The Formula 1 Bahrain Test begins, and for Ferrari it is Lewis Hamilton’s turn behind the wheel of the SF-26. Follow our LIVE coverage of Day 1 with real-time updates, lap times and on-track action from the Sakhir circuit.
10:41 – After a brief quiet period, the track is starting to get busy again. On track are Oscar Piastri, Esteban Ocon, Arvid Lindblad, Lance Stroll, and also Franco Colapinto.
10:28 – It’s still difficult to draw conclusions from what we’ve seen so far. All teams are running different programs in these opening laps, and there are also significant differences in how the power units are being used.
10:21 – Lewis Hamilton improves, moving up to fourth place on soft tires with a lap of 1:37.588.
10:14 – Let’s take a look at the current standings, which still see Max Verstappen at the top.
| Pilot | Best Lap |
|---|---|
| Max Verstappen | 1:35.433 |
| Oscar Piastri | 1:36.696 |
| George Russell | 1:36.923 |
| Esteban Ocon | 1:37.668 |
| Arvid Lindblad | 1:37.945 |
| Carlos Sainz Jr. | 1:38.339 |
| Lewis Hamilton | 1:38.759 |
| Valtteri Bottas | 1:40.317 |
| Lance Stroll | 1:40.364 |
| Gabriel Bortoleto | 1:40.659 |
| Franco Colapinto | 1:41.600 |
10:02 – Ferrari and Lewis Hamilton start their program on red tires. Max Verstappen is still leading the session.
09:57 – Max Verstappen strikes! The Dutch driver beats both Esteban Ocon and Oscar Piastri, taking the top spot with a new set of medium tires. 1:35.433 for car #3.
09:55 – Ferrari continues on the same set of medium tires, now up to 20 laps. Lewis Hamilton is seventh, behind Carlos Sainz.
09:49 – New leader of the day! Esteban Ocon takes first place on red tires, clocking a 1:37.668.
09:45 – Green flag! Track action resumes with Oscar Piastri and Esteban Ocon on track.
09:40 – The red flag was triggered by Franco Colapinto, who came to a stop with his Alpine out on track.
09:38 – Red flag! The session is interrupted, and all drivers are forced to return to the pit lane.
09:33 – Meanwhile, Lewis Hamilton is back on track once again on used yellow tyres (medium compound). His current set has now reached 18 laps, with the Ferrari driver running steadily in sixth position.
09:32 – After one hour and a half of running, Arvid Lindblad in the Racing Bulls tops the timesheets.
| Driver | Best lap |
|---|---|
| Arvid Lindblad | 1:37.945 |
| Oscar Piastri | 1:37.964 |
| Max Verstappen | 1:38.139 |
| George Russell | 1:38.399 |
| Carlos Sainz Jr. | 1:39.092 |
| Lewis Hamilton | 1:39.269 |
| Esteban Ocon | 1:39.634 |
| Valtteri Bottas | 1:40.378 |
| Gabriel Bortoleto | 1:40.659 |
| Franco Colapinto | 1:41.600 |
| Lance Stroll | 1:42.159 |
09:26 – It appears that Lewis Hamilton may have had a small spin. At the moment, only Arvid Lindblad, George Russell and Carlos Sainz are circulating on track.
09:19 – Lewis Hamilton’s stint on medium tyres comes to an end after 17 laps. Max Verstappen also heads back to the pits, having completed 16 laps on the same medium compound.
09:15 – A new leader emerges, and he has been one of the standout performers of the morning session: Arvid Lindblad goes to the top of the timesheets with a 1:37.945.
09:11 – Arvid Lindblad’s very long stint on soft tyres comes to an end, as he returns to the garage after no fewer than 22 laps. Lewis Hamilton continues circulating, now up to 13 laps on the yellow-marked medium tyres. Oscar Piastri remains at the top of the standings.
09:04 – As earlier, we update the timing screens and immediately there is a new leader. Oscar Piastri moves into P1 with a 1:38.531 on medium tyres. Lewis Hamilton continues his run on the same compound, now on his tenth lap.
