Testing report
Formula 1 Bahrain Pre-Season 1
F1 2026 Bahrain pre-season test: Charles Leclerc fastest as unreliability hits Mercedes, Red Bull
Leclerc set the fastest lap of the Bahrain test so far on Thursday morning
Ben Vinel
Edited: Feb 12, 2026, 11:27 AM
Copy link
Share on Viber
Charles Leclerc, Ferrari
Photo by: Glenn Dunbar / LAT Images via Getty Images
Charles Leclerc topped the second morning of Formula 1’s opening Bahrain pre-season test, as Mercedes and Red Bull were hit by reliability trouble alongside Cadillac.
About an hour and 15 minutes into the session, Leclerc drove Ferrari’s SF-26 to a 1m34.273s, which is four tenths faster than McLaren’s Lando Norris achieved on Wednesday.
Norris’ own 1m34.669s benchmark was set on medium tyres, however, while Leclerc turned to softs throughout this morning’s session. The Briton came second – again on mediums – with a 1m34.784s.
Every other car was at least 2.4s off the pace, which obviously isn’t representative of the pecking order but isn’t unrelated to the gremlins encountered by two favourites.
Read Also:
Formula 1Mercedes' early F1 race simulation a "laugh in everyone's face" - Williams
Formula 1Red Bull-Ford engine "the benchmark" in F1 Bahrain test, rivals claim
Red Bull completed a single lap at the very end of the morning session, with the team understood to have found a hydraulic leak on the chassis during the car build yesterday. Isack Hadjar was supposed to run through the whole day, so the French sophomore will hope for a chance to catch up later.
At Mercedes, Andrea Kimi Antonelli managed just three laps before encountering a power unit issue that ruled him out of the remainder of the morning session. George Russell was supposed to take over for the afternoon.
Sergio Perez, Cadillac Racing
Photo by: Joe Portlock / LAT Images via Getty Images
Meanwhile, Cadillac’s Sergio Perez caused a red flag on his first out-lap for an unspecified reason, but after the car was retrieved it swiftly joined the fray again.
Perez went on to complete 42 laps, with a personal reference of 1m38.653s, which was slower than anyone but Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso in 1m38.960s.
Alpine was best of the rest with Pierre Gasly lapping in 1m36.723s, leading Oliver Bearman (Haas), Alexander Albon (Williams), Nico Hulkenberg (Audi) and Liam Lawson (Racing Bulls).
A Virtual Safety Car and red flag simulation was performed at the end of the session.
F1 Bahrain pre-season test Day 2 morning results
P DRIVER TEAM time GAP LAPS 1 
Leclerc Ferrari 1:34.273 62 2 
Norris McLaren
1:34.784
+0.511
64 3 
Gasly Alpine
1:36.723
+2.450
61 4 Bearman Haas
1:37.025
+2.752
55 5 
Albon Williams
1:37.229
+2.956 62 6 
Hulkenberg Audi 1:37.266 +2.993
47
7 
Lawson Racing Bulls 1:38.017 +3.744 50 8 
Perez Cadillac 1:38.653 +4.380
42
9 
Alonso Aston Martin 1:38.960 +4.687
55
10 
Antonelli Mercedes - -
3
11 Hadjar Red Bull - -
1
Photos from Bahrain Pre-Season Testing - Day 2
Bahrain Pre-Season Testing Day 2, in photos
Bahrain Pre-Season Testing Day 2, in photos
Bahrain Pre-Season Testing Day 2, in photos
Bahrain Pre-Season Testing Day 2, in photos
Bahrain Pre-Season Testing Day 2, in photos
Bahrain Pre-Season Testing Day 2, in photos
Bahrain Pre-Season Testing Day 2, in photos
Bahrain Pre-Season Testing Day 2, in photos
Bahrain Pre-Season Testing Day 2, in photos
Bahrain Pre-Season Testing Day 2, in photos
Bahrain Pre-Season Testing Day 2, in photos
Bahrain Pre-Season Testing Day 2, in photos
Bahrain Pre-Season Testing Day 2, in photos
Bahrain Pre-Season Testing Day 2, in photos
Bahrain Pre-Season Testing Day 2, in photos
