Bahrain Pre-Season Test 2
18 – 20 February 2026 · Bahrain International Circuit
The final test before the 2026 season opens in Australia
Overview
The 2026 Formula 1 Bahrain Pre-Season Test 2 concluded on Friday 20 February at the Bahrain International Circuit. All three days of testing are now complete — this was the final pre-season test before the season-opening Australian Grand Prix on 8 March 2026.
Key headline: Charles Leclerc set the fastest time of the entire pre-season on Day 3 with a stunning 1:31.992, and the FIA confirmed Ferrari's radical rotating rear wing is fully legal. Aston Martin endured a nightmare final day, completing just 6 laps due to a Honda parts shortage.
Across all three days, Ferrari, McLaren and Mercedes emerged as the pace benchmarks heading to Melbourne. All results are now available — click the day tabs below for the full breakdown.
Test Schedule
Morning Session
10:00 – 14:00 local (07:00–11:00 UTC)
Reliability focus, PU mapping, tyre programme begins
Afternoon Session
14:00 – 18:00 local (11:00–15:00 UTC)
Performance runs, Russell tops timesheet late in session
🏁 Fastest: George Russell (Mercedes) — 1:33.459
📊 Most laps: Mercedes — 145 laps
View full Day 1 results & analysisConfirmed Driver Lineups
| Team | Wed 18 Feb 🟢 | Thu 19 Feb | Fri 20 Feb |
|---|---|---|---|
McLaren | Norris (AM) / Piastri (PM) | Norris (AM) / Piastri (PM) | Piastri (AM) / Norris (PM) |
Mercedes | Antonelli (AM) / Russell (PM) | Russell (AM) / Antonelli (PM) | Antonelli (AM) / Russell (PM) |
Ferrari | Leclerc (AM) / Hamilton (PM) | TBC | TBC |
Red Bull | Hadjar (full day) | Verstappen (full day) | Hadjar (AM) / Verstappen (PM) |
Williams | Albon (AM) / Sainz (PM) | Albon | Sainz |
Racing Bulls | Lindblad (AM) / Lawson (PM) | Lawson | Lindblad |
Aston Martin | Stroll (AM) / Alonso (PM) | Alonso | Stroll |
Haas | Ocon (AM) / Bearman (PM) | Bearman (AM) / Ocon (PM) | Ocon (AM) / Bearman (PM) |
Audi | Hülkenberg (AM) / Bortoleto (PM) | Bortoleto (AM) / Hülkenberg (PM) | Hülkenberg (AM) / Bortoleto (PM) |
Alpine | Gasly (AM) / Colapinto (PM) | Colapinto | Gasly |
Cadillac | Pérez (AM) / Bottas (PM) | Bottas (AM) / Pérez (PM) | Pérez (AM) / Bottas (PM) |
AM = morning session · PM = afternoon session · TBC = to be confirmed. Source: official team announcements.
Key Storylines to Watch
The 2026 power units place far greater emphasis on electric energy deployment. In Test 1, drivers frequently experienced lock-ups and unexpected corner-entry speed as they struggled with when and how to deploy energy. With a 4-day break and reams of data analysed, Test 2 is where teams begin to automate learned knowledge into PU maps — expect a noticeably smoother driving experience by Day 3.
Max Verstappen has been openly critical of the 2026 regulations, calling them frustrating to drive. The energy harvesting demands are unlike anything drivers have experienced before. Red Bull notably ran a controlled programme in Test 1 — Verstappen takes the wheel solo on Thursday. His feedback will be closely watched to see if the team has made meaningful progress.
Context: What Happened in Test 1
The opening Bahrain test block (10–13 Feb) gave teams their first meaningful benchmark on the revised circuit layout under 2026 regulations. Key takeaways:
- All 11 teams exceeded 1,000km — reliability was generally strong across the grid
- McLaren and Williams led on lap count with 422 laps each; Ferrari close behind at 421
- Mercedes topped the timesheets on Day 3 with Antonelli P1, Russell P2
- Power unit deployment remains the dominant engineering challenge — lock-ups and unpredictable corner entry speed were common
- Red Bull ran a conservative programme — Verstappen has openly criticised the 2026 regulations
- Cadillac showed promising signs for a brand-new constructor
New to F1 Testing? Here's What It All Means
Not a race — no points
Pre-season testing is pure preparation. No championship points are awarded. Teams use it to set up their car, test new parts, and gather engineering data.
Lap times are misleading
A P1 time in testing means nothing on its own. A car may be running on new soft tyres with an empty fuel tank — that's not race-representative at all.
Mileage matters as much as pace
A car that runs 150 laps without issues is arguably doing better than one that goes fastest but breaks down. Reliability is the #1 goal of testing.
This is the final test
After Friday 20 Feb, teams pack up and head to Australia for Round 1 on 8 March. Whatever they learn in the next 3 days shapes their car for the opening race.
What's Next After This Test?
Once the chequered flag falls on Friday 20 February, there are no more pre-season tests. Teams pack up, ship the cars to Melbourne, and the 2026 Formula 1 season begins for real.
Round 1 — Australian Grand Prix
Albert Park, Melbourne · 6–8 March 2026
The 2026 season begins here. Teams have one shot to get it right — no more testing.
Between now and Australia, engineers run intensive factory simulations with the Bahrain data, refine their tyre strategy models for Albert Park, and calibrate setup parameters for a very different type of circuit.
Want to understand the 2026 rules & cars?
Get up to speed on the regulation changes, tyre strategy, and how pre-season testing shapes the season.
Official Test Highlights
F1MadeSimple is independent and educational. Formula 1®, F1®, FIA®, driver and team names are property of their respective owners. This page is an unofficial fan resource. Driver lineups sourced from official team announcements and may be subject to change.