George Russell Sets the Pace in Bahrain Testing

George Russell delivered a strong performance for Mercedes on the opening day of Formula 1's second and final 2026 pre-season test at the Bahrain International Circuit, clocking the fastest lap of 1m 33.459s. This time narrowly beat McLaren's Oscar Piastri by 0.010 seconds, with Ferrari's Charles Leclerc holding third place from his morning benchmark of 1m 33.739s.

The session saw a mix of morning and afternoon running, with times improving under the cooler evening conditions. All teams except Red Bull switched drivers at the break, allowing Isack Hadjar to continue alone after morning repairs to the RB22 due to a water system issue, limiting him to just 13 laps initially.

Incidents and Technical Challenges

The afternoon began quietly but was interrupted when Aston Martin's Lance Stroll beached in the gravel at Turn 11 following a loss of rear grip, prompting a red flag for recovery. Ferrari encountered its first notable pre-season problem when Lewis Hamilton was sidelined for 90 minutes due to a technical issue but returned to complete 44 laps. Hamilton commented, "It was a solid day, as we managed to complete a good amount of running, which is positive. We had a small issue during my session, but the team did a great job to get me back out on track to do some long runs."

Aston Martin also faced hurdles, with Fernando Alonso limited to 28 laps in the morning by a power unit issue, and Stroll managing only 26 laps after his incident. Newcomer Cadillac struggled with reliability, as Sergio Perez completed just 24 laps before Valtteri Bottas added 35.

Full Timesheet and Lap Counts

Russell also recorded the highest laps of the day at 76, contributing to Mercedes' team total of 145. McLaren followed with 124 laps, showing reliability among the top contenders. The full timesheet order was: 1. Russell (1:33.459), 2. Piastri, 3. Leclerc, 4. Lando Norris, 5. Kimi Antonelli, 6. Hadjar, 7. Hamilton, 8. Carlos Sainz, 9. Franco Colapinto, 10. Gabriel Bortoleto, 11. Alex Albon, 12. Liam Lawson, 13. Ollie Bearman, 14. Pierre Gasly, 15. Stroll, 16. Esteban Ocon, 17. Alonso, 18. Nico Hulkenberg, 19. Arvid Lindblad (75 laps), 20. Bottas, 21. Perez.

Many drivers used aero rakes and flow-vis paint for data collection, with some practicing close following and pushing for times. The session concluded with a trial of a new race start procedure, adding a five-second pause to accommodate the 2026 power units.

Looking Ahead

Thursday's running features Max Verstappen returning for Red Bull, as teams finalize preparations before the Australian Grand Prix on March 6-8. The test highlights Mercedes and McLaren's strong positions among the favorites, while others like Ferrari and Aston Martin address ongoing challenges.