The second pre-season testing session, following the Barcelona shakedown, will begin on Wednesday in Bahrain. Let’s take a look at the driver line-ups confirmed so far. On Wednesday, teams will return to the track for the first day of testing at the Bahrain International Circuit.
The teams will have a total of six days available, split across two blocks: from 11 to 13 February and from 18 to 20 February. All 11 teams on the 2026 Formula 1 grid, including Williams, which skipped the collective Barcelona shakedown, will take part in these two sessions. Several teams have already announced the driver line-ups we will see during the first phase of testing in Bahrain.
The line-up
As things stand, only a few teams have officially confirmed the running order of their drivers. Programmes, however, remain subject to change depending on what happens on track. As has often been the case in the past, some teams could adjust their driver line-ups during the course of the day. Below is the currently available (partial) schedule:
| Team | Wednesday 11/02 | Thursday 12/02 | Friday 13/02 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Haas | Esteban Ocon | Oliver Bearman | Oliver Bearman (morning) / Esteban Ocon (afternoon) |
| McLaren | Oscar Piastri | Lando Norris | Lando Norris (morning) / Oscar Piastri (afternoon) |
| Aston Martin | Lance Stroll | Fernando Alonso | Lance Stroll |
| Ferrari | |||
| Cadillac | |||
| Red Bull | |||
| Visa Cash App RB | |||
| Alpine | |||
| Mercedes | |||
| Williams | |||
| Audi | Gabriel Bortoleto (morning) / Nico Hulkenberg (afternoon) | Nico Hulkenberg (morning) / Gabriel Bortoleto (afternoon) | Gabriel Bortoleto (morning) / Nico Hulkenberg (afternoon) |
The first three days of testing will feature only partial live coverage, despite being open to media and fans, unlike what happened in Barcelona where the shakedown was held behind closed doors. Full broadcast coverage will return only from 18 February onwards.
On Wednesday, for the first time, all teams will take to the track with their official liveries for the 2026 Formula 1 season. In Barcelona, several teams opted instead for black or neutral liveries in order not to reveal anything ahead of their official launches. This was the case for Cadillac, McLaren and Aston Martin.
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