Norris sets the early benchmark as the 2026 generation of cars completes its first meaningful mileage

The opening day of pre‑season testing at the Bahrain International Circuit marked the first true on‑track examination of Formula 1’s radically revised 2026 machinery.

As the sun set over Sakhir, Lando Norris ended the day fastest with a lap of 1:34.669, placing McLaren at the top of the early timesheets. Although headline times in testing are notoriously deceptive, the data gathered across long runs, tyre usage, and deployment patterns already provides valuable insight into the competitive landscape of the new regulations.

McLaren shows early one‑lap sharpness

McLaren appeared immediately comfortable with the new aerodynamic philosophy. Norris set the fastest time during a short afternoon performance sequence that likely involved a low‑fuel run on the C4 compound. The MCL26 demonstrated strong front‑end bite in medium‑speed corners, an encouraging sign given the reduced ground‑effect load mandated for 2026.

Telemetry observers noted that McLaren achieved a top‑speed advantage of roughly 4 km/h over Ferrari on the main straight, suggesting an efficient drag configuration. Oscar Piastri spent the morning cycling through various ERS harvesting and deployment modes, indicating that McLaren is still refining its hybrid strategy under the new power unit rules.

Red Bull prioritises heavy‑fuel consistency

Max Verstappen finished the day second, only 0.129 seconds behind Norris, despite running what appeared to be a significantly heavier fuel load and a harder C3 tyre. Red Bull’s program focused almost entirely on long‑run consistency, and the RB26 delivered the most stable degradation profile of the field.

Across a representative 12‑lap stint on the C2 compound, Verstappen’s average drop‑off was measured at 0.07 seconds per lap, the lowest of any team. The car remained particularly planted through the high‑speed Turns 11 and 12, even with the reduced aerodynamic assistance of the 2026 regulations. Verstappen also completed more than 130 laps, the highest mileage of the day, reinforcing Red Bull’s early reliability advantage.

Ferrari concentrates on correlation and cooling

Ferrari’s program was dominated by aero correlation work, with Charles Leclerc running extensive sensor arrays during the morning session. His third‑place time, half a second off Norris, came during a medium‑fuel run on the C3 tyre. The SF‑26 appeared stable and predictable, though not yet optimised for outright performance.

Both Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton conducted repeated thermal management tests, including multiple cooldown laps to evaluate the behaviour of the revised hybrid system. Ferrari’s traction out of slow corners looked improved compared to 2025, likely due to refinements in energy deployment mapping.

Mercedes Completes a Structured, Conservative Program

Mercedes split the day between George Russell and Kimi Antonelli, focusing on reliability and baseline setup work. The car showed improved corner‑entry stability relative to last season, possibly due to revised suspension geometry, but it lacked top‑end speed.

Straight‑line measurements indicated that Mercedes was approximately 6 km/h slower than Red Bull on the main straight. Despite this, the team completed its full planned program without major issues, giving engineers a solid dataset for overnight analysis.

Audi Battles Early Issues but Shows Promise

Nico Hülkenberg triggered the day’s only red flag when his Audi stopped just before the final corner, though the issue appeared to be a minor electrical reset.

Once running again, the car displayed encouraging traction and a notably aggressive MGU‑K deployment profile, though it struggled for stability in high‑speed sections.

Mileage was limited compared to the front‑running teams, but the laps completed were productive and provided Audi with a clear direction for setup refinement.

Haas Surprises with Competitive Pace

Esteban Ocon delivered one of the standout performances of the day by placing fourth. While Haas has historically run lighter fuel loads during early testing, the VF‑26 looked composed and mechanically strong. Ocon completed over 100 laps, making him one of the few drivers to surpass the century mark.

The car appeared stable in medium‑speed corners but showed mild under‑rotation in slower sections, suggesting that mechanical balance remains a work in progress.

Williams Focuses on Mileage After Delayed Start
Following their absence from the Barcelona shakedown, Williams dedicated the entire day to system checks and reliability validation. Alex Albon completed a full afternoon program without major issues, allowing the team to recover some of the lost mileage.

However, the FW46 successor appeared drag‑limited, with lower straight‑line speeds than most midfield competitors. Performance runs are expected later in the test once the team completes its correlation work.

Racing Bulls Give Lindblad a Full Day of Running

Rookie Arvid Lindblad completed the entire day for Racing Bulls, delivering consistent lap times and avoiding major errors. The car displayed a neutral balance with a slight tendency toward understeer, which is typical for teams prioritising stability during early testing. Liam Lawson observed from the garage while celebrating his birthday.