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The sun beat down on the Bahrain International Circuit as the second day of pre-season testing for the 2026 Formula 1 season reached its midpoint. While the first day provided a glimpse into the radical new era of the sport, Day 2’s morning session offered a much deeper look into the pecking order—and the growing pains—associated with the most significant regulatory shift in F1 history. As the dust settled on the first four hours of running, it was Charles Leclerc and Ferrari who sat comfortably at the top of the timing sheets, but the narrative of the morning was defined as much by those who were missing from the track as those who were lighting up the sectors.
With the 2026 regulations introducing smaller, more nimble cars, a 50-50 power split between the internal combustion engine and electric battery, and the introduction of Active Aero, teams are operating on a steep learning curve. The Bahrain heat provided a grueling environment for these new power units, and for some, the challenge proved too great for a single morning session.
Charles Leclerc enjoyed what can only be described as a textbook morning for the Scuderia. Completing 61 laps—surpassing a full race distance of 57 laps—the Monegasque driver looked at home in the SF-26. His fastest time of 1m 34.273s was not only the benchmark for the session but was also four-tenths quicker than Lando Norris’s best effort from the opening day.
Ferrari’s reliability has been a standout feature of the test so far. Leclerc’s ability to cycle through 15 different stints, testing various fuel loads and mapping settings on the Soft (C3) compound, suggests that the Maranello squad has a solid handle on the complex 2026 power unit integration. Leclerc is scheduled to remain in the cockpit for the entirety of today’s running, leaving Lewis Hamilton to take over the reins tomorrow. If this morning was any indication, Hamilton will be inheriting a car that is both fast and dependable.
Lando Norris finished the session in P2, clocking a 1m 34.784s. For much of the morning, the reigning World Champion looked to be Leclerc’s only true challenger in terms of raw pace. McLaren’s Chief Designer, Rob Marshall, noted that the team is still in an exploratory phase.
"I think it’s fair to say we’re still very much exploring at the moment," Marshall commented. "Understanding how to operate the power unit is very challenging, and the car is behaving differently here than it did in Barcelona – obviously we’ve got warmer temperatures, so getting on top of that is important."
However, the session ended on a sour note for the Woking-based team. With just minutes remaining, Norris was seen climbing out of his McLaren at the end of the pit lane. The car had come to a halt just behind the white line, allowing the crew to wheel it back, but the sight of the champion stranded was a stark reminder of the fragility of these new machines. Despite the late issue, Norris completed 65 laps, providing McLaren with a mountain of data to analyze.
While Ferrari and McLaren traded fast laps, the garages of Red Bull Racing and Mercedes were scenes of frustration. Isack Hadjar, making his highly anticipated debut in the RB22, spent almost the entire session in his "civvies" on the hospitality terrace. Red Bull’s morning was plagued by a discovered issue that required a lengthy fix, preventing the young Frenchman from getting any meaningful mileage until the final minute of the session.
Hadjar eventually emerged for a single installation lap just as the clock ticked toward zero, but the lost time is a significant blow for a driver trying to acclimatize to the 2026 machinery. Max Verstappen had a productive 136 laps yesterday, but the RB22’s sudden reluctance to leave the garage will surely raise eyebrows in the paddock.
Mercedes fared little better. Kimi Antonelli, the teenage sensation tasked with filling massive shoes this season, managed only three laps before his W17 was confined to the garage. After a disrupted afternoon for the team yesterday, Mercedes is quickly falling behind in the lap count standings. In a year where the power unit’s energy management is critical, every lost lap in the Bahrain sun is a missed opportunity to calibrate the complex "Boost" and "Recharge" cycles.
One of the most fascinating aspects of this morning’s session was the visual confirmation of the 2026 "Active Aero" packages in full force. Observers at Turn 1 and down the main straight could clearly see the front and rear wings flattening out to reduce drag, a move that replaces the traditional DRS.
The cars appear remarkably sleek at high speeds, but the trade-off is a reduction in downforce as they approach the braking zones. This has led to some visible sliding, particularly in the middle sector of the Bahrain circuit. Norris noted after the Barcelona shakedown that the new cars are "a bit more of a challenge in many places, which is a good thing," and that challenge was evident today as drivers wrestled with the balance between straight-line efficiency and cornering stability.
Furthermore, the radio airwaves were filled with talk of "Overtake" and "Boost." Under the 2026 rules, the "Overtake" button provides a specific increase in energy deployment for the following lap if a driver is within one second of the car ahead at the activation point. Managing the "Recharge" phase has become a tactical game, with drivers having to find the most time-efficient ways to harvest energy without compromising their lap times.
The session was briefly interrupted by a red flag caused by Sergio Perez. The Mexican driver, returning to the grid with the newly formed Cadillac team, came to a halt just ten minutes into the session. It was an inauspicious start for the American outfit, but the recovery was swift. Perez eventually returned to the track to complete 40 laps, finishing the morning in P8. For a team in its infancy, every mile is a victory, and Perez’s ability to recover and set a 1m 38.653s shows that the Cadillac package has potential once the initial gremlins are ironed out.
On the other side of the spectrum, Williams continued to impress with their resilience. After missing the Barcelona shakedown, the Grove-based team has been the workhorse of the Bahrain test. Alexander Albon completed 63 laps this morning, finishing P5 on the charts.
"Plenty of laps yesterday, the most of any team, two happy drivers and a settled team," was the word from the Williams garage. While their ultimate pace remains a question mark, their reliability is currently among the best in the pit lane, a vital asset when navigating a total regulatory reset.
Pierre Gasly put in a solid shift for Alpine, finishing P3 with a 1m 36.723s. This season marks a massive transition for Alpine as they move to Mercedes customer power units. Gasly, who scored all of the team's points last season, seems to be adapting well to the new PU, though the team remains wary after Franco Colapinto’s stoppage yesterday.
Further down the order, Nico Hulkenberg provided Audi with 45 laps of valuable data. The Audi rear wing was frequently seen coated in green flow-vis paint as the team worked to correlate their wind tunnel data with the real-world airflow of the Bahrain circuit. Hulkenberg’s P6 finish suggests that the Audi project is moving in the right direction, even if they aren't yet challenging the front-runners.
The session also highlighted the unique challenge facing Arvid Lindblad, the only true rookie in this year’s field. While Lindblad will take over the Racing Bulls cockpit this afternoon, his teammate Liam Lawson spent the morning in "data gathering mode," running massive aero rakes in front of the rear wing. The 2026 regulations offer a somewhat level playing field for rookies since every driver is learning the new systems, but the sheer complexity of the energy management and Active Aero means the learning curve remains vertical.
As the morning session concluded, the focus shifted to the afternoon and evening running. The conditions in Bahrain will change drastically as the sun sets, with track temperatures dropping to levels more representative of what the teams will face during the Grand Prix in April.
For teams like Red Bull and