The opening official Formula 1 pre-season test in Bahrain offered the first clearer indication of competitive form under the new 2026 regulations. Mercedes emerged as the headline performer on outright pace, with Kimi Antonelli setting the fastest lap of the three-day test with a 1:33.669 on the final day. Team-mate George Russell secured second overall.

However, the team also encountered several technical issues during the test, which limited track time at certain points and prevented a completely smooth programme. As a result, Mercedes have played down the significance of topping the timesheets, stressing that reliability work and long-run consistency remain key priorities and that the early lap times do not necessarily reflect the true competitive order.

Ferrari followed relatively closely  behind on performance. Lewis Hamilton recorded the third fastest time of the test, while Charles Leclerc’s Day 2 lap placed him fourth overall. The Italian team also impressed with reliability, finishing just one lap short of the highest total completed across all teams.

McLaren showed a balanced package rather than outright headline pace. Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris both featured inside the top six on the timesheets, and crucially the team completed 422 laps, the joint highest total together with Williams. That strong mileage suggests solid reliability heading into the final pre-season test.

Williams matched McLaren’s lap total with 422 laps, marking a productive start to their 2026 campaign despite more modest single-lap pace. Ferrari followed closely with 421 laps, underlining the team’s consistent running. Haas also logged significant mileage with 390 laps and competitive midfield lap times from Oliver Bearman and Esteban Ocon.

Red Bull’s performance attracted attention as well. Max Verstappen set the seventh fastest time early in the test, while Isack Hadjar added another top-ten lap. However, the team focused heavily on longer runs and data gathering, completing 343 laps overall.

Further down the mileage ranking, Audi, Racing Bulls, Cadillac and Alpine all accumulated useful data but with slightly lower totals, while Mercedes completed only 282 laps despite their headline pace. Aston Martin had the most difficult test in terms of running, finishing with just over 200 laps.

Fastest laps – Bahrain T1

1. Kimi Antonelli (Mercedes) – Day 3 – 1:33.669
2. George Russell (Mercedes) – Day 3 – 1:33.918
3. Lewis Hamilton (Ferrari) – Day 3 – 1:34.209
4. Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) – Day 2 – 1:34.273
5. Oscar Piastri (McLaren) – Day 3 – 1:34.549
6. Lando Norris (McLaren) – Day 1 – 1:34.669
7. Max Verstappen (Red Bull) – Day 1 – 1:34.798
8. Oliver Bearman (Haas) – Day 2 – 1:35.394
9. Esteban Ocon (Haas) – Day 1 – 1:35.578
10. Isack Hadjar (Red Bull) – Day 3 – 1:35.610
11. Franco Colapinto (Alpine) – Day 3 – 1:35.806
12. Nico Hulkenberg (Audi) – Day 3 – 1:36.291
13. Gabriel Bortoleto (Audi) – Day 2 – 1:36.670
14. Pierre Gasly (Alpine) – Day 2 – 1:36.723
15. Alex Albon (Williams) – Day 3 – 1:36.793
16. Liam Lawson (Racing Bulls) – Day 3 – 1:36.808
17. Valtteri Bottas (Cadillac) – Day 2 – 1:36.824
18. Carlos Sainz (Williams) – Day 3 – 1:37.186
19. Sergio Perez (Cadillac) – Day 3 – 1:37.365
20. Arvid Lindblad (Racing Bulls) – Day 2 – 1:37.470
21. Lance Stroll (Aston Martin) – Day 3 – 1:38.165
22. Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin) – Day 2 – 1:38.248

Most laps completed – Bahrain T1

1. McLaren – 422 laps
2. Williams – 422 laps
3. Ferrari – 421 laps
4. Haas – 390 laps
5. Audi – 354 laps
6. Red Bull – 343 laps
7. Racing Bulls – 327 laps
8. Cadillac – 320 laps
9. Alpine – 318 laps
10. Mercedes – 282 laps
11. Aston Martin – 206 laps