F1 Bahrain Day 2 afternoon session LIVE coverage: Ferrari returns to track after morning setbacks. Follow the LIVE coverage of the F1 Bahrain Day 2 afternoon session.

F1 Test Bahrain Day 2 LIVE: Ferrari back on track to fix morning issues

16:57 – Final standings of the session:

16:52 – Lewis Hamilton continues to improve: Despite another imperfect lap, the British driver climbs to fourth with a time of 1:33.408.

16:50 – Race pace insights: Max Verstappen and Red Bull impress with consistent pace, while McLaren and Oscar Piastri appear to be struggling slightly in comparison.

16:44 – The only driver on red tires is Franco Colapinto, who moves up to sixth position with a lap of 1:33.818. Lewis Hamilton also improves on yellow tires, setting a 1:33.689.

16:30 – Fernando Alonso will not return to the track: his Day 2 concludes early due to the issues encountered with the Aston Martin.

16:27 – While waiting for the qualifying simulations, it is worth noting Max Verstappen’s stints on hard tires, showing remarkable consistency around 1:37.4–1:37.5 on his tenth lap.

16:16 – A minor mistake forces Lewis Hamilton to settle for fifth position on medium tires, with a lap time of 1:33.928 for the #44 car.

16:08 – Lap times are starting to drop as Andrea Kimi Antonelli takes the top spot in the session with a 1:32.803 on yellow tires.

16:00 – Here’s the standings before the final hour of track action:

15:48 – Lewis Hamilton’s lap times start to rise: on his 13th lap, the British driver clocks 1:38.463.

15:39 – Hamilton continues running consistent 1:36.544 laps on his eighth lap on the current hard tire set. Max Verstappen also switches to a fresh set of hards, posting 1:38.593.

15:33 – A battle unfolds between Lewis Hamilton and Oscar Piastri: the two exchange positions across the first two sectors before Hamilton completes the overtake on the straight leading to Turn 11.

15:31 – Hamilton fits another set of hard tires, lowers his times further, and records 1:36.588.

15:26 – Sergio Perez is ready to return to the track in the Ferrari-powered Cadillac.

15:24 – Lewis Hamilton completes 19 laps on the same set of hard tires, recording a best time of 1:38.717 on his latest lap.

15:14 – Ferrari returns to action: Lewis Hamilton is now on track with used hard tires.

15:11 – Kimi Antonelli comes back to the pits, leaving Max Verstappen, Nico Hulkenberg, Alexander Albon, and Liam Lawson on track.

15:09 – Slight dip in lap times for Kimi Antonelli: now on his 13th lap on medium tires, the Italian clocks 1:38.331.

15:04 – With two hours remaining in Day 2, Red Bull, Mercedes, Audi, Racing Bulls, and Haas remain active on track.

15:00 – Here’s the classification with two hours left in the second Bahrain test day:

14:54 – Ferrari and Red Bull remain in the garage while Mercedes and McLaren continue work on track. Also active are Albon, Colapinto, Lawson, Ocon, and Perez.

14:49 – Oscar Piastri continues attempting a hot lap. He improves in the third sector but cannot beat his previous best, recording 1:33.116.

14:45 – Track temperatures begin to drop. Air temperature is around 28°C, with the asphalt at approximately 32.5°C.

14:38 – Incredible performance from Piastri, as the McLaren flies in these tests. The Australian sets a stunning 1:32.861 on new C3 tires.

14:34 – Antonelli is on his eighth lap on C3 tires and is maintaining consistent pace, circulating comfortably around 1:37.7.

14:32 – Currently, only Kimi Antonelli is on track among the top teams. Ferrari, McLaren, and Red Bull are all stationary in the garage.

14:26 – Lewis Hamilton continues his work on C1 tires, posting a latest lap of 1:38.072.

14:19 – Max Verstappen improves his fastest lap to 1:33.162 on new C3 tires.

14:17 – Meanwhile, Aston Martin is returning to the pits with a tow truck.

14:10 – The green flag finally waves at the Bahrain circuit. Ferrari returns to track on new C1 tires.

14:07 – We’ve been informed from Bahrain that the marshals are having trouble moving the car. A crane was used to lift and reposition the Aston Martin behind the barriers.

14:05 – Aston Martin remains stationary in the middle of the track. Technicians have just arrived to try to move the car, equipped with special gloves to avoid electrical shock.

