Bahrain Tests – Day 1: Lando Norris finishes with the fastest time

After five days of Shakedown in Barcelona, ​​Spain, the 2026 season peloton will head to the Sakhir circuit in Bahrain. Formula 1 The team is back for three initial days of testing, which will be followed by a second round next week. This will be an opportunity to test the new single-seaters in more representative conditions, with the heat of the Middle East replacing the cold and damp of Catalonia at the end of February.

While his teammate Oscar piastri drove this morning. Lando Norris relayed it in the afternoon, for its first laps with the final livery of the McLaren MCL40 adorned with the number 1 he earned by winning the 2025 world title. The Briton set the fastest time of the day, at 1:34.669, less than two tenths ahead of a Max Verstappen who tried to dislodge him at the end of the day with his Red Bull, without success.

The four-time world champion can, however, be satisfied with the highest number of laps completed today, 136. Esteban Ocon, fourth with its Haas, is the second driver to have logged the most laps on Bahraini tarmac, with 115 laps of the Sakhir circuit. The two drivers Classic Ferrari for sale, Charles Leclerc et Lewis HamiltonThey, for their part, completed 132 laps between them, which is reassuring about the reliability of the Prancing Horse package.

For Aston Martin On the other hand, the grand debut in green of the AMR26 designed by Adrian Newey was not without its challenges. Lance stroll, who was alone at the wheel today, was only able to complete 36 laps, including just three in the afternoon session. These laps were more than five seconds off the day's benchmark, meaning the Silverstone-based team is currently unable to focus on maximizing the performance of its car.

Alpine also completed relatively little track time, with 28 laps in the morning for Franco Colapinto (who caused the first red flag of the day by stopping on the track) and 49 for Pierre Gasly in the afternoon. Nico Hulkenberg The Audi caused the second red flag of the day after the car came to a stop briefly on the track. The German driver was able to return to the pits and completed 73 laps of the Sakhir circuit, making it a productive day.

The Bahrain tests continue this Thursday, starting at 8 a.m., and will be covered with live commentary on AUTOhebdo.fr.

F1 – Bahrain Tests – Day 1
The day's standings

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