Following a private week of running in Barcelona for a pre-season "Shakedown," official pre-season testing began today at the Bahrain International Circuit with all 11 teams present for two three-day tests.
The first test is held between February 11 and 13, while the second follows from February 18 to 20. This gives the teams a chance to get their cars on track for an extended period, something that's particularly crucial for the 2026 F1 season, given the sweeping regulation changes that are coming to the sport.
After day one, though, some might argue that it's business as usual. Reigning Drivers' Champion Lando Norris was the fastest, and right behind him was the man who finished second by only 2 points in 2025, four-time Drivers' Champion, Max Verstappen.
Mercedes Team Principal Toto Wolff was first to express concerns about the Dutchman's pace, telling reporters, "We've seen a very, very strong Verstappen, so we have to get our act together, all of us, and then maybe by the end of the test we will understand more whether what we’ve done is good or good enough."
Joking that he'd hoped Red Bull would be "worse than they are," Wolff added, "They’ve 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. That combination is strong."
This year, Red Bull has a new Ford Powertrain, marking a switch from Honda that we knew could go either way. As of now, it seems to be working out well for the Milton Keynes-based team, but there are plenty more test days ahead, and today's results only scratch the surface.
Here's a full breakdown of the timings from the drivers who hit the track in Bahrain today:
1) Lando Norris (McLaren) 1:34.669
2) Max Verstappen (Red Bull) +0.129
3) Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) +0.521
4) Esteban Ocon (Haas) +0.909
5) Oscar Piastri (McLaren) +0.933
6) George Russell (Mercedes) +1.439
7) Lewis Hamilton (Ferrari) +1.764
8) Pierre Gasly (Alpine) +2.096
9) Nico Hulkenberg (Audi) +2.192
10) Alex Albon (Williams) +2.768
11) Kimi Antonelli (Mercedes) +2.960
12) Arvid Lindblad (Racing Bulls) +3.276
13) Carlos Sainz (Williams) +3.552
14) Sergio Perez (Cadillac) +4.159
15) Gabriel Bortoleto (Audi) +4.202
16) Valtteri Bottas (Cadillac) +4.481
17) Lance Stroll (Aston Martin) +5.215
18) Franco Colapinto (Alpine) +5.661
These are the number of laps completed by each team:
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