Test Bahrain, morning day-1 standings: Max Verstappen beats Oscar Piastri and George Russell, Lewis Hamilton one second behind
The first official 2026 Formula 1 preseason test in Bahrain started under the banner of Max Verstappen, who immediately confirmed the positive impressions from the Red Bull during the Montmeló shakedown, a performance also noted by rival teams. The Milton Keynes-based team appears to have done a strong job on its first fully in-house power unit, although it is still very early to draw definitive conclusions, and it is likely that the Red Bull-powered drivers pushed hard on this front.
Morning standings day-1 Bahrain F1 test
| Driver | Team | Best lap | Gap | Laps |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Max Verstappen | Red Bull | 1:35.433 | – | 65 |
| Oscar Piastri | McLaren | 1:35.602 | +0.169s | 54 |
| George Russell | Mercedes | 1:36.108 | +0.675s | 56 |
| Lewis Hamilton | Ferrari | 1:36.433 | +1.000s | 52 |
| Esteban Ocon | Haas | 1:37.169 | +1.736s | 63 |
| Arvid Lindblad | Racing Bulls | 1:37.945 | +2.512s | 75 |
| Carlos Sainz | Williams | 1:38.221 | +2.788s | 77 |
| Gabriel Bortoleto | Audi | 1:38.871 | +3.438s | 49 |
| Valtteri Bottas | Cadillac | 1:39.150 | +3.717s | 49 |
| Lance Stroll | Aston Martin | 1:39.883 | +4.450s | 33 |
| Franco Colapinto | Alpine | 1:40.330 | +4.897s | 28 |
Morning session recap
The morning of Day-1 in Bahrain was dominated by Max Verstappen, who finished fastest in 1:35.433. Australian driver Oscar Piastri followed closely in second place, just 0.169 seconds behind, while Mercedes driver George Russell completed the top three at +0.675 seconds. Ferrari’s Lewis Hamilton ended the morning session one second adrift, showing signs that the SF-26 may be challenging to handle at the rear under acceleration. The seven-time world champion also experienced a spin early in the session at turn 1, though it had no further consequences.
There is still considerable room for improvement on lap times, particularly since the softest tire compound, the C3, will be the focus over these three test days. Teams are prioritizing data collection and reliability rather than outright pace, which explains the almost five-second gap between Verstappen and Argentine rookie Franco Colapinto. Colapinto completed only 28 laps after spending an extended period in the garage due to a technical issue, which also caused the only red flag of the first four hours of testing.
Live coverage of day-1 morning
You can relive all the action from the morning session with our live commentary, tracking every lap and update from the Bahrain International Circuit.
Afternoon program
The Formula 1 teams will return to track from 13:00 to 17:00 local time for the afternoon session of testing. The same schedule will apply for the second and third days of testing, which are set for Thursday, February 12, and Friday, February 13.
Overall, the morning session provided teams with valuable data on car behavior, tire performance, and initial setup trends. While the Red Bull of Max Verstappen set the benchmark, the session highlighted areas for development for all teams, particularly Ferrari with Lewis Hamilton as they continue to refine the handling of the SF-26.
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