The first day of pre-season testing in Bahrain in 2026 is behind us. It was a very intense day, but also with several major breakdowns. McLaren was the fastest during the day, Red Bull made the biggest impression, Aston Martin had significant problems, and Audi introduced the most interesting changes to the car.
Read more Report from the second day of F1 testing in Bahrain ahead of the 2026 season
Formula 1 testing before the 2026 season takes place in three rounds. The first of these was treated as a shakedown, i.e., a private test. It took place on January 26 – 30 at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya. Two subsequent rounds of testing will take place at the Bahrain International Circuit in Bahrain, which is diverse and allows for checking various aspects of the car with a guarantee of good weather. The first round of testing in Bahrain will take place on February 11 – 13, and the second on February 18 – 20. Each team can field only one car per day, so a maximum of eleven cars will be on the track at the same time.
During the first day, the air temperature was between 25 and 32 degrees Celsius, and the track surface temperature was between 25 and 43 degrees Celsius. These were conditions comparable to what awaits the drivers during the race weekend in a few weeks.
Results of the first day of pre-season testing 2026 in Bahrain
During the first round of testing in Bahrain, teams use tires from the hardest compounds C1, C2 and C3. Each team chose 28 sets of slick tires; in addition, everyone will receive one set of intermediate tires. It is worth noting that Pirelli most often nominates the C1 – C3 compounds for the Bahrain GP, as it is a very demanding circuit for tires. Teams at the tests have the same tires at their disposal as during the race weekend.
For comparison, I provide the best lap time from the 2025 pre-season testing in Bahrain: 1:29,348, set by Carlos Sainz on C3 compound tires. A few weeks later during the qualifying session, Oscar Piastri in the McLaren was the fastest – 1:29,841, also on C3 tires. Qualifying times were worse due to gusty winds and high temperatures. In 2026, such good results should not be expected at the tests, because this year’s cars will be slower. At the Bahrain track, this difference should be relatively small. I expect it to be 2-3 seconds slower during testing.
Details about the first round of testing, including complete team line-ups, schedule, and broadcast plan, can be read here.
A handful of information about the first day of testing in Bahrain
It was an intense testing day, but not for all teams, as there were also quite a few breakdowns. Max Verstappen and Red Bull deserve the main attention. The Dutchman completed a lot of laps, driving at a very good pace. He performed stints of 7-10 laps, trying to push hard. Red Bull was definitely the fastest on the main straight – 344 km/h. Telemetry data showed that it uses more electrical energy and accelerates for longer. At this point, we don’t know if Red Bull has already decided to put a lot of load on the power unit, and the rest are not doing it yet, or maybe Toto Wolff’s words will prove true that the Red Bull Ford is the best engine (at least when it comes to electrical energy). What is already certain at this point is the high reliability of the new Red Bull Ford engine, as well as very good performance. For me, this is the biggest positive surprise of the entire testing; I didn’t expect this engine to be so good and durable.
Returning to the top speed. According to the unofficial table, Verstappen reached 344 km/h, Lindblad (also the same engine) 339 km/h. Other drivers from the top teams ranged from 329 to 332 km/h. Audi was slower, at 319 and 323 km/h, and at the very bottom of the table was Aston Martin – only 303 km/h.
At the other extreme is Aston Martin. Lance Stroll completed only 36 laps, losing most of the day due to an undisclosed power unit problem. Most importantly, Aston Martin, just like during the tests in Barcelona, is driving with a speed limit and losing a lot of time because of it, and yet a problem with the Honda engine still occurred. We don’t know the reason for such a strategy, but it looks unpromising. The car looks impressive on the track, it’s clear that it’s very refined, but the whole package is uncertain at the moment.
Each car can be seen from different angles in a video prepared by Formula 1 on YouTube.
Williams made its debut in the tests, having missed the running in Barcelona. In Bahrain on the first day, they were the most hardworking; their car doesn’t stand out as anything extraordinary, but it gives the impression of being really solid. Williams is far behind its rivals with the running program, so fast pace should not be expected from them during this round. They make a very positive first impression.
Read more Report from the second day of F1 testing in Bahrain ahead of the 2026 season
For Mercedes, it was the worst day of the year. In the morning session, Russell was not happy with the car, which handled worse in higher temperatures. In the afternoon session, Antonelli lost a lot of time due to a suspension failure. The mechanics reportedly eventually fixed it with hammers, which could be heard in the paddock. By this team’s standards, they completed few laps.
Lando Norris was the fastest on the first day of testing, and Oscar Piastri was also among the leaders. McLaren takes an unusual approach to testing, focusing on experiments, checking aerodynamics, etc. They are not yet doing typical longer runs to check the pace.
There were also longer technical failures on the first day in the Alpine and Racing Bulls cars.
Technically, Audi attracted the most attention on the first day, bringing a car with very unusual sidepods and radiator inlets. They completely rebuilt this part of the car; I will discuss this in more detail in a separate text soon.
Here’s some details on the Bahrain Test1 spec @audisport #F1 @F1tech https://t.co/BFxZBRjyyx pic.twitter.com/O6mRqCIZTz
— Craig Scarborough (@ScarbsTech) February 11, 2026
Number of laps completed by teams during the first day of testing in Bahrain
1. Williams – 146
2. Red Bull – 136
3. Ferrari – 132
4. Audi – 122
5. Haas – 114
6. McLaren – 112
7. Cadillac – 107
8. Mercedes – 86
9. Alpine – 77
10. Racing Bulls – 75
11. Aston Martin – 36
Number of laps completed by power unit during the first day of testing
1. Mercedes – 421
2. Ferrari – 353
3. Red Bull Ford – 211
4. Audi – 122
5. Honda – 36
Pirelli reported that 18. drivers were on the track on the first day, covering a total of 6 183 kilometers. 603 laps were completed on C3 compound tires, 382 laps on the C2 compound, and 156 laps on the C1 compound. Esteban Ocon also completed two installation laps on intermediate tires.
Summary
Teams in Bahrain have started introducing the first upgrades, but most of them will appear during the second round. During this round of testing, expect the first race simulations on the second and third days.
Complete information about all Formula 1 car launches for the 2026 season can be found in a special summary here. There you will find dates, details, photos, and links to reviews of all launches.
Read more Report from the third day of F1 testing in Bahrain ahead of the 2026 season
