Relive the first day of Bahrain F1 testing with live text commentary

As with last week, the Formula 1 Formula 1 is in Bahrain for three days of winter testing this Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday. The last opportunity for teams to test their cars before the Australian Grand Prix in Melbourne, these three days should provide a clearer picture of the pecking order… and reveal who is struggling and who isn't!

Wednesday morning :

• Nico Hulkenberg (Audi)
• Pierre Gasly (Alpine)
• Isack Hadjar (Red Bull)
• Alex Albon (Williams)
• Sergio Pérez (Cadillac)
• Esteban Ocon (Haas)
• Lando Norris (McLaren)
• Kimi Antonelli (Mercedes Benz)
• Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin)
• Charles Leclerc (Classic Ferrari for sale)
• Arvid Lindblad (Racing Bulls)

Wednesday afternoon:

• Gabriel Bortoleto (Audi)
• Franco Colapinto (Alpine)
• Isack Hadjar (Red Bull)
• Carlos Sainz (Williams)
• Valtteri Bottas (Cadillac)
• Oliver Bearman (Haas)
• Oscar piastri (McLaren)
• George Russell (Mercedes)
• Lance stroll (Aston-Martin)
• Lewis Hamilton (Ferrari)
• Arvid Lindblad (Racing Bulls)

F1 – Bahrain 2026 Pre-Season Tests 2 – Day 1
Live commentary

17h04 - The full standings for this first day are here, and we'll see you tomorrow at 7:50 am for the second day of testing!

17:02 p.m. – 🏁 The practice start went very well, and the checkered flag is waved in Bahrain! George Russell finishes with the fastest time.

16h55 - The field sets off for a simulated formation lap, the cars will then return to the starting grid to test the procedure put in place by the FIA, with a countdown indicated on the LED panels of the pit wall before the five red lights are illuminated.

16:50 p.m. – 🔴 Red flag, This was expected because the FIA ​​will be conducting a trial of the standing start procedure.

16h45 - We're entering the final quarter of an hour of testing in Bahrain, with a thrilling battle between Lewis Hamilton and Isack Hajjar. The Frenchman is racking up the laps at the end of the day, now at 64 this Wednesday, after a morning session where he stopped after only thirteen laps.

16h31 - A change at the top of the standings with half an hour remaining in the session: George Russell takes the lead by a mere hundredth of a second. Oscar piastri.

16h21 - The track is coming alive at the end of the day, Piastri, Russell, Hamilton, SainzColapinto, Bortoleto, Lawson and Stroll are currently on the Sakhir circuit, looking for a more performance-oriented run under artificial lights?

16:03 p.m. – ⚠️ The FIA ​​announces a vote regarding the measurement of engine compression ratios in Formula 1, with a potential change in measurement as early as August 1st:

The FIA ​​announces a vote on compression ratios

16h - Night has now completely fallen on the Bahrain circuit, as the final hour of Wednesday's testing begins! Russell, Colapinto, Bortoleto and Bearman are currently on track.

15h45 - Oscar Piastri continues to lead today's testing, as conditions continue to improve, with an air temperature of 23°C and a track temperature of 27°C – conditions approaching what is expected during qualifying for the Grand Prix next April. At Aston Martin, the difficulties persist; while Stroll lost control earlier by locking the rear, he is now regularly locking the front of his AMR26.

15h42 - Max Verstappen He maintains his position, according to him Formula 1 should not get closer to the Formula E :

Is F1 heading towards becoming more like Formula E? "I want us to stay away from that," warns Verstappen.

15:30 PM – 🎙️ Laurent Mekies expressed his satisfaction with Isack Hadjar's first few days at Red Bull.

Laurent Mekies "very happy" with Isack Hadjar's first days at Red Bull

15h15 - Piastri, Russell, Bortoleto and Bottas are currently on track, the Australian still holds the best time of the day.

14h59 - Oscar Piastri now boasts the best time, the Australian beating Kimi Antonelli's benchmark from last year with his McLaren.

14h45 - All the drivers scheduled to race today took to the track, with only Max Verstappen set to race tomorrow. Oscar Piastri moved into third place as the sun gradually set over Sakhir.

14h16 - Lewis Hamilton moved up to fourth place, temperatures continue to fall, 24°C in the air, 35 on the track.

14:08 p.m. – 🟢 Green flag, The session resumes, Isack Hadjar and Carlos Sainz take to the track.

13:59 p.m. – 🔴 Red flag, Lance Stroll went off into the gravel at Turn 11 and cannot get out without the help of the marshals. The Canadian lost control on his eighth lap of the day, losing the rear under braking. The standings after one hour of the session, with only Valtteri Bottas yet to take to the track among the drivers competing this afternoon:

13h45 - While the engine cover of Lance Stroll's car was removed a few minutes ago, the Canadian managed to take to the track with the Aston Martin, a car that only completed 28 laps this morning with Fernando Alonso at the wheel.

