Formula 1’s preseason test officially began at the Sakhir Circuit (Bahrain). Today we saw all 11 teams on track in key testing days to fine-tune their cars. Expectations are high due to the regulation changes and the excitement of drivers and fans.
On February 11, Formula 1 engines officially fired up in Bahrain, marking the start of the 2026 preseason tests. The day was split into two sessions, one in the morning and another in the afternoon. During the early hours, the wind made on-track work difficult, something common in Sakhir, while conditions were more stable in the afternoon and allowed for cleaner running.
One of the day’s biggest protagonists was McLaren, which once again looked competitive. Lando Norris, the reigning world champion, set the fastest time of the day with a 1:34.669 and said at the end of the session that he learned a lot during the test. His teammate Oscar Piastri completed 54 laps and posted a best time of 1:35.602.
Mercedes also had full participation with both drivers. George Russell ran in the morning session, completed 56 laps, and recorded a time of 1:36.108. The Briton admitted it was a complicated day and that the car did not feel the same as it did in Barcelona. In the afternoon, Andrea Kimi Antonelli lost time due to a setup issue, which reduced his lap program.
Williams was one of the most closely watched teams after missing the Barcelona tests due to delays in the development of the FW48. However, in Bahrain they managed a solid day: Carlos Sainz completed 77 laps and Alexander Albon added 68, showing a strong level of reliability.
Max Verstappen was the busiest driver of the day, with 135 laps and a best time of 1:34.798. His pace reinforced the idea that Red Bull can once again be a strong rival, as Toto Wolff had already suggested when analyzing the initial data.
Ferrari also gathered important information. Charles Leclerc was the most active driver for the team and set their best internal time with a 1:35.190. Lewis Hamilton, on the other hand, had a more complicated day: he was involved in an incident at Turn 1 after losing the rear of the car, though without damage. He completed 52 laps and posted a 1:36.433. He later commented, “It’s very complex, ridiculously complex,” and showed concern about changes to his race engineer.
Cadillac’s debut drew attention with Valtteri Bottas and Sergio Pérez on track. Bottas completed 49 laps (1:39.150) and Pérez ran 57 (1:38.828), also sharing moments with Latin American drivers such as Gabriel Bortoleto and Franco Colapinto.
Colapinto was actually the driver with the least running: Alpine suffered problems in the morning and the Argentine was only able to complete 28 laps. Pierre Gasly improved the situation in the afternoon with 49 laps and a 1:36.758. Steven Nielsen explained: “We faced some challenges… we had to stop more than once.”
Fernando Alonso, Isack Hadjar, Oliver Bearman, and Liam Lawson did not take part. Testing will continue on Thursday and Friday, ahead of the official season opener on March 8 in Australia.