Relive the first day of F1 pre-season testing in Bahrain

The 2026 season of Formula 1 The season is taking shape. Following the Shakedown in Barcelona, ​​Spain, and with the Australian Grand Prix less than a month away (March 8), the eleven teams now on the grid are in Bahrain this week to begin pre-season testing. These tests run from Wednesday, February 11 to Friday, February 13, with a second round scheduled for next week. Running is concentrated between 8:00 AM and 17:00 PM over these three days, with the final hour broadcast on Canal+ Sport each day. Follow the first day of pre-season testing with live commentary below.

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F1 – Bahrain 2026 Pre-Season Tests 1

Wednesday February 11
Session 1 8:00 AM – 17:00 PM
Diffusion 16:00 PM (Canal+ Sport)
Thursday February 12
Session 2 8:00 AM – 17:00 PM
Diffusion 16:00 PM (Canal+ Sport)
Friday February 13
Session 38:00 AM – 17:00 PM
Diffusion 16:00 PM (Canal+ Sport)

Wednesday morning :

• George Russell (Mercedes Benz)
• Oscar piastri (McLaren)
• Esteban Ocon (Haas)
• Lance stroll (Aston Martin)
• Carlos Sainz (Williams)
• Gabriel Bortoleto (Audi)
• Franco Colapinto (Alpine)
• Valtteri Bottas (Cadillac)
• Max Verstappen (Red Bull)
• Lewis Hamilton (Classic Ferrari for sale)
• Arvid Lindblad (Racing Bulls)

Wednesday afternoon:

• Kimi Antonelli (Mercedes)
• Oscar Piastri (McLaren)
• Esteban Ocon (Haas)
• Lance Stroll (Aston Martin)
• Alex Albon (Williams)
• Nico Hulkenberg (Audi)
• Pierre Gasly (Alpine)
• Sergio Pérez (Cadillac)
• Max Verstappen (Red Bull)
• Charles Leclerc (Ferrari)
• Arvid Lindblad (Racing Bulls)

F1 – Bahrain 2026 Pre-Season Tests 1
Live commentary

17pm – 🏁 End of the day in Sakhir, Lando Norris That concludes with the best time of this first day of testing! We'll see you tomorrow from 8am French time to follow the second day live.

16h57 - Max Verstappen set out to beat Lando Norris's time, but he could only get within a few thousandths of a second of the world champion.

16h34 - We have entered the last half hour of this first day of testing, Max Verstappen is still the driver who has completed the most laps, with 128 laps covered, Lando Norris is still credited with the best time.

16h17 - The privacy screens are still up in front of the Aston Martin garage, Lance Stroll has only completed three laps in the afternoon, and 36 for the whole day.

16h12 - Under the spotlights of Bahrain, things are getting busy on the track, with six single-seaters now competing.

16h07 - The standings with less than an hour remaining in this first day of testing:

16h00 - The sun sets over Bahrain, and it makes for some very beautiful images!

© DPPI

15h44 - 1:34.669 for Lando NorrisThe world champion takes the lead on this first day of testing in Bahrain!

15:16 – Having passed 100 laps, Max Verstappen improves the best time of the day, with a time of 1:34.830.

15h - We take another look at the standings, Max Verstappen still has the fastest lap, and he is the first driver to approach one hundred laps completed, with 99 laps.

14h58 - While the majority of teams have adopted a concept similar to DRS for the active aerodynamics of the rear wing, with the most advanced part of the upper edges lifting, Alpine takes the approach of lowering the rearmost part of the upper planes, which explains the absence of a gap between the two planes, as can be seen for example on the Ferrari (left).

14h52 - Verstappen, Hülkenberg, Albon, Gasly and Pérez are currently on track, as we reach the halfway point of this afternoon session.

14:35 p.m. – 🟢 And here we go again!

14h35 - The German driver was able to bring his car back to the pits; the green flag should be waved again soon.

14:32 p.m. – 🔴 RED FLAG 🔴 Nico Hülkenberg stopped before the last corner with his Audi.

14h30 - Max Verstappen is back on track with his Red Bull, he is getting within two tenths of the best time he already set this morning, we'll see if the Dutchman picks up the pace in the next few laps.

14h18 - Pierre Gasly takes to the track for the first time this afternoon, with theAlpine A526.

14h12 - Nico Hülkenberg makes it into the top 10 with a time of 1:38.506. Only Pierre Gasly (Alpine) has not yet taken to the track this afternoon, among the scheduled drivers.

14h02 - Kimi Antonelli, recovered from his road accident last weekend, is now on track with the Mercedes, after the 56 laps completed by his teammate George Russell this morning.

14h - The provisional standings for Wednesday, after one hour of driving this afternoon:

13h54 - Sixth best time now for Charles Leclerc with the Ferrari, in 1:37.819.

13h45 - 1:39.416 for the Thai driver, who is tenth on his first flying lap, while Nico Hülkenberg joins him on track. Leclerc, Stroll, Norris, and Verstappen are also on the track.