14:03 – Early reports from our correspondents indicate Fernando Alonso may have an electrical issue.

First hour of the second afternoon of Bahrain Testing

13:59 – While waiting for the green flag, here is the classification with three hours remaining in the session:

13:55 – Aston Martin is likely facing multiple issues, including hydraulics and a major gearbox problem.

13:54 – Red flag in Bahrain! Fernando Alonso’s Aston Martin stops on track.

13:47 – Track activity decreases significantly; among top teams, only McLaren and Ferrari remain running. Lawson and Alonso continue their laps.

13:41 – Mercedes joins the track with Kimi Antonelli, currently on new prototype tires.

13:38 – Short pit stop for Hamilton, returning on C1 tires. Ferrari is simulating race conditions, now entering the second phase of the run.

13:33 – Ferrari continues the long run on C3 tires with the old wing specification. Will we see the new wing spec today or only tomorrow with Leclerc?

13:32 – McLaren enters the track with Oscar Piastri, also on prototype tires. Will they attempt a time attack as well?

First half-hour of the second day of testing

13:28 – Fast lap for Verstappen, 1:33.444. Red Bull loses time in the middle sector but gains in the first and third sectors.

13:27 – Verstappen on track with prototype tires to attempt a time attack. Can he beat Norris’ time?

13:25 – Lewis’ times rise by the third lap, posting 1:39.195.

1:20pm – Ferrari has started a long run on the C3 compound. Lewis Hamilton’s first push lap is a 1:38.998 as the Scuderia focuses on gathering valuable race simulation data.

1:19pm – Max Verstappen is also out on track. The Dutch driver heads out on used C3 tyres. So far, it has been a positive day for Red Bull, especially considering how little running they managed yesterday.

1:17pm – Heavy lock-ups for several drivers at Turn 9. Teams are still searching for the optimal balance on their 2026-spec Formula 1 cars.

1:15pm – Track activity is currently limited. Hamilton, Nico Hulkenberg, Liam Lawson, Fernando Alonso and Esteban Ocon are circulating at the moment.

1:09pm – Speaking to Sky, Carlos Sainz admitted that Williams is significantly behind with its 2026 car, despite having had a full season to work on development. The Spanish driver also stated that Williams is considerably overweight compared to the four top teams.

1:07pm – Lewis Hamilton returns to the pits almost immediately. Meanwhile, Audi, Mercedes and Aston Martin head out onto the circuit.

1:05pm – Ferrari has reverted to the old rear wing specification, likely to compare data between the two different aero packages during this Bahrain test.

1:01pm – Ferrari sends Hamilton straight out as the session begins. After missing most of the morning, the Scuderia needs to recover significant mileage.

1:00pm – GREEN LIGHT! The afternoon session of Day 2 of F1 pre-season testing in Bahrain is underway.

12:55pm – With five minutes to go before the green flag, here is a quick recap of the morning session times:

12:50pm – Current conditions in Bahrain: air temperature is 28.8°C, while track temperature has reached 43.2°C. Humidity stands at 16.2%, adding another variable for teams to consider during this crucial F1 test session.

12:45pm – Fifteen minutes to go before the green flag. The second afternoon session of Formula 1 testing in Bahrain is about to begin.

It’s time to hit the track again in Bahrain for Day 2 of the F1 Tests: Ferrari is looking to run after the morning setbacks. Follow the LIVE coverage below.

12:15 – This morning, the “hardest-working driver of the day” award goes to three tireless pilots who kept circulating without pause: George Russell (77 laps), Lando Norris (72 laps), and Alex Albon (71 laps).

12:08 – At the moment, things are calm in Bahrain as all teams are on their lunch break. This afternoon, the following drivers will take to the track: Oscar Piastri, Andrea Kimi Antonelli, Max Verstappen, Lewis Hamilton, Alex Albon, Liam Lawson, Fernando Alonso, Oliver Bearman, Nico Hulkenberg, Franco Colapinto, and Sergio Perez.

12:00 – Good afternoon and welcome to the live coverage of the second afternoon session of the F1 Tests in Bahrain. The morning was dominated by three top teams: McLaren, Mercedes, and Red Bull. All teams on track alternated between long-run programs and qualifying simulations. McLaren and Red Bull fought for the top spot, with Mercedes following closely about half a second behind.