The main teams of the Formula 1 —Red Bull Racing, McLaren F1 Team, Mercedes-AMG Petronas Formula One Team and Scuderia Ferrari— set the pace this Wednesday at the start of the second week of 2026 preseason testing at the Sakhir circuit, Bahrain. The performance shown suggests that the hierarchy seen in 2025 could be maintained despite profound regulatory changes.
Russell leads tight day in Sakhir
The British George Russell He was the fastest of the day when he stopped the clock at 1:33.459 after completing 76 laps, beating the Australian Oscar Piastri, McLaren driver, by just ten thousandths. Equality was the main protagonist: the first four were separated by less than eight tenths.
Behind them appeared Charles Leclerc with Ferrari and current world champion Lando Norriswhile the young Italian Andrea Kimi Antonelli confirmed the good moment of Mercedes by closing the top five.
Frenchman Isack Hadjar, in his first season with Red Bull, finished sixth ahead of seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton, demonstrating the competitiveness of the new car despite the technical modifications.
New technical rules put teams to the test
The second round of testing in Bahrain runs from Wednesday to Friday and serves as final preparation before the start of the season in Melbourne on March 8. Teams are working to adapt to significant changes in engines, chassis, aerodynamics, tires and fuels, factors that could alter the competitive balance.
Even so, Wednesday’s times showed a clear trend: the dominant teams continue to lead, even with the new regulations.
Sainz, Alonso and Colapinto seek to improve sensations
Among the Spanish-speaking drivers, Carlos Sainz Jr. finished eighth for Williams, although more than a second and a half behind the leader. Argentine Franco Colapinto was ninth with Alpine, while Fernando Alonso closed the day in 17th position with Aston Martin, focused on configuration tests rather than fast times.
The Dutch Max Verstappen, four-time world champion, did not ride during the day, which left Red Bull without its main reference in the time table.
Day 1 classification – F1 2026 preseason test in Bahrain
George Russell (Mercedes) – 1:33.459
Oscar Piastri (McLaren) +0.010
Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) +0.280
Lando Norris (McLaren) +0.593
Andrea Kimi Antonelli (Mercedes) +0.699
Isack Hadjar (Red Bull) +0.801
Lewis Hamilton (Ferrari) +0.840
Carlos Sainz Jr (Williams) +1,654
Franco Colapinto (Alpine) +1,795
Gabriel Bortoleto (Audi) +1,804
A preseason that anticipates an intense fight
With four historic teams occupying the top positions, Formula 1 seems headed for another extremely competitive season. Although the tests do not always reflect actual race performance, the equality shown in Sakhir reinforces the idea that Red Bull, McLaren, Mercedes and Ferrari will once again star in the fight for the title in 2026.