13h42 - It's Alexander Albon's turn to take to the track for the first time today, with the Williams.

13h36 - Sergio Pérez takes to the track for the first time today with his Cadillac, while Max Verstappen and Esteban Ocon complete laps at the start of this afternoon session.

13h28 - Charles Leclerc clocked a 1:40.101 on his first flying lap with the Ferrari. Lando Norris completed only an installation lap in his McLaren.

13h23 - Charles Leclerc takes to the track for the first time today, after a morning session completed by Lewis Hamilton in the Ferrari SF-26.

13h20 - The first cars are on track! Esteban Ocon and Max Verstappen, who already drove this morning, are heading back out onto the circuit, while Lando Norris makes his first appearance of the day, after taking over from his teammate Oscar Piastri.

13h14 - While waiting for the first test this afternoon, let's take a look at Williams, who are testing for the first time this year with the other teams, and who have also presented a strange control screen for their drivers!

Williams have brought their whimsical to the next level 😭 https://t.co/Ovqw5FgCLx pic.twitter.com/QHwsLs2U2V

— WIO🦄 (@sainznificant) February 11, 2026

13:06 p.m. – ☀️ The sun is still shining but will gradually set. The current air temperature is 31°C, and the track temperature is 37°C.

13 p.m. – 🟢 After a well-deserved lunch break, the green flag is waved again at the Sakhir circuit! Everyone is staying in the garage for now, with most teams making a driver change between this morning and this afternoon.

12:02 – End of the morning session in Bahrain with Max Verstappen topping the timesheets with a 1:35.433. Join us at 13:00 for the resumption of this first day, still to be followed live with commentary on AUTOhebdo.

11h54 - We are now approaching the last five minutes of driving this morning.

11h33 - This Wednesday, February 11th, is also an opportunity to celebrate Liam Lawson's birthday. The New Zealand driver for Racing Bulls is turning 24.

11:24 AM – 🎦 A video clip of the Mercedes W17 leaving its garage in Bahrain:

W17 straight out on track in Bahrain 👊 pic.twitter.com/wjgvWLJd3j

- Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS F1 Team (@ MercedesAMGF1) February 11, 2026

11h18 - Oscar Piastri gets even closer to Max Verstappen with a time of 1:35.602.

10h58 - Following his reliability issue encountered earlier in the morning, Franco Colapinto (Alpine) has resumed the trail.

10h49 - We'll have to get used to it this season: Max Verstappen is now driving with number 3, a number never before seen in his career since the four-time world champion previously wore number 33 and number 1 in F1.

10h47 - Oscar Piastri closed the gap on Max Verstappen with a time of 1:35.711. The Australian McLaren driver is now 0.278 seconds behind the Dutchman.

10h38 - Discover the first images of the 2026 Formula 1 cars on track in our gallery, updated throughout the day:

IN PICTURES – The 2026 F1 cars on track during pre-season testing in Bahrain

10h20 - A look at the standings 1 hour and 40 minutes before the end of this morning session:

9:59 – Max Verstappen (Red Bull) sets the fastest time in 1:35.433 with a second and a half margin over George Russell (Mercedes) and Oscar Piastri (McLaren).

9:52 – Esteban Ocon (TGR Haas) sets the fastest time right from the restart with a 1:37.668.

9:51 a.m. – The session has resumed after the red flag caused by Franco Colapinto (Alpine).

9:41 AM – Franco Colapinto seems to have experienced a reliability issue with his Alpine.

9:37 AM – Franco Colapinto (Alpine) is stopped on the track, red flag.

9:30 a.m. – Arvid Lindblad (Racing Bulls) regained first place in this morning session with a time of 1:37.945. The British rookie is ahead of Oscar Piastri (McLaren, +0.019) and Max Verstappen (Red Bull, +0.194). 

8:49 – George Russell (Mercedes) improves the day's benchmark time with a lap of 1:39.419.

8h40 - Forty minutes after the green flag, seven drivers had set at least one time. Arvid Lindlad (Racing Bulls) was currently fastest with a 1:38.480, ahead of Esteban Ocon (TGR Haas, +0.154) and Valtteri Bottas (Cadillac, +0.898). George Russell (Mercedes), Max Verstappen (Red Bull), Lewis Hamilton (Ferrari), and Carlos Sainz (Williams) were also classified.

8h22 - Absent in Spain, Williams is indeed on track this Wednesday morning in Bahrain!

8h16 - A reminder of the different drivers who will be on track this Wednesday, February 11th, at the Sakhir International Circuit.

Who's in action on the first day of testing? We've got you covered! 👇#F1 #F1Testing pic.twitter.com/eOuAP6djXZ

- Formula 1 (@ F1) February 11, 2026

8h00 - Hello everyone, welcome to this live commentary of the first day of F1 pre-season testing in Bahrain.