Russell leads test in Bahrain, Ferrari lurks; Alonso with problems

George Russell Tops the Timesheet in Bahrain

Pilot George Russell ensured that Mercedes stayed at the top of the times on the first day of the last week of pre-season testing in Bahrain. The tests, which take place at the Bahrain International Circuit, are crucial before the inaugural 2026 race in Australia, scheduled for March 8. Russell set the best time of the session, with a lap of 1:33.459, beating McLaren’s Oscar Piastri by just 0.010 seconds, who finished in second place. It is important to remember that test times can vary due to fuel loads, engine modes, and changing conditions, but the competitive order is expected to become clearer this week. Mercedes, McLaren, Ferrari and Red Bull seem to be the leading teams, although there is still no clear favorite. Russell’s time was achieved with C3 tires in the last hour of the session, after sunset and the activation of the spotlights. Piastri also achieved his best time with C3 tires, approximately 90 minutes before.

Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc secured the presence of three different teams in the top three, finishing 0.280 seconds behind Russell’s time. Leclerc’s time was recorded in the morning session, when track conditions are usually less favorable, before a problem on the Ferrari limited the track time of Lewis Hamilton, who was able to take advantage of the better afternoon conditions. Isack Hadjar, from Red Bull, achieved the sixth-best time, 0.791 seconds behind the leading Mercedes. Hadjar missed a large part of the morning session due to a problem with his car. He finished the day with a total of 66 laps and has one morning of testing left on Friday before heading to Australia for the first race. Carlos Sainz, from Williams, led the battle behind the top four teams, with the eighth-best time, 1.654 seconds behind Russell’s time. Sainz beat Franco Colapinto’s Alpine by 0.141 seconds, who took ninth place, and Gabriel Bortoleto’s Audi by 0.150 seconds, in tenth place. Liam Lawson placed 12th for Racing Bulls, 0.640 seconds behind Sainz, while Oliver Bearman of Haas was 13th, 0.665 seconds behind the Williams. Aston Martin’s difficult start with the new regulations continued, as a problem in the Honda engine limited Fernando Alonso to 28 laps in the morning and Lance Stroll to only 26 laps in the afternoon. Stroll caused the only red flag of the day by spinning at Turn 11 and getting stuck in the gravel.

His best time was 2.515 seconds slower than Russell’s fastest time, representing an improvement over the four-second difference Aston Martin had with the front of the field in last week’s tests, but still leaving the team far from the front of the midfield.

Cadillac marked the slowest time of the 11 teams on Wednesday, with Valtteri Bottas 3.339 seconds behind Russell and 0.824 seconds off Stroll’s best effort. The Wednesday test session ended ten minutes early to allow the FIA to test a new starting sequence that allows additional time for the drivers to prepare their cars for when the lights go out. The pre-season testing will conclude in Bahrain on Thursday and Friday before the teams travel to Australia for the first race of the season on March 8.

Day 1 Testing Times in Bahrain

• George Russell, Mercedes, 1:33.459, 76 laps
• Oscar Piastri, McLaren, +0.010, 70 laps
• Charles Leclerc, Ferrari, +0.280, 70 laps
• Lando Norris, McLaren, +0.592, 54 laps
• Kimi Antonelli, Mercedes, +0.699, 69 laps
• Isack Hadjar, Red Bull, +0.801, 66 laps
• Lewis Hamilton, Ferrari, +0.840, 44 laps
• Carlos Sainz, Williams, +1.654, 55 laps
• Franco Colapinto, Alpine, +1.795, 60 laps
• Gabriel Bortoleto, Audi, +1.804, 71 laps
• Alex Albon, Williams, +2.231, 55 laps
• Liam Lawson, Racing Bulls, +2.294, 61 laps
• Oliver Bearman, Haas, +2.319, 42 laps
• Pierre Gasly, Alpine, +2.439, 61 laps
• Lance Stroll, Aston Martin, +2.515, 26 laps
• Esteban Ocon, Haas, +2.959, 65 laps
• Fernando Alonso, Aston Martin, +3.077, 28 laps
• Nico Hulkenberg, Audi, +3.282, 49 laps
• Arvid Lindblad, Racing Bulls, +3.310, 75 laps
• Valtteri Bottas, Cadillac, +3.339, 35 laps
• Sergio Perez, Cadillac, +4.732, 24 laps