The start of the final round of F1 testing in Bahrain ahead of the 2026 season passed quite calmly, as teams focused on checking the brought upgrades. Typical qualifying or race simulations were not performed. Not all teams will be satisfied, as several technical problems appeared.
Read more Report from the fifth day of F1 testing in Bahrain ahead of the 2026 season
Formula 1 testing ahead of the 2026 season takes place in three rounds. The first of them was treated as a shakedown, which is a private test. It took place on 26 – 30 January at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya. The second round of testing took place at the Bahrain International Circuit in Bahrain on 11-13 February. These were tests open to fans and media. The final round of testing takes place again in Bahrain on 18-20 February. For the convenience of my records, I consider this a continuation of the tests in Bahrain, i.e., these are the fourth, fifth, and sixth days at this track.
During the fourth day of testing in Bahrain, the air temperature was between 24 and 31 degrees Celsius, and the track surface temperature reached 44 degrees Celsius. Conditions were similar to last week’s tests.
As many as 21 drivers appeared on the track during this day. In ten teams, drivers swapped during the lunch break. The only exception was Red Bull, where Isack Hadjar drove all day, but he actually lost half the day due to a technical fault, so in reality, he also drove for half.
Results of the fourth day of testing ahead of the 2026 season in Bahrain
During the second round of tire testing in Bahrain, drivers use all five Pirelli tire compounds, but teams chose very few tires from the C4 and C5 compounds. Each team chose 24 different sets of tires; they can also use tires left over from the first round of testing (a given set can have a maximum of nine laps completed). It is worth noting that Pirelli most often nominates 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 a 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.
This year in Bahrain, better lap times are achieved every day of testing:
First day – 1:34,669 – Norris (McLaren)
Second day – 1:34,273 – Leclerc (Ferrari)
Third day – 1:33,669 – Antonelli (Mercedes)
Fourth day – 1:33,459 – Russell (Mercedes)
Details about the first round of testing, including complete team line-ups and the schedule, can be read here.
A handful of information about the fourth day of testing in Bahrain
For the final round of testing, the Mercedes, Red Bull, and Ferrari teams brought upgrade packages. In the case of Mercedes and Red Bull, these are many small aerodynamic modifications in various areas of the car. There is no revolution, only refinement of the existing concept. In Ferrari, however, a very interesting change appeared regarding the exhaust area, which I will describe separately soon, as it is a true innovation that could make a difference.
No one from the frontrunners did qualifying or race simulations. We had a few fast runs, the pace was better than during the first round of testing, but the teams still have a lot in reserve. In the case of Mercedes, it is worth noting that their drivers had very consistent times on long runs; they even boast in their summary that they kept tire degradation under control. During the first round of testing, a large drop in pace due to tires was visible during race simulations. I also saw data showing a significant improvement in pace in a key corner compared to the first tests. Mercedes is starting to show true potential.
Read more Report from the fifth day of F1 testing in Bahrain ahead of the 2026 season
Red Bull had technical problems; Hadjar lost about half a day because of them and did not complete his driving program. Significant potential is visible in Red Bull, but it is either being intentionally hidden, or during this day the focus was on driving with a heavy fuel load. I expect Verstappen will get a chance for faster driving on the second day. There is one strange thing with Red Bull. A week ago, on the first day of testing, Verstappen recorded by far the best top speeds with a large advantage; information then appeared from the competition that the Red Bull engine generates the most electrical energy, which will give them a big advantage. This was not present in the following testing days. There are two options. Red Bull is hiding its potential heavily because they showed too much then, or their simulations showed it is better to use electrical energy in other places, not so much on the long straight.
Ferrari had a very successful morning session with Leclerc, but in the afternoon unspecified technical problems appeared and Hamilton lost a lot of time, not completing the entire planned program. Ferrari looks very competitive at times; I expect the start of the season from them will be strong. It’s clear they are doing their job, introducing interesting improvements, and the engine is durable. McLaren is also doing its job and testing various things and seems to be stronger than in previous days.
What in my opinion seems very visible after this testing day is the advantage of the four top teams. It is known that no one showed full potential, and the drivers of these teams were all at the front with a clear advantage over the following drivers.
Aston Martin was 2,2 seconds faster on the first day of testing than during the first round. They have clearly sped up, but we don’t know yet if this is their maximum potential. In the top speed rankings, they are still at the back of the pack. Breakdowns, however, are a big problem. The drivers completed very few laps; so far they have not done any proper long run. With each such testing day, their backlog relative to the competition increases.
Number of laps completed by teams during the fourth day of testing in Bahrain
1. Mercedes – 145
2. Racing Bulls – 136
3. McLaren – 124
4. Alpine – 122
5. Audi – 121
6. Ferrari – 115
7. Williams – 111
8. Haas – 107
9. Red Bull – 69
10. Cadillac – 60
11. Aston Martin – 54
Number of laps completed divided by power units during the fourth day of testing
1. Mercedes – 502
2. Ferrari – 282
3. Red Bull Ford – 205
4. Audi – 121
5. Honda – 54
Pirelli reported that on the fourth day, drivers completed a total of 842 laps on the C3 compound, 227 laps on the C2 compound, 48 laps on the C1 compound, and 47 on the C4 compound. No one used C5 compound tires.
Summary
On the second day of testing, we expect real race and qualifying simulations, as for some drivers it will be the last day of driving.
The second round of testing in Bahrain is broadcast in its entirety on Eleven Sports and F1 TV pro / Premium. A detailed broadcast schedule and information about the F1 TV promotion can be found at this link.
Read more Report from the sixth day of F1 testing in Bahrain ahead of the 2026 season