Bahrain Pre-Season Testing Day 2, in photos
Bahrain Pre-Season Testing Day 2, in photos
Bahrain Pre-Season Testing Day 2, in photos
Bahrain Pre-Season Testing Day 2, in photos
Bahrain Pre-Season Testing Day 2, in photos
Bahrain Pre-Season Testing Day 2, in photos
Bahrain Pre-Season Testing Day 2, in photos
Bahrain Pre-Season Testing Day 2, in photos
Bahrain Pre-Season Testing Day 2, in photos
Bahrain Pre-Season Testing Day 2, in photos
Bahrain Pre-Season Testing Day 2, in photos
Bahrain Pre-Season Testing Day 2, in photos
Bahrain Pre-Season Testing Day 2, in photos
Bahrain Pre-Season Testing Day 2, in photos
Bahrain Pre-Season Testing Day 2, in photos
Bahrain Pre-Season Testing Day 2, in photos
Bahrain Pre-Season Testing Day 2, in photos
Bahrain Pre-Season Testing Day 2, in photos
Bahrain Pre-Season Testing Day 2, in photos
Bahrain Pre-Season Testing Day 2, in photos
Bahrain Pre-Season Testing Day 2, in photos
Bahrain Pre-Season Testing Day 2, in photos
Bahrain Pre-Season Testing Day 2, in photos
Bahrain Pre-Season Testing Day 2, in photos
Bahrain Pre-Season Testing Day 2, in photos
Bahrain Pre-Season Testing Day 2, in photos
Bahrain Pre-Season Testing Day 2, in photos
Bahrain Pre-Season Testing Day 2, in photos
Bahrain Pre-Season Testing Day 2, in photos
Bahrain Pre-Season Testing Day 2, in photos
Bahrain Pre-Season Testing Day 2, in photos
Bahrain Pre-Season Testing Day 2, in photos
Bahrain Pre-Season Testing Day 2, in photos
Bahrain Pre-Season Testing Day 2, in photos
Formula 1
49
We want your opinion!
What would you like to see on Motorsport.com?
Take our 5 minute survey.
- The Motorsport.com Team
Read and post comments
Read also :
Share Or Save This Story
Copy link
Share on Viber
Previous article Mercedes and Red Bull hit trouble on second Bahrain F1 test day
Next article Toto Wolff reveals Mercedes-AMG influence on NLS date switch to open door for Max Verstappen
Top Comments
There are no comments at the moment. Would you like to write one?
View More & Comment
More from
Ben Vinel
“I was getting beat up” – How Daniel Ricciardo burned out on ‘humiliating’ F1 return
Formula 1
Formula 1 7 h
“I was getting beat up” – How Daniel Ricciardo burned out on ‘humiliating’ F1 return
Toto Wolff reflects on Mercedes’ non-title years: ‘We weren’t complete losers’
Formula 1
Formula 1
Sao Paulo GP
1 d
Toto Wolff reflects on Mercedes’ non-title years: ‘We weren’t complete losers’
Latest news
TV ratings released for NASCAR Cup season finale
NASCAR Cup
NAS NASCAR Cup
Homestead-Miami
2 h
TV ratings released for NASCAR Cup season finale
Chase Elliott's car chief leaves Hendrick for NASCAR Truck crew chief role
NASCAR Truck
NSTR NASCAR Truck
Homestead
3 h
Chase Elliott's car chief leaves Hendrick for NASCAR Truck crew chief role
“I was getting beat up” – How Daniel Ricciardo burned out on ‘humiliating’ F1 return
Formula 1
F1 Formula 1 7 h
“I was getting beat up” – How Daniel Ricciardo burned out on ‘humiliating’ F1 return
Feature
Discover prime content
Top 10 F1 cars of the 1970s
Formula 1
By Kevin Turner
Top 10 F1 cars of the 1970s
Subscribe and access Motorsport.com with your ad-blocker.
From Formula 1 to MotoGP we report straight from the paddock because we love our sport, just like you. In order to keep delivering our expert journalism, our website uses advertising. Still, we want to give you the opportunity to enjoy an ad-free and tracker-free website and to continue using your adblocker.
You have 2 options:
- Become a subscriber.
- Disable your adblocker.
Subscribe now Already subscribed? Sign in here
Already disabled your adblocker?
Reload page
Manage Alerts
Subscribe