F1 2026 Bahrain Pre-Season Test: Leclerc Leads Norris and Bearman on Day 2

Charles Leclerc put Ferrari on top on Day 2 of the F1 2026 Bahrain pre-season test, setting a benchmark early in the morning that remained unbeaten as the sun set over Sakhir. His lap stood as the day's best, though the focus in the garage remained firmly on long-run data and system mapping under the sweeping 2026 technical regulations. Lando Norris secured second for McLaren after a relentless day of running, while Oliver Bearman kept Haas in the mix with a surprisingly stout performance in the top three. The Bahrain International Circuit stayed busy from green light to chequered flag as teams grappled with the new power units and the first real-world trial of active aerodynamics over a full race distance.

Also Read: F1 2026 Bahrain Pre-Season Test: Leclerc Leads Norris and Bearman on Day 2

McLaren proved to be the day’s mileage kings, with Norris racking up a massive 149 laps, the highest total on the board. Leclerc wasn't far behind with 139 tours for the Scuderia, while Bearman added 130 laps to Haas’s growing data bank. Most of the paddock stuck to high-fuel stints and Pirelli tyre compound evaluation, using the stable desert conditions to find a baseline balance and verify that the 2026 cooling packages could handle the heat. With the season opener looming, the Sakhir test is already starting to drop hints about who has nailed the new 'nimble car' concept.

It wasn't plain sailing for everyone, as both Mercedes and Red Bull hit early-season gremlins that limited their track time. George Russell managed to salvage fourth once the Silver Arrows cleared their technical hurdle, while Isack Hadjar ended the day fifth for Red Bull. Both teams spent the twilight hours playing catch-up, focusing on installation laps and aero-mapping to recover lost ground on their 2026 challengers.

Leclerc’s early flyer remained the standard for the day through the cooler evening session. While Norris whittled away at the gap, he ended the day half a second adrift of the Ferrari, though fuel loads remain the great unknown of the paddock pecking order. Bearman’s consistency in the top three will turn heads, as he completed a glitch-free programme while Haas continued their encouraging start to the year.

Further down the order, Alpine, Audi, Williams, and Cadillac kept their heads down, focusing on aero-correlation rather than glory runs. Pierre Gasly, Alex Albon, Valtteri Bottas, and Nico Hulkenberg all logged heavy mileage as teams shuffled through their tyre plans.

F1 testing in Bahrain continues tomorrow, with the final day expected to see teams finally unleash their 'Overtake Mode' and performance maps ahead of the first Grand Prix of this new era.