Watch: Charles Leclerc’s “aggressive” overtake on Carlos Sainz during Bahrain race sim. Watch Charles Leclerc take his race simulation seriously as he overtakes the Williams FW48.

Charles Leclerc overtakes former teammate during Bahrain testing

On the second day of pre-season testing at the Bahrain International Circuit, Charles Leclerc turned heads by demonstrating his competitive edge even during a race simulation in the Ferrari SF-26. The Monegasque driver did not hold back, overtaking the Williams FW48 driven by his former Ferrari teammate, Carlos Sainz, in a move that highlighted both his precision and focus.

The moment occurred during a longer stint aimed at simulating race conditions, including tire wear management, energy recovery strategies, and traffic navigation. The Monegasque’s assertive maneuver shows that even in testing, he is treating each run seriously, pushing the SF-26 to understand how it reacts under race-like pressures.

While pre-season testing is primarily about data collection, evaluating reliability, and fine-tuning setups, moments like these also offer insight into driver mindset and the handling characteristics of the new Ferrari. Passing another car in traffic, even a teammate from another team, requires careful judgment to avoid unnecessary risks while maintaining performance, and Charles Leclerc executed the move flawlessly.

For Ferrari, these kinds of scenarios provide valuable feedback beyond just lap times. Engineers can assess how the SF-26 performs in close racing situations, including energy deployment, tire degradation under competitive pressure, and aerodynamic stability when overtaking. This information is critical to shaping race strategies for the upcoming season.

From a fan perspective, seeing Charles Leclerc go head-to-head with Carlos Sainz adds an exciting human element to the technical routines of testing.

In addition to the overtake, the Monegasque’s session included consistent long runs, tire testing, and monitoring of the car’s telemetry to refine the Ferrari’s setup for the season. Even minor details, like braking points and throttle modulation, are carefully analyzed during these simulations, ensuring that the team can extract maximum performance from both the car and the driver.

Watch the full video to see Charles Leclerc in action, overtaking Carlos Sainz during day two of Bahrain testing.