Leclerc satisfied after the first day of F1 testing in Bahrain
Charles Leclerc ended the opening day of Formula 1 testing in Bahrain with positive feedback at the wheel of the new Ferrari SF-26. The Monegasque driver took over in the afternoon session, continuing the development work started in the morning by his teammate, and successfully completed an intensive run plan without any issues.
“For me, it was a productive half day of testing because we managed to complete the programme without any particular problems, which is always positive at this stage,” Leclerc explained at the end of the session.
This is a crucial aspect of pre-season preparation, when outright performance is not yet the priority. Instead, the main objective is data collection and gaining a deeper understanding of how the car behaves in different conditions and configurations.
Different conditions compared to Barcelona for the Ferrari SF-26
The switch from the Catalan circuit to the Bahrain International Circuit provided new and valuable reference points. “The sensations were quite different compared to Barcelona, since the conditions here are very different, but that’s exactly what we need: to gain experience on another track and understand how the car behaves in different scenarios,” the Ferrari driver underlined.
According to Charles Leclerc, the initial feedback has been encouraging. “So far, the data is broadly in line with what we expected from the simulations, which is encouraging. Now the goal is to keep pushing forward with the programme and make sure we arrive as prepared as possible for the first race.”
80 laps for Leclerc and a full afternoon programme
During Lewis Hamilton’s morning session, the SF-26 was adjusted to fit Charles Leclerc’s driving position and preferences. Shortly after 3:00 PM, car number 16 left the pit lane to begin his own programme, closely mirroring the work completed earlier in the day.
The afternoon featured several long runs, practice starts and pit stop simulations. Charles Leclerc began with an initial stint on used C3 tyres before switching to C2 compounds, on which he completed a 20-lap run aimed at evaluating race pace consistency and tyre behaviour.
Towards the end of the day, the Monegasque driver fitted a new set of C3 tyres and set his personal best lap time of 1’35”190. In total, he completed 80 laps—equivalent to 433 kilometres—capping off a productive day focused on building mileage and gathering valuable data ahead of the start of the Formula 1 World Championship season.
This first day in Bahrain has therefore confirmed that Ferrari is on the right path with its development cycle. By successfully navigating the transition from Barcelona to Sakhir with consistent results, Leclerc and the Scuderia have laid a solid foundation for the remainder of the pre-season, ensuring that the team remains a key protagonist as the new era of Formula 1 unfolds.
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