F1 Bahrain test day 2 live updates: Ferrari looks to build on strong pace. Follow our live coverage of Day 2 of Formula 1 pre-season testing in Bahrain.

It is time to hit the track once again in Bahrain for Day 2 of the Formula 1 pre-season tests: Ferrari wants to continue flying, while Mercedes is aiming to confirm its strength. Follow our LIVE report from the Sakhir circuit.

12:00 – End of the first day of pre-season F1 testing in Bahrain: here’s the final CLASSIFICATION and RESULTS with all lap times.

11:53 – FIA flag tests begin. Currently a red flag, likely the drivers will try another start from the grid.

11:51 – Lewis Hamilton climbs into the car. Will Ferrari manage at least one installation lap?

11:47 – Good lap for Bortoleto, setting the fastest ever lap for Audi in 1:35.263.

11:43 – While Ferrari is still in the garage, the first analyses arrive on the Rossa’s new rear wing.

11:39 – Max Verstappen back on track with a used C3 tire.

11:32 – Ferrari engine finally starts, they will likely go out soon to check if the car still has issues.

11:30 – Thirty minutes remaining in the second morning session of testing in Bahrain. Track activity continues for McLaren and Mercedes. Ferrari and Red Bull currently absent.

11:24 – Ferrari is the only car to have completed fewer than 10 laps this morning. Updates are expected from the garage; the Rossa should return before lunch, at least for an installation lap.

11:16 – Lap times rise for Max Verstappen, who goes over 1:40 after completing 16 laps on C3 tires.

11:13 – Major issues for Cadillac, showing very slow race pace, around four seconds off the top teams.

11:06 – Not much to report at this moment. The track is very busy, with all teams focusing on race pace simulations.

11:00 – After three hours, here’s the updated standings and number of laps completed:

The final hour of the second morning of testing in Bahrain has begun.

10:58 – Max Verstappen returns to the track. His start was not perfect for the four-time Dutch world champion.

10:55 – Sky reports potential chassis issues for Ferrari. Will the team be able to resolve them before the end of the morning session?

10:48 – George Russell is circulating very slowly on track. Are there problems ahead for Mercedes, or is this just part of the test program?

10:46 – Lando Norris returns to the track on C1 tires, initially setting reference times around 1:39.4.

10:39 – Very positive stint from Oliver Bearman, who posts consistent 1:39.3 laps. He is most likely simulating a second race stint and could even run a full Grand Prix simulation.

10:32 – On track, only Alex Albon, Oliver Bearman, and Valtteri Bottas are running. Timing data suggests Williams and Cadillac are struggling significantly.

10:25 – Max Verstappen returns to the pits after a strong stint on used C3 tires.

10:15 – Heavy track activity: At this moment, Lando Norris, Max Verstappen, George Russell, Alexander Albon, Oliver Bearman, Colapinto, and Fernando Alonso are all active on track. Ferrari, however, remains stationary in the garage.

10:08 – Verstappen and Norris back on track: Both drivers are running race-pace simulations using C3 tyres, focusing on consistent lap times and long-run data.

10:01 – End of two-hour session: Here’s the updated standings with lap counts and best times:

09:56 – Bearman the only driver on track: At this time, Oliver Bearman is alone on track. Overall, progress is very slow for all teams today, with only George Russell and Alexander Albon managing to complete over 30 laps in the first two hours.

09:54 – Returning to track activity, only Oliver Bearman is currently on circuit. Overall, work is proceeding very slowly today for most teams, with only George Russell and Alex Albon managing to exceed 30 laps in the first two hours of running.

09:52 – According to Ferrari, the issue does not involve the Power Unit itself, but rather a replacement of various components that have been used continuously since the Barcelona tests and have now reached the end of their lifecycle.

09:49 – Ferrari is reportedly in the process of replacing the engine. Reports from the paddock indicate that the SF26 was still running the same engine that has been in use since the initial Barcelona testing sessions.

09:42 – Updates are emerging from the Ferrari garage. The SF26 is believed to be stationary in the pits not due to a problem with the engine itself, but because the team is working to fully understand and optimize the revolutionary rear wing design.

09:39 – Despite the Ferrari completing only five laps so far, the SF26 is already showcasing a major technical innovation on the rear wing. The design appears to be a radical departure from previous configurations, and the team is focused on extracting maximum understanding from it.

09:37 – Max Verstappen returns to the track on a fresh C3 compound. He improves his time in sector 1 but not in sector 2, while regaining some performance in sector 3, ultimately posting a lap of 1:33.690.

09:34 – George Russell also improves his time on a C3 tire. At the end of his lap, he records a 1:34.111, bringing him to just half a second behind Lando Norris, who currently leads the group.

09:31 – On track at the moment are George Russell, Alex Albon, Oliver Bearman, and Christian Colapinto. All appear to be running race stint simulations. Meanwhile, Bearman overshoots in turn 10 but skillfully recovers and continues his run.

09:20 – Valtteri Bottas finally takes the Cadillac onto the track. Christian Colapinto is also seen returning to the circuit alongside him.

