I would say. Then obviously you have Max in the car, the combination is strong.
“Look at their energy deployment. They are able to deploy far more energy on the straights than everybody else. We are speaking a second per lap, over consecutive laps.
“On a single lap, we've seen it before, but now we have seen it on 10 consecutive laps with the same kind of straight line deployment.
“I would say that as per today, on the first official day of testing, which is always the caveat of that, they’ve set the benchmark.”
Day one timesheet
Thursday 12 February 2026 05:59 , Luke BakerHere’s the final timesheet for day one. Lando Norris with the fastest time, just ahead of Max Verstappen.
Verstappen racked up the most laps (136) with Esteban Ocon the only other individual to clear 100. They were two of only four men to drive in both sessions however, so the combined Williams total of 145 between Carlos Sainz and Alex Albon was just as impressive
1) Lando Norris (McLaren) 1:34.669, 58 laps
2) Max Verstappen (Red Bull) 1:34.798, 136 laps
3) Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) 1:35.959, 80 laps
4) Esteban Ocon (Haas) 1:35.578, 115 laps
5) Oscar Piastri (McLaren) 1:35.602, 54 laps
6) George Russell (Mercedes) 1:36.108, 56 laps
7) Lewis Hamilton (Ferrari) 1:36.433, 52 laps
8) Pierre Gasly (Alpine) 1:36.765 49 laps
9) Nico Hulkenberg (Audi) 1:36.861, 73 laps
10) Alex Albon (Williams) 1:37.437, 68 laps
11) Kimi Antonelli (Mercedes) 1:37.629 30 laps
12) Arvid Lindblad (Racing Bulls) 1:37.945, 75 laps
13) Carlos Sainz (Williams) 1:38.221, 77 laps
14) Sergio Perez (Cadillac) 1:38.828, 58 laps
15) Gabriel Bortoleto (Audi) 1:38.871, 49 laps
16) Valtteri Bottas (Cadillac) 1:39.150, 49 laps
17) Lance Stroll (Aston Martin) 1:39.883, 36 laps
18) Franco Colapinto (Alpine) 1:40.330, 28 laps
Welcome to day two of testing in Bahrain
Thursday 12 February 2026 05:58 , Luke BakerWelcome to The Independent’s coverage of day two of this week of F1 testing in Bahrain.
Day one saw Lando Norris lead the way in terms of lap times, with Max Verstappen not far behind.
But really, it’s all about number of laps and every team will have learned valuable information about their car. Stick with us for day two action!