09:01 – One hour into the session, George Russell remains the driver to beat, followed closely by Arvid Lindblad.
| Driver | Best lap |
|---|---|
| RUS | 1:39.419 |
| LIN | 1:39.480 |
| OCO | 1:39.634 |
| BOT | 1:40.378 |
| COL | 1:42.384 |
| VER | 1:42.823 |
| HAM | 1:46.506 |
| SAI | 1:49.314 |
| BOR | –:–.— |
| PIA | –:–.— |
| STR | –:–.— |
08:50 – With ten minutes remaining in the opening hour, Alpine finally makes its appearance. Franco Colapinto heads out on track fitted with the hard compound tyres.
08:45 – After twenty-five minutes of running, George Russell retakes the top spot on the timesheets. The British driver posts a best lap of 1:39.419 before returning to the garage. The driver with the highest lap count so far remains Arvid Lindblad, who has reached 14 laps.
08:31 – Thirty minutes after the green flag, Esteban Ocon still leads the timesheets. Alpine is the only team yet to appear on track, having remained in the garage so far. Numerous aero rakes can be seen fitted to several cars, a clear indication that the teams’ aerodynamic testing programmes are now underway.
08:20 – The lap times continue to tumble, and this time it is Esteban Ocon who makes headlines. The Haas driver sets a new benchmark with a 1:39.634, moving to the top of the timesheets in the early stages of the morning session.
08:18 – Mercedes heads out with George Russell and, after just two laps, the British driver jumps to the top: 1:41.740 for Russell. For the moment, no other significant lap times are recorded by the rest of the drivers currently out on track.
08:13 – Williams is finally on track! Carlos Sainz completes his first lap in the FW48. And at last we also see Ferrari, with Lewis Hamilton at the wheel of the SF-26, as the Scuderia begins its Bahrain testing programme.
08:10 – Everyone returns to the pits once again. Aston Martin completes only an installation lap, while Red Bull and Racing Bulls also opt to head back into their respective garages for further checks and adjustments.
08:07 – As Max Verstappen continues circulating — with a best time so far of 1:44.012 — the AMR26 is back out on track as well. Lance Stroll is behind the wheel for Aston Martin.
08:01 – Three drivers head out immediately as the session gets underway. Max Verstappen takes to the track in the Red Bull, Gabriel Bortoleto runs for Audi, and Arvid Lindblad is out with Racing Bulls. Shortly after, Oscar Piastri joins them in the McLaren, adding another frontrunner to the early running order.
08:00 – Green flag! The Bahrain Formula 1 test officially begins. The first of three crucial days of pre-season running is underway, with teams eager to gather data and validate their winter development work.
07:52 – This time, every team is present from the very first day. Aston Martin and Williams are both in action, with the Grove-based squad having skipped the collective Barcelona shakedown earlier in the pre-season programme.
07:40 – Regarding the “Power Unit case” previously mentioned, a new meeting of the F1 Commission is expected to determine the introduction of a revised measurement criterion for the compression ratio. Should these technical regulation changes be approved, Mercedes could be required to make modifications to its engine. However, participation in the Australian Grand Prix is not at risk.
07:30 – Let’s also take a look at today’s driver line-ups. For Ferrari, the first driver to hit the track in the SF-26 will be Lewis Hamilton. The British driver takes control of the Scuderia’s new car during the morning session. After the lunch break, it will be Charles Leclerc’s turn. Also scheduled to run during the Day 1 morning session are George Russell, Max Verstappen and Oscar Piastri.
07:20 – The sky is clear, temperatures hover around 20°C, and the paddock is already buzzing with activity. Unlike what happened in Barcelona — where only a handful of determined (and fortunate) journalists managed to get close to the circuit — these tests are not private. We will have access to images, telemetry data and much more, allowing for a detailed analysis of the new-generation Formula 1 cars.
07:00 – Good morning and welcome to the first day of testing from Bahrain! After the Barcelona sessions, Formula 1 returns to action in search of data and early performance indications. Three days on track, from Wednesday to Friday, that will either reinforce — or perhaps overturn — the expectations created by the five Catalan sessions. Tension is already building, with further important updates also awaited regarding the Power Unit situation.
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