Testing report
Formula 1 Bahrain Pre-Season 2
F1 Bahrain pre-season test: Ferrari tops testing overall by 0.8s
Charles Leclerc gave Ferrari the top spot on the pre-season time sheet with the only 1m31s lap of the week
Ben Vinel
Edited: Feb 20, 2026, 5:17 PM
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Charles Leclerc, Ferrari
Photo by: Simon Galloway / LAT Images via Getty Images
Ferrari has achieved the fastest lap in Formula 1’s 2026 pre-season testing, courtesy of Charles Leclerc.
The eight-time grand prix winner topped the timesheet throughout the day. He was quickest in the morning with a 1m33.689s; in the afternoon, he successively brought this benchmark down to 1m33.629s, 1m33.162s and 1m32.655s with C3 rubber.
Leclerc then bolted on C4 tyres and lapped in 1m32.297s, then 1m31.992s.
Nobody else beat Kimi Antonelli’s 1m32.803s reference from yesterday, with Lando Norris closest. The McLaren driver, who didn’t run in the first two hours of the afternoon, ended up nine tenths adrift of Leclerc in 1m32.871s, with the C3 compound.
Red Bull took third with Max Verstappen in 1m33.109s on Pirelli’s prototype tyres, the same used by Mercedes’ George Russell to set a 1m33.197s. It was a trickier day than usual for the Silver Arrow; it caused a red flag in the morning session with Antonelli at the wheel, due a loss of pneumatic pressure, and consequently had to undergo a power unit change.
Andrea Kimi Antonelli, Mercedes
Photo by: Steven Tee / LAT Images via Getty Images
Alpine topped the midfield courtesy of a late effort by Pierre Gasly on C5 rubber, the softest in Pirelli’s range, which yielded a 1m33.421s. That was just 0.066s faster than Haas’ Oliver Bearman, who set his own benchmark using C3s in a 170-lap day for the team.
Audi was seventh-fastest with Gabriel Bortoleto lapping in 1m33.755s on the C4 compound.
The only rookie on the grid, Arvid Lindblad, certainly made sure he was physically ready for his step up to F1, covering a remarkable 165 laps by himself (555mi, 893km) on his way to a 1m34.149s – two tenths quicker than Carlos Sainz.
Then it was the now-usual suspects at the bottom of the classification. As has become customary, Cadillac didn’t take to the track for the first 100 minutes of the day; the American squad still completed 99 laps and Valtteri Bottas set its quickest time so far, but that’s just a 1m35.290s, one second away from the midfield.
Meanwhile, Aston Martin completed just six laps with Lance Stroll, setting no lap times, as an engine parts shortage ensued from the battery-related issue Fernando Alonso suffered yesterday.
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F1 Bahrain pre-season testing - Day 6 results
Driver Car Team - Engine Best lap Time Laps 1 Charles Leclerc Ferrari SF-26 Ferrari 067/6 1m31.992s 132 2 Lando Norris McLaren MCL40 Mercedes F1 M17 E Performance 1m32.871s 47 3 Max Verstappen Red Bull RB22 Red Bull Ford DM01 1m33.109s 65 4 George Russell Mercedes F1 W17 E Performance Mercedes F1 M17 E Performance 1m33.197s 82 5 Pierre Gasly Alpine A526 Mercedes F1 M17 E Performance 1m33.421s 118 6 Oliver Bearman Haas VF-26 Ferrari 067/6 1m33.487s 88 7 Gabriel Bortoleto Audi R26 Audi AFR 26 Hybrid 1m33.755s 71 8 Kimi Antonelli Mercedes F1 W17 E Performance Mercedes F1 M17 E Performance 1m33.916s 49 9 Arvid Lindblad Racing Bulls VCARB 03 Red Bull Ford DM01 1m34.149s 165 10 Carlos Sainz Williams FW48 Mercedes F1 M17 E Performance 1m34.342s 141 11 Oscar Piastri McLaren MCL40 Mercedes F1 M17 E Performance 1m34.352s 66 12 Esteban Ocon Haas VF-26 Ferrari 067/6 1m34.494s 82 13 Isack Hadjar Red Bull RB22 Red Bull Ford DM01 1m34.511s 59 14 Valtteri Bottas Cadillac CA01 Ferrari 067/6 1m35.290s 38 15 Nico Hülkenberg Audi R26 Audi AFR 26 Hybrid 1m36.019s 64 16 Sergio Perez Cadillac CA01 Ferrari 067/6 1m40.842s 61 17 Lance Stroll Aston Martin AMR26 Honda RA626H No time 6
Photos from Bahrain Pre-Season Testing - Day 6
Bahrain Pre-Season Testing Day 6, in photos
Bahrain Pre-Season Testing Day 6, in photos
Bahrain Pre-Season Testing Day 6, in photos
Bahrain Pre-Season Testing Day 6, in photos
Bahrain Pre-Season Testing Day 6, in photos
Bahrain Pre-Season Testing Day 6, in photos
Bahrain Pre-Season Testing Day 6, in photos
Bahrain Pre-Season Testing Day 6, in photos
Bahrain Pre-Season Testing Day 6, in photos
Bahrain Pre-Season Testing Day 6, in photos
Bahrain Pre-Season Testing Day 6, in photos
Bahrain Pre-Season Testing Day 6, in photos
Bahrain Pre-Season Testing Day 6, in photos
Bahrain Pre-Season Testing Day 6, in photos
Bahrain Pre-Season Testing Day 6, in photos
Bahrain Pre-Season Testing Day 6, in photos
Bahrain Pre-Season Testing Day 6, in photos
Bahrain Pre-Season Testing Day 6, in photos
Bahrain Pre-Season Testing Day 6, in photos
Bahrain Pre-Season Testing Day 6, in photos
Bahrain Pre-Season Testing Day 6, in photos
Bahrain Pre-Season Testing Day 6, in photos
Bahrain Pre-Season Testing Day 6, in photos
Bahrain Pre-Season Testing Day 6, in photos
Bahrain Pre-Season Testing Day 6, in photos
Bahrain Pre-Season Testing Day 6, in photos
Bahrain Pre-Season Testing Day 6, in photos
Bahrain Pre-Season Testing Day 6, in photos
Bahrain Pre-Season Testing Day 6, in photos
Bahrain Pre-Season Testing Day 6, in photos
Bahrain Pre-Season Testing Day 6, in photos
Bahrain Pre-Season Testing Day 6, in photos
Bahrain Pre-Season Testing Day 6, in photos
Bahrain Pre-Season Testing Day 6, in photos
Bahrain Pre-Season Testing Day 6, in photos
Bahrain Pre-Season Testing Day 6, in photos
Bahrain Pre-Season Testing Day 6, in photos
Bahrain Pre-Season Testing Day 6, in photos
Bahrain Pre-Season Testing Day 6, in photos
Bahrain Pre-Season Testing Day 6, in photos
Bahrain Pre-Season Testing Day 6, in photos
Bahrain Pre-Season Testing Day 6, in photos
Bahrain Pre-Season Testing Day 6, in photos
Bahrain Pre-Season Testing Day 6, in photos
Bahrain Pre-Season Testing Day 6, in photos
Bahrain Pre-Season Testing Day 6, in photos
Bahrain Pre-Season Testing Day 6, in photos
Bahrain Pre-Season Testing Day 6, in photos
Bahrain Pre-Season Testing Day 6, in photos
Bahrain Pre-Season Testing Day 6, in photos
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