Flying mirror and Alpine halt trigger double red flag disruption in Bahrain test

The second day of Formula 1's crucial 2026 pre-season test in Bahrain was disrupted by two quick-fire red flags, triggered by a stray wing mirror from Valtteri Bottas's Cadillac and a stoppage for Pierre Gasly's Alpine. The incidents interrupted valuable track time for teams fine-tuning their new-generation cars just weeks before the season opener.

Why it matters:

Pre-season testing is a precious and limited opportunity for teams to gather data, validate upgrades, and build reliability for their radically new 2026-spec cars. Any lost track time, especially from unexpected mechanical failures, directly hampers development and can leave teams playing catch-up when the competitive season begins. These incidents highlight the teething problems teams face with new machinery.

The details:

• The first major stoppage occurred when Valtteri Bottas's Cadillac shed its left-side wing mirror onto the Sakhir circuit, scattering debris and forcing a red flag for cleanup.
• Shortly after the session resumed, Pierre Gasly's Alpine lost power on the run to Turn 1, forcing the Frenchman to park in an escape road and bringing out another red flag.
• These followed an earlier, separate red flag caused by Bottas's teammate Sergio Perez, who stopped on the back straight in the morning session.
• Despite the disruptions, Charles Leclerc managed to set the fastest time of the day in his Ferrari, leading McLaren's Lando Norris and the Mercedes of George Russell at the top of the timesheets.

What's next:

Teams will analyze the data from these failures overnight, with a focus on reliability fixes before the final day of testing. The clock is ticking to resolve these gremlins, as the opening race of the 2026 season is rapidly approaching. All eyes will be on whether the affected teams—particularly Cadillac and Alpine—can complete consistent, trouble-free running on the final day to recover the lost mileage and confidence.