13h30 - Lewis Hamilton also took to the track in the Ferrari, as did Oscar Piastri in the McLaren and George Russell in the Mercedes; we now have fifteen drivers who have set a time. The air temperature is currently 26°C and the track temperature is now 37°C, though it is starting to cool down slightly.

13h23 - Good news for Isack Hadjar, the French driver is on track with the Red Bull, after missing a good part of the morning session.

13h15 - Oliver Bearman and Liam Lawson took to the track and completed their first laps of the day, and the circuit is now quiet again.

13 p.m. – 🟢 Green light at the end of the pit lane, nobody ventures onto the track for the moment.

12h59 - ☀️ The sun is still shining, temperatures are similar to the end of the morning session, with 27°C in the air and 40 on the track.

12h55 - We're back in Bahrain just minutes before the start of the afternoon, with four more hours of testing!

12h05 - Summary of the morning:

Bahrain Tests 2 – Day 1: Charles Leclerc leads the morning, problems at Red Bull and Aston Martin

12pm – 🏁 The first session of the day has ended, with Charles Leclerc setting the fastest time, ahead of... Lando Norris and Kimi Antonelli. The cars will return to the track at 13 p.m. for the second session!

11h56 - AlbonNorris, Antonelli, and Pérez are on track together for a simulated rolling start after the red flag. These practice sessions aren't just useful for the drivers and teams, but also for the FIA!

11:52 p.m. – 🔴 Red flag, mainly to test the systems at the end of this session.

11h45 - Kimi Antonelli and Alexander Albon give us a nice little battle in the final corners of the circuit, while several drivers take to the track for the last fifteen laps of this morning.

11h30 - Lando Norris is currently on track with numerous sensors attached to the rear of his car, as the teams continue to gather data in warmer conditions than expected this afternoon and early evening in Sakhir. Thirty minutes before the end of the morning session.

11h16 - At Cadillac, they looked back at the beginnings of the team, which only received the green light to join F1 a year ago:

“We started after everyone else”: Cadillac discusses the obstacles of its F1 debut

11h15 - Leclerc, gasly, Hulkenberg Lindblad and Lindblad are currently on track, there are only 45 minutes left in the morning session.

11h - We're entering the final hour of the morning's practice sessions. Charles Leclerc continues to lead the way, with air temperatures now reaching 26°C and track temperatures 41°C. Arvid Lindblad still holds the record for most laps completed, with 58.

10h45 - Sergio Pérez now has a lap time, and the Cadillac is racking up the laps, reaching ten laps now. The Mexican is closing in on Isack Hadjar's total, who has only completed 13 laps and hasn't been on track for over an hour now.

10h30 - Arvid Lindblad continues to complete laps, he is the first to reach 50 laps completed.

10h15 - The signs are up in front of the Aston Martin garage; it would seem that the British team is trying to sort out some pretty significant problems…

10h - End of the second hour of testing in Sakhir, the standings have not really changed, temperatures continue to rise, it is now 27°C in the air, 39 on the track.

9h45 - The drivers continue to rack up the laps, Arvid Lindblad is currently the driver who has logged the most laps on the Sakhir track, with 35 laps completed at the wheel of his Racing Bulls.

9h30 - Temperatures are rising, now 25°C in the air and 37°C on the track, so the drivers are focusing on longer stints. Good news for Cadillac: Sergio Pérez has completed an installation lap.

9h15 - Alonso was able to get back on track, while preparations at Cadillac seem to be underway to send Sergio Pérez onto the track for the first time today.

9h - The first hour in Bahrain ends without any safety car periods, and Charles Leclerc now leads the way, with a time already within a tenth of last week's best, set by Kimi Antonelli. Cadillac has yet to take to the track; the American team appeared to be working on the front-right suspension of its carThe other ten teams all set times, including Fernando Alonso's Aston Martin, which now has to return to the pits after one of the sensors came loose at the rear of his car.

8h45 - Kimi Antonelli has now placed his Mercedes at the front, while Arvid Lindblad experienced a minor issue with his Racing Bulls. The Briton was able to restart without incident after being slowed down in the first few corners.

8h30 - Pierre Gasly briefly held the lead before Lando Norris reclaimed it. Seven drivers have set times in this first half-hour, with all teams except Cadillac completing at least an installation lap.

8h15 - Lando Norris is currently credited with the best time at 1:37.976, the drivers are mostly doing installation laps, especially at Red Bull with many aerodynamic sensors on Isack Hadjar's car.

8:05 AM -☀️ It is sunny in Bahrain this morning, 21°C in the air, 29 on the track.

8 p.m. – 🟢 The green light is on, and the first four hours of testing for the day are underway, with Esteban Ocon the first one on track in his Haas.

7:55 p.m. – 👋 Hello everyone, welcome to AUTOhebdo.fr to follow the first day of F1 testing in Bahrain!