Plenty of laps, but few smiles
On the second day of running at the Bahrain Formula 1 tests, Lando Norris was the driver who completed the highest number of laps, clocking an impressive 149 tours of the circuit. Despite that strong mileage, he finished with the second-fastest time of the day, behind the Ferrari of Charles Leclerc.
In his analysis to Sky Sports UK, the reigning world champion showed a degree of concern when reflecting on the first direct comparisons with rival teams. While the lap count was encouraging, the overall picture appeared less reassuring from a pure performance standpoint.
Lando Norris sees a strong Ferrari
“We did a good number of laps, but we weren’t fast enough and we have a lot of work to do to try and improve,” Lando Norris admitted candidly.
The British driver was able to gauge McLaren’s current position relative to a key competitor. “I think today we understood for the first time where we stand in terms of pace, at least compared to Ferrari, who completed a long run.”
Lando Norris continued: “At the moment we’re not very close to Ferrari. We’re not bad, but we’re not fast enough. However, we’re still in testing and we know there are many things we can improve and work on. There’s nothing to worry about, but it was a productive day for both me and the team.”
Lando Norris’s honest assessment highlights the growing tension in the paddock as teams begin to reveal their true performance levels ahead of the 2026 season. While McLaren remains a top contender, the early pace set by Ferrari in Bahrain suggests that the fight for the championship will require the world champions to find another gear before the opening race.
We will also analyze the race pace simulations from Day 2 in Barcelona in an upcoming article, offering further insight into the competitive picture emerging from pre-season testing.
And you? What do you think about Ferrari’s performance so far in pre-season testing? Let us know with a comment at the end of the article or on our social media channels: Facebook Group / Facebook Page / X (former Twitter) and TikTok.
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