2026 Formula 1 Bahrain preseason Test 2: Charles Leclerc tops Day 1 morning session
F1 NewsWednesday, 18 February 2026 at 12:06
Formula 1 teams were back in action today at the Bahrain International Circuit in Sakhir for the second and final preseason test for the 2026 season before they head to Melbourne for the season-opening Australian Grand Prix on March 6-8.
Like the previous test, the teams will have three days to run, Wednesday till Friday, with two four-hour sessions per day, one in the morning and another in the afternoon.
In terms of the drivers doing the business for their teams, this is how the duties were allocated on Day 1.
| Team | AM | PM |
| McLaren | Lando Norris | Oscar Piastri |
| Mercedes | Kimi Antonelli | George Russell |
| Red Bull Racing | Isack Hadjar | Isack Hadjar |
| Ferrari | Charles Leclerc | Lewis Hamilton |
| Williams | Alex Albon | Carlos Sainz |
| Racing Bulls | Arvid Lindblad | Liam Lawson |
| Audi | Nico Hulkenberg | Gabriel Bortoleto |
| Cadillac | Sergio Perez | Valtteri Bottas |
| Haas | Esteban Ocon | Ollie Bearman |
| Alpine | Pierre Gasly | Franco Colapinto |
| Aston Martin | Fernando Alonso | Lance Stroll |
In terms of tyres, Pirelli will have all the tyre compounds available for the teams for this final test.
How the session panned out
Leclerc was impressive in the Ferrari as his time was one tenth shy of Antonelli's best time from last week albeit in hotter conditions which makes his 1:33.739 more solid.
The Monegasque also enjoyed a productive session after driving 70 laps in his SF-26 that featured a new wing just behind the exhaust which caught the eye of rivals.
Second fastest was Norris in the McLaren, over three tenths slower than Leclerc with 54 laps managed in the MCL40.
Antonelli had a decent session in the Mercedes W17 and managed 69 laps on his way to the third fastest time of the session.
Albon delivered 55 solid laps for Williams in the FW48 and was fourth fastest, with Gasly sixth fastest and with 61 laps.
It was a tough morning for Red Bull Racing and Hadjar, as the RB22 suffered from a cooling system pressure issue which meant the team lost two hours of running.
The Frenchman managed only 13 laps and the sixth fastest time. Hopefully he can bounce back in the PM session.
Ocon concluded a decent morning session for Haas with 65 laps under his belt as well as the seventh fastest time as Alonso was eighth fastest with only 28 laps.
Hulkenberg drove 49 laps in the Audi R26 and was ninth fastest ahead of Lindblad who managed the biggest lap haul, 75, but was tenth fastest.
Cadillac suffered from a woeful session with car sensor issues reportedly cutting their running to only 24 laps with Perez who was the slowest.
The session ended with system checks for Red Flags, Virtual Safety Car, and rolling start procedure as the drivers enjoyed some brief on-track tussles.
It was concluded with practice starts for Perez, Norris, and Antonelli.
Aston Martin announced after the session that they are investigating a power unit issue which they hope to sort out before the afternoon session.
Several drivers had moments on track during the session with lock ups, going off, and spins, but nothing too dramatic to interrupt the running.
Bahrain Preseason Test 2, Day 1, AM
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