F1: Mercedes Edges McLaren as Russell Tops Day 1 of Second Bahrain Test

Mercedes finished top of the pile on day one of the final F1 2026 Bahrain pre-season test, but McLaren were right on their heels all afternoon. George Russell snatched the fastest time late in the session, clocking a 1m33.459s lap time to beat Oscar Piastri by a tiny margin. Both drivers set their best times on the C3 compound, which seems to be the tyre of choice for performance runs so far. It was a busy start to this final testing window before the 2026 F1 season officially kicks off, with teams splitting their programmes between short-burst qualifying simulations and heavy-fuel race runs.

Also Read: F1 2026: Here’s When, Where and How to Watch Second 2026 Bahrain Pre-season Test in India

F1 Second Bahrain Test: Piastri and Russell Battle for Top Spot

Piastri actually held the lead for most of the afternoon, looking very comfortable in the McLaren until Russell’s late improvement. Charles Leclerc put Ferrari third, while Lando Norris made sure both McLarens were inside the top four, a promising sign for the Woking-based squad.

Mercedes shared the driving duties today, giving Kimi Antonelli some valuable track time in the morning for long-run data before Russell took over for the evening flyers. Of course, with different fuel loads and engine modes in play across the 2026 grid, the timesheet only tells half the story.

F1 Second Bahrain Test: Reliability Gremlins Surface

It wasn’t a perfect day for everyone, and the garage doors were down more than some teams would have liked. Cadillac lost around three hours of running, staying boxed for much of the morning and afternoon, with the early delay traced back to sensor issues. Sergio Perez managed just 24 laps and Valtteri Bottas 35, meaning neither could put in a truly meaningful lap time.

Aston Martin also had a bit of a nightmare, losing many hours to a power unit issue. When Lance Stroll finally got the AMR26 out for the afternoon programme, he immediately caused another red flag. He spun into the Turn 10 gravel trap likely due to technical fault. Due to the incident, the team lost additional time, ending the day with only 54 laps.

F1 Second Bahrain Test: Race Pace and Tyres

Despite the stoppages, Mercedes looked metronomic, banking a full race simulation with very consistent lap times. McLaren seemed to match that pace over a distance, which suggests we might have a proper fight on our hands.

Ferrari and Red Bull, however, had to pivot to shorter runs late in the day just to get some laps on the board after their morning dramas. Most of the engineering focus was on Pirelli tyre wear and cooling, especially as the temperatures dropped under the Sakhir lights.

F1 Second Bahrain Test: The Final Countdown

With two more days of testing time remaining, the pressure is starting to show. Teams are moving away from data-gathering and into "full attack" mode, with more qualifying sims expected to follow. While Mercedes and McLaren look like the early benchmarks, nobody is showing their full hand just yet.