09:18 – Only Lando Norris is on track at this time, running on a C2 compound. During his fast lap, he runs wide in turn 10 and fails to improve his previous time.

09:12 – Ferrari’s garage remains closed. The reason for the SF26’s stoppage is still unclear, but early warning signs are beginning to emerge regarding the red car’s technical issues.

09:05 – Lando Norris is back out on track. He sets a purple first sector but fails to improve by the end of the lap. George Russell also returns to the circuit, running on a used Hard tyre with 12 laps already completed on that set.

09:00 – At the end of the first hour, here is a summary of the laps completed so far. Cadillac is the only team yet to head out on track.

08:57 – Only Franco Colapinto is currently out on track. Work appears to be progressing slowly at the start of this second day of F1 testing in Bahrain.

08:47 – Max Verstappen immediately responds, moving to within just one tenth of Norris on the same tyre compound. Are the first mind games between the two already underway?

08:46 – Norris heads back out, this time on a brand-new C3 tyre. He sets purple sectors in the first two splits but once again does not improve in the final sector. At the line, the stopwatch stops at 1:33.453.

08:43 – Limited activity on track, with only Russell, Norris and Verstappen circulating. The Mercedes driver appears to be completing his first long-run simulation on the Hard compound.

08:37 – According to Matteo Bobbi, there appears to be a not insignificant issue, though the situation is evolving and needs to be monitored. Lewis Hamilton has climbed out of the car.

08:34 – Ferrari has seen very little track time so far, with Hamilton completing just five laps. The garage is now covered and it is unclear whether there is a problem. A similar situation occurred yesterday, although Lewis was able to return to the track towards the end of the session.

08:32 – Max Verstappen moves to the top of the timesheets. On a C3 tyre, he posts a 1:34.620, just five thousandths quicker than Norris, despite running on a theoretically slower compound.

08:24 – Norris improves again, setting purple sectors in the first and second splits, while not improving in the third. However, his overall lap time gets better, with a 1:34.625 on the same compound as before.

08:19 – Norris responds to Gabriel Bortoleto’s earlier benchmark. On a brand-new C4 tyre, Lando sets purple sectors in the final two splits and records a 1:35.406.

08:14 – Russell moves up to first place on a used C3 tyre, stopping the clock at 1:38.247.

08:12 – A small lock-up and wide moment for Russell at Turn 10 sees him record an initial time of 1:40.059. Many teams are struggling at this corner, which is particularly tricky due to the combined braking phase.

08:10 – Russell is back on track and begins a push lap. Yesterday, Mercedes appeared to be back at the level shown in Barcelona, and after their “victory” in the compression ratio case, they now look like strong favourites for the 2026 Formula 1 world championship.

08:07 – Hamilton sets purple sectors in the first two splits on a used C3 tyre with nine laps on it, but does not complete the lap and returns to the pits.

08:04 – Cadillac remains the only team yet to head out on track. The American squad is facing typical teething problems in what is its first-ever season in Formula 1.

08:00 – Green light: day 2 of F1 testing in Bahrain is underway. Almost all drivers scheduled for the morning session immediately head out onto the track.

07:59 – It is already very hot at the Sakhir circuit. The sun is shining brightly and temperatures are high, with no wind to provide relief.

07:40 – Just twenty minutes remain until the green light, and while we wait for the session to begin, let’s take a look at who will be on track today.

07:30 – Wake up, Italy! Good morning everyone and welcome to our live coverage of Day 2 of the Formula 1 tests currently taking place in Bahrain, at the Sakhir circuit. It was a truly intense opening day, with plenty of new developments on the cars and teams finally focusing on outright performance. Here is a brief recap of Day 1.

Recap of day 1

The opening day of Formula 1 pre-season testing in Bahrain saw Mercedes top the final timesheets with George Russell, who set the fastest lap of 1’33”459 at the end of the afternoon session, finishing just 0.010 seconds ahead of Oscar Piastri in the McLaren and Charles Leclerc in the Ferrari.

The morning session, however, had been dominated by Charles Leclerc, who posted the provisional fastest time of 1’33”739, confirming the solidity of the Ferrari SF-26 in its early runs and showing impressive pace also thanks to the new updates that caught the attention of the paddock. Over the course of the day, a tight battle emerged among the top teams: McLaren demonstrated strong competitiveness with Lando Norris setting the fourth-fastest time, while Mercedes relied on excellent consistency from both George Russell and Kimi Antonelli.

There were some difficulties for other competitors: Red Bull struggled with technical issues that limited their number of laps, although Isack Hadjar still managed to finish sixth. Aston Martin and Cadillac found themselves at the bottom of the standings due to time gaps and reliability concerns. In summary, Day 1 of testing in Bahrain confirmed Mercedes as the benchmark in the afternoon session, with Ferrari and McLaren in excellent form, while some teams – including Red Bull, Aston Martin and Cadillac – were still dealing with reliability and setup issues.

Here is the full table of lap times and laps completed at the end of Day 1: