Charles Leclerc ended the second day of Formula 1s pre-season testing in Bahrain at the top of the timesheets, leading from McLarens Lando Norris and Haass Ollie Bearman. The Ferrari driver set a best lap of 1m 34.273s during the morning session at the Bahrain International Circuit, a time that stood unbeaten through the afternoon as teams continued their preparations under the desert sun and into the night.

Leclercs performance represented a significant step forward for Ferrari, especially as he executed a full race simulation in the afternoon. He completed 139 laps on the day, narrowly behind Norris, who logged an impressive 149 laps in the McLaren. Norris ended up 0.5 seconds adrift of Leclerc, with a best time slightly slower than his effort from Day 1, though the focus remained on reliability and data gathering.

Both Ferrari and McLaren enjoyed smooth running, a critical sign of progress ahead of the 2026 season, which introduces sweeping technical regulations including new power units and chassis designs. The consistency demonstrated over two days of testing has solidified their positions as early pace-setters during the pre-season.

In contrast, Red Bull and Mercedes faced technical setbacks that hampered their programs. Kimi Antonelli, driving for Mercedes in the morning, was limited to just three installation laps due to a power unit issue. George Russell took over in the afternoon and managed to climb to fourth in the standings with 54 laps completed, but the early disruption was a concern.

Red Bull also encountered problems. Rookie Isack Hadjar was sidelined by a hydraulic leak that allowed only a single lap before lunch. However, he returned strongly in the afternoon, completing 87 laps and finishing fifth, signaling the teams ability to recover from glitches.

Other notable performances included Ollie Bearman finishing third for Haas, ahead of Russell and Hadjar. Alpines Pierre Gasly and Williamss Alex Albon also had solid outings, while Fernando Alonso clocked in 14th for Aston Martin. Carlos Sainz, testing the Williams, ended the day 12th, and Sergio Perez had a brief early stoppage in the Cadillac before continuing.

As the day concluded, teams ran various systems checks under yellow, red, and Virtual Safety Car conditions, preparing drivers and crews for real-world scenarios. With the third and final day of the opening test scheduled for Friday, focus will shift to final validations ahead of the second pre-season test on February 1820 and the season opener in Australia on March 6.