Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc topped the second day of the 2026 opening F1 pre-season test in Bahrain.
Leclerc set 1m 34.273 within the third hour of the morning session which went unbeaten for the rest of the day, as McLaren’s Lando Norris finished second quickest in another strong start to pre-season for the world champion.
Norris was first on track in the morning after he had topped the opening day of testing but the red flags were out just 10 minutes later, as Cadillac’s Sergio Perez stopped on track with a technical issue.
Haas’ Oliver Bearman and Alpine’s Pierre Gasly soon began to trade fastest lap times once the session resumed until Norris took control at the top of timesheet with 1m 36.187 which he eventually lowered to 1m 34.784 on the C2 tyres by the end of the morning.
Leclerc however set 1m 34.273 on the medium C3 tyres with just under 90 minutes of the morning session left and was unchallenged once the checkered flag fell on the morning’s session, with Norris second ahead of Gasly and Bearman.
Only nine drivers set a lap time before lunchtime because Red Bull’s Isack Hadjar was kept in the garage due to a hydraulic issue after his installation lap, whilst Mercedes’ Andrea Kimi Antonelli managed three laps due to a power unit issue.
| Position | Driver | Team | Time |
| 1 | Charles Leclerc | Ferrari | 1m 34.273 |
| 2 | Lando Norris | McLaren | + 0.511 |
| 3 | Pierre Gasly | Alpine | + 2.450 |
| 4 | Oliver Bearman | Haas | + 2.752 |
| 5 | Alex Albon | Williams | + 2.956 |
| 6 | Nico Hulkenberg | Audi | + 2.993 |
| 7 | Liam Lawson | Racing Bulls | + 3.744 |
| 8 | Sergio Perez | Cadillac | + 4.380 |
| 9 | Fernando Alonso | Aston Martin | + 4.687 |
The afternoon session saw Leclerc and Norris’ times remain unchallenged amidst a brief red flag 90 minutes into the session due to debris on track from Valtteri Bottas’ Cadillac, whose right wing mirror.
Shortly after the session resumed, Gasly caused another stoppage after his Alpine grinded to a halt on the run-off on the inside of Turn One, due to a technical issue.
Mercedes’ George Russell meanwhile conducted more running than his teammate, Antonelli managed in the morning and put himself third quickest, until Bearman put on the C3 tyres in the final hour to displace his British compatriot.
Leclerc’s morning time however remained unbeaten as the checkered flag fell after a red flag with eight minutes left as part of FIA procedure checks.
| Position | Driver | Team | Time |
| 1 | Charles Leclerc | Ferrari | 1m 34.273 |
| 2 | Lando Norris | McLaren | + 0.511 |
| 3 | Oliver Bearman | Haas | + 1.121 |
| 4 | George Russell | Mercedes | + 1.193 |
| 5 | Isack Hadjar | Red Bull | + 2.288 |
| 6 | Gabriel Bortoleto | Audi | + 2.397 |
| 7 | Pierre Gasly | Alpine | + 2.450 |
| 8 | Valtteri Bottas | Cadillac | + 2.551 |
| 9 | Alex Albon | Williams | + 2.956 |
| 10 | Nico Hulkenberg | Sauber | + 2.993 |
| 11 | Arvid Lindblad | Racing Bulls | + 3.197 |
| 12 | Carlos Sainz | Williams | + 3.319 |
| 13 | Liam Lawson | Racing Bulls | + 3.744 |
| 14 | Fernando Alonso | Aston Martin | + 3.975 |
| 15 | Sergio Perez | Cadillac | + 4.380 |
| 16 | Andrea Kimi Antonelli | Mercedes | No Time |
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