McLaren's Norris Leads Opening Day of Bahrain F1 Testing

Lando Norris set the fastest time on the opening day of Formula 1's pre-season test in Bahrain, edging out reigning champion Max Verstappen. While lap times are a limited indicator of true performance, the session provided crucial data for all teams, including newcomers Cadillac, under challenging and windy conditions.

Why it matters:

Pre-season testing offers the first real glimpse of the competitive order, with teams focused on data collection and reliability over outright speed. McLaren's strong start, coupled with Red Bull's immense mileage and Cadillac's trouble-free debut, sets an intriguing early narrative for the 2026 season.

The details:

• McLaren's Focus: Norris's best lap of 1:34.669 came during an afternoon session where McLaren prioritized aerodynamic data gathering over pure mileage. Teammate Oscar Piastri, who drove in the morning, echoed that the team was focused on understanding the car in the hotter Bahrain conditions compared to the Barcelona shakedown.
• Red Bull's Reliability: Max Verstappen completed a mammoth 134 laps, the most of any driver, finishing just 0.129 seconds behind Norris. His day was characterized by trouble-free running, a key objective for any team in testing.
• Cadillac's Debut: The new Cadillac team completed 107 laps between Sergio Perez and Valtteri Bottas, nearly two race distances. Bottas emphasized the critical importance of simply running the car and learning with each outing to be ready for Melbourne.
• Challenging Conditions: Strong winds disrupted running throughout the day, affecting braking stability—a stark contrast to the frigid temperatures faced in Barcelona last month.
• Limited Incidents: The day ran smoothly with only one red flag, caused by Nico Hulkenberg's Audi stopping at the final corner in the last hour.

What's next:

Testing continues for two more days in Bahrain, with teams expected to shift their programs toward performance simulations and race runs. The data gathered on this opening day will be analyzed overnight to refine setups and test plans for Thursday, offering a clearer picture of each car's potential and reliability.