F1 Bahrain pre-season test: Norris tops day one
- Jason Sharp
- Feb 11
- 4 min read
Written by Jason Sharp, Edited by Benjamin Crundwell
Brand new cars, brand new teams, and a whole different rule book. Formula 1 2026 has finally hit the track. Yes, we had the Barcelona shakedown, but this is for the first time in the public eye, where we can see what these cars are truly about.
Taking place at the familiar Bahrain International Circuit, the running has doubled this year from three days to six, such is the scale of the teams learning these new regulations. Today’s sessions took place between 07:00 - 16:00 local time; there were two four-hour sessions with a one hour break between.
On track action
The cars look smaller, more aggressive and have a tendency to snap mid corner. The drivers were caught off guard many times in getting to grips throughout the day, and there were many off track escapades.
Most drivers suffered heavy lock ups, especially into the harsh braking zone of turn one and the infamous turn eight. It was oversteer galore and there were a few spins; Lewis Hamilton was one victim spinning his Ferrari at turn one. The drivers noted that there were heavy gusts of wind causing upset, along with needing to adjust to the differing speeds.
Surprisingly, reliability across the entire order was astonishing. Multiple breakdowns and failures are to be expected at the start of a new engine era, yet they were to a minimum.
The only stops were from Franco Collapinto, who brought out the red flag early on after his Alpine came to a stop; and Audi’s Nico Hulkenberg was the other, with his R26 slowing and stopping in the afternoon, but returning to the track 15 minutes later.
Max Verstappen was the fastest man in the morning, posting a time of 1:35.433, but it was reigning champion Lando Norris that took the top spot in the afternoon and overall, with a 1:34.669, ahead of the Dutchman and Charles Leclerc.
Team reports
Each team ran just one car during the session today. Most used both drivers, with one in the morning and the other in the afternoon, while Red Bull, Racing Bulls, Aston Martin and Haas opted for just one driver. Here’s how each team fared throughout a very busy day:
McLaren
The World Champions looked very comfortable on track. Oscar Piastri drove in the morning, ending the day in P5, with Norris taking over for the afternoon and posting the quickest time overall. The team amassed 112 laps in total.
Mercedes
George Russell achieved 56 laps in the morning on his way to P6, while Kimi Antonelli finished the afternoon in P11 having completed 27 laps. Mercedes are known for ‘sandbagging’, the act of hiding their true pace, and seem quietly confident.
Red Bull
Verstappen had his Red Bull and brand new Ford power unit for the full day, and achieved a total of 133 laps - the most of any driver. Finishing P2 will be reassuring, as the new engine looks to be more than ready to contend.
Ferrari
Despite Hamilton’s spin, it looked to be a decent session for the Scuderia. Leclerc’s P3 finish with 79 laps and Hamilton’s P7 with 52 laps was completed with minimal concerns. Ferrari have put a lot of emphasis into this new rule change, and time will tell if they’ve delivered.
Williams
Having missed the shakedown in Barcelona, Williams did not appear to be on the back foot. Carlos Sainz managed 77 laps in the morning and finished P13, while Alex Albon just made the top ten having driven 68 laps.
Racing Bulls
It was only the rookie of Arvid Lindblad at the wheel of the RB, the Briton finished in P12 having completed 75 laps for the Faenza based outfit. Lindblad will need all the possible running before his debut in Australia, but the team look to be enjoying the Ford power unit.
Aston Martin
Lance Stroll was the sole driver for Aston Martin in today’s test, but the Canadian accumulated just 36 laps. After some running in the morning, Stroll was brought back into the garage for the remainder of the test. The team with the most striking design philosophy currently looks to be on the back foot.
Haas
Esteban Ocon had full duties at the wheel and was able to post 122 laps, the second highest amount only to Verstappen. The Frenchman was one of the noteworthy performers of the day, finishing in P4. This will be a huge boost to F1’s smallest team.
Audi
The Audi name graces the sport for the first time, and with a drastic sidepod design that caught most by surprise. Its fresh livery took to the track with Gabriel Bortoletto in the morning and Nico Hulkenberg in the afternoon. While there was a minor technical issue on track, the pair accumulated 122 laps between them. An impressive run for a brand new engine manufacturer.
Alpine
The team that finished last in the 2025 constructor’s championship caught eyes with a unique active aero system for their rear wing; it's an unconventional design that has sparked curiosity. Franco Colapinto’s breakdown limited his running to 28 laps and left him at the back of the order, while Pierre Gasly managed a solid P8 with 49 laps completed.
Cadillac
F1’s brand new team had an impressive day, looking as though they were a seasoned organisation. Valtteri Bottas managed 49 laps in the morning finishing P16, while Sergio Perez took the afternoon and completed 58 laps to finish P14. The pair sandwiched Bortoletto and managed to beat Stroll and Collapinto on their first outing.
Looking ahead
We’ve had the initial first impressions on track, but it’s still impossible to call it. Different fuel loads, engine settings, tyres and car characteristics means we can’t yet see the true order.
There is a lot to study, and the remaining test days will give us more information, including tomorrow, where we will see Fernando Alonso, Isaac Hadjar, Ollie Bearman and Liam Lawson take to the track for the first time.
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