F1 2026 Bahrain testing day 2: Charles Leclerc leads for Ferrari as Mercedes hit early trouble

Charles Leclerc set the fastest time on the second day of Formula 1 pre-season testing in Bahrain, finishing ahead of Lando Norris and the Haas of Oliver Bearman. Mercedes lost half a day after replacing the power unit on the W17, while Red Bull was only active in the afternoon. Aston Martin, meanwhile, continues to struggle.

The second day of F1 2026 pre-season testing at the Bahrain International Circuit is now in the books. If McLaren topped the timesheets yesterday, this time it was Ferrari’s turn to lead the field.

Charles Leclerc put the SF-26 at the top of the timing screens with a lap of 1:34.273, more than half a second clear of reigning world champion Lando Norris in the McLaren MCL40.

As we have been stressing since yesterday morning, lap times are far from representative at this stage. Leclerc managed to beat Norris’ benchmark from day one despite setting his best time in less favorable conditions, during the hotter morning session when the track was affected by high temperatures and sand blown onto the surface.

It is also worth noting that neither Leclerc nor Norris improved their times in the afternoon, even though track conditions were ideal for quicker laps. This clearly shows that teams are not chasing outright performance or pushing anywhere near qualifying levels. Instead, the focus remains on aerodynamic evaluations, understanding how and where to deploy energy from the MGU-K, and optimizing battery recharging strategies.

Leclerc and Norris, first and second on the day, were also the busiest drivers on track. The reigning world champion completed an impressive 149 laps – nearly the equivalent of three Grands Prix. The Monegasque driver was just 10 laps short of that mark, finishing with 139 laps. Leclerc worked extensively on the C3 compound before switching to the harder C1 tyre late in the day for an interesting long run. Norris, by contrast, focused on several long runs using the C2 (Medium) compound.

Only a handful of drivers improved in the afternoon session. Among them was Oliver Bearman, who placed the Haas VF-26 in third position, 1.1 seconds behind Leclerc’s Ferrari. The British driver completed 130 laps, making him the third most active driver of the day and the last to surpass the 100-lap mark.

Behind him was George Russell, running the Mercedes W17 fitted with a new power unit. The Brackley-based team was forced to change the engine in the morning after Andrea Kimi Antonelli completed just three laps before a fault was detected. Mercedes decided to replace the heart of the Silver Arrow, meaning the Italian rookie lost the entire morning session and finished last overall with only three laps and no representative time. Russell ended up just seven hundredths slower than Bearman.

Russell’s afternoon program was particularly interesting, as he improved several times during the session but appeared to lift off in certain parts of the circuit, likely to avoid revealing Mercedes’ true performance potential.

Red Bull also had issues to resolve. In addition to a hydraulic leak, the team fell behind its planned schedule from the previous evening and effectively sacrificed the entire morning session. Isack Hadjar completed only an installation lap early on before running consistently in the afternoon, eventually reaching 87 laps. The French driver finished fifth, 2.2 seconds off Leclerc’s pace, suggesting that the Milton Keynes squad prioritized recovering lost track time rather than chasing eye-catching lap times.

It was finally a trouble-free day for Audi. Nico Hulkenberg (10th) and Gabriel Bortoleto (6th) both logged significant mileage, combining for 114 laps. The R26 continues aerodynamic evaluations following the introduction of new sidepods and a very different front wing compared to the version seen at the Barcelona shakedown.

Alpine secured the seventh-fastest time of the day with Pierre Gasly, who completed 97 laps and was just six hundredths slower than Bortoleto. Cadillac enjoyed an eventful day, interrupted by the only two red flags of the session. Just ten minutes after the start, Sergio Perez (15th overall) stopped on track, triggering the first interruption. Later, Valtteri Bottas – who finished eighth – lost part of a rear-view mirror, prompting marshals to deploy the second red flag. Fortunately, the detached piece did not hit Carlos Sainz’s Williams, which was following behind.

Speaking of Williams, Alexander Albon and Carlos Sainz recorded the ninth and 12th fastest times respectively, completing a combined 131 laps. The FW48 is currently overweight and is expected to shed excess weight gradually over the first three Grands Prix of the 2026 season. In the meantime, the Grove-based team is focused on accumulating track mileage it was unable to complete during the Barcelona shakedown, where most of the work was limited to simulator running.

In addition to Hulkenberg’s 10th place, Racing Bulls ran both Arvid Lindblad (11th) and Liam Lawson (13th). The VCARB03 completed 133 laps, another encouraging sign for the Red Bull-Ford power unit.

One team experiencing engine-related concerns is Aston Martin. Fernando Alonso completed 98 laps, but Lance Stroll sounded the alarm. According to him, the problems are numerous and the gap to the front could be around four seconds. If confirmed, that would represent a significant setback for a team that has invested heavily in infrastructure and personnel to be ready to compete in Formula 1’s new era.