Leclerc leads second day of Bahrain testing as Ferrari shows pace

Ferrari's Charles Leclerc set the fastest time on the second day of Formula 1's 2026 pre-season test in Bahrain, signaling strong early pace from the SF-26, while rivals Mercedes and Red Bull faced significant disruptions to their programs.

Why it matters:

Pre-season testing times are always treated with caution, but the lap times and, more importantly, the reliability and running completed by each team offer the first real clues about the competitive order. A smooth, fast day for Ferrari contrasts sharply with the troubles experienced by two of its biggest championship rivals, potentially hinting at an early advantage as teams prepare their radically new 2026 cars.

The details:

• Charles Leclerc completed a full day in the Ferrari SF-26, posting a best lap of 1m 34.273s on the C4 compound tyre, the second-softest in Pirelli's range.
• McLaren's Lando Norris was second fastest, just over half a second behind Leclerc, with Haas rookie Oliver Bearman an impressive third.
• Only Leclerc and Norris managed to dip into the 1 minute 34 second bracket, suggesting a potential early performance gap.
• The session was far less productive for Mercedes and Red Bull. Both teams encountered unspecified technical issues that led to lengthy delays and severely limited their track time, putting them on the back foot in the crucial data-gathering phase.
• The full results table from the session was not populated with data in the initial report, indicating the focus was on the headline times and the narrative of Ferrari's strength versus its rivals' problems.

What's next:

Teams have one final day of this first pre-season test to continue their programs, recover lost time, and gather as much data as possible before the cars are packed away. The disrupted running for Mercedes and Red Bull will put pressure on their crews to have a flawless final day. All eyes will be on whether Ferrari can maintain its trouble-free running and if its rivals can solve their issues before the season-opening Grand Prix in two weeks' time.