Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc ended up quickest on the second day of the opening three-day testing in Bahrain. F1Technical’s senior writer Balazs Szabo reports on Day 2 of the opening pre-season testing at the Bahrain International Circuit.
As the sun set over Sakhir and the floodlights took over, Charles Leclerc ended the day comfortably on top for Ferrari, setting a benchmark time of 1:34.273 during the morning session that no one managed to beat.
Leclerc’s lap stood strong through both phases of running, and his day was equally productive in terms of distance, with 139 laps completed. Behind him, Lando Norris continued McLaren’s encouraging early‑season form by finishing second, just over half a second adrift.
Despite an early stoppage, Norris logged the highest mileage of the day with 149 laps, underlining McLaren’s commitment to long‑run data gathering. Ferrari’s reserve driver Ollie Bearman added another bright note for the Scuderia by taking third place, less than a second off Leclerc’s time and completing 89 laps.
Mercedes experienced a mixed day. Kimi Antonelli’s morning was heavily disrupted by a power‑unit issue, limiting his early running, though he eventually reached 70 laps by the end of the day. George Russell took over in the afternoon and delivered a more stable session, finishing fourth overall with a time 1.183 seconds off Leclerc and completing 123 laps.
Red Bull’s newly promoted race driver Isack Hadjar endured technical problems early on but recovered impressively to finish fifth, completing a substantial 153 laps, the most of any Red Bull driver.
The team also ran Arvid Lindblad, Liam Lawson, and Sergio Pérez, though their programs appeared more conservative; Pérez in particular suffered a stoppage and ended the day 15th. Notably, Max Verstappen did not turn a lap, suggesting Red Bull opted to focus its running on its younger drivers.
Audi continued its preparations for its debut season with a productive day split between Gabriel Bortoleto and Nico Hülkenberg, who finished sixth and tenth respectively.
Alpine’s Pierre Gasly placed seventh despite a morning stoppage, while Valtteri Bottas, now driving for Cadillac, took eighth after losing part of his mirror during the afternoon. Alex Albon rounded out the top nine for Williams, with teammate Carlos Sainz finishing 12th after completing 98 laps.
Further down the order, Racing Bulls drivers Arvid Lindblad and Liam Lawson secured 11th and 13th, each banking solid mileage. Fernando Alonso ended the day 14th for Aston Martin, while teammate Lance Stroll did not run.
As the day drew to a close, Race Control conducted a series of systems checks, prompting yellow flags, red flags, and Virtual Safety Car periods. All drivers responded appropriately, giving teams valuable practice in handling race‑weekend procedures.
