2026 F1 Bahrain testing: official driver schedules for session two. Formula 1 teams return to the Bahrain International Circuit for the second pre-season test session.

After last week’s running in Bahrain, Formula 1 drivers are preparing to return to the track once again: here are the official team line-ups for the second test session.

This season, Formula 1 teams have nine days of pre-season testing at their disposal, six of which have already been completed. The first session took place at the end of January at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya behind closed doors, allowing teams to carry out initial systems checks and correlation work away from the spotlight. The paddock then moved to the Bahrain International Circuit in Sakhir, where three additional days of testing were held from February 11 to 13 under representative race conditions.

This week, once again at the Sakhir circuit, the teams will return to action from February 18 to 20 for the second and final Bahrain test session. These three days will represent the last official opportunity to gather meaningful data before the start of the 2026 Formula 1 World Championship. Below are the confirmed driver line-ups for the second Bahrain test session.

Line-ups

During last week’s test, the teams that completed the highest number of laps around the Sakhir track were Williams and McLaren, both reaching an impressive total of 422 laps, followed closely by Ferrari with 420 laps. The high mileage accumulated by several teams highlighted encouraging signs, particularly regarding the reliability of the new-generation power units introduced for the 2026 regulatory cycle.

For some teams, however, minor reliability concerns and typical early “teething problems” limited track time and disrupted their testing programmes. As is often the case with brand-new technical packages, initial setbacks are part of the development process, especially under a major regulation overhaul.

This week, attention is expected to shift more decisively toward outright performance. With the Australian Grand Prix scheduled for the weekend of March 6–8, 2026, teams are entering the final and most crucial phase of preparation. The second Bahrain test will likely see more qualifying simulations, race pace comparisons and fine-tuning of aerodynamic packages as engineers search for the final tenths of a second.

Teams have started to officially confirm their driver line-ups for each of the three testing days. However, the programmes may still be subject to changes throughout the week depending on what happens on track, including weather conditions, technical issues or specific development priorities. Some teams, as already seen during the first Bahrain session, will alternate drivers within the same day, splitting morning and afternoon sessions. Others may choose to dedicate an entire day to a single driver in order to maximize long-run consistency and feedback continuity.

Article to be updated.