The second day of Formula 1 pre-season testing at the Bahrain International Circuit has come to an end. Here are the full results and final classification from an intense and highly informative day of running in Sakhir.
Final classification – Bahrain test day 2
| Pos | Driver | Team | Time | Gap | Laps | Tyre |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Charles Leclerc | Ferrari | 1:34.273 | – | 139 | C3 |
| 2 | Lando Norris | McLaren | 1:34.784 | +0.511 | 149 | C2 |
| 3 | Oliver Bearman | Haas | 1:35.394 | +1.121 | 130 | C3 |
| 4 | George Russell | Mercedes | 1:35.466 | +1.193 | 54 | C3 |
| 5 | Isack Hadjar | Red Bull | 1:36.561 | +2.288 | 87 | C3 |
| 6 | Gabriel Bortoleto | Audi | 1:36.670 | +2.397 | 67 | C3 |
| 7 | Pierre Gasly | Alpine | 1:36.723 | +2.450 | 97 | C3 |
| 8 | Valtteri Bottas | Cadillac | 1:36.824 | +2.551 | 67 | C3 |
| 9 | Alexander Albon | Williams | 1:37.229 | +2.956 | 62 | C3 |
| 10 | Nico Hulkenberg | Audi | 1:37.266 | +2.993 | 47 | C3 |
| 11 | Arvid Lindblad | Racing Bulls | 1:37.470 | +3.197 | 83 | C3 |
| 12 | Carlos Sainz | Williams | 1:37.592 | +3.319 | 69 | C3 |
| 13 | Liam Lawson | Racing Bulls | 1:38.017 | +3.744 | 50 | C3 |
| 14 | Fernando Alonso | Aston Martin | 1:38.248 | +3.975 | 98 | C3 |
| 15 | Sergio Perez | Cadillac | 1:38.653 | +4.380 | 42 | C3 |
| 16 | Kimi Antonelli | Mercedes | No time | – | 3 | C3 |
Bahrain test, day 2 report
Just like in the morning session, Ferrari finished the second day in Sakhir at the top of the timesheets. Charles Leclerc held onto the 1:34.273 lap he set earlier in the day, with the Monegasque driver half a second clear of reigning world champion Lando Norris. However, Norris achieved his benchmark time on a harder compound (C2 compared to Leclerc’s C3), making the comparison particularly interesting from a performance standpoint.
What truly pleased Ferrari and McLaren was not so much the outright result, but reliability. On a day when Mercedes’ Kimi Antonelli was almost entirely sidelined by a power unit issue and Red Bull did not run in the morning due to a hydraulic leak, Ferrari and McLaren focused on racking up mileage. Norris completed 149 laps – ten more than Leclerc – while the Ferrari driver carried out a race simulation in the afternoon.
Over a second behind the leading duo came the rest of the field, headed by Oliver Bearman in a Haas that appears to have started better than expected. He was followed by the other Mercedes of George Russell (+1.193) and the Red Bull of Isack Hadjar, both setting their competitive times in the afternoon session.
Aston Martin was one of the biggest disappointments of the day. Fernando Alonso looked visibly frustrated in the Adrian Newey-led team’s garage, with the AMR26 described as “going nowhere” and “four seconds off the pace.” The Honda engine has come under scrutiny, but naturally more data will be needed over the remaining days of testing before drawing firm conclusions.
Audi, Alpine, Cadillac and Williams all placed at least one car inside the top 10, while Racing Bulls failed to impress. The Faenza-based team, together with Aston Martin, was the only outfit with all of its drivers outside the top 10 on the day.
Bahrain test, day 2 live coverage
You can relive all the key moments from the afternoon testing session with our full live report and detailed updates from the Bahrain International Circuit.
The schedule
Formula 1 returns to the track tomorrow for the final day of this first test session in Bahrain. As on the previous two days, cars will run from 08:00 to 12:00 CET in the morning and from 13:00 to 17:00 CET in the afternoon, bringing the opening phase of F1 2026 pre-season testing to a close.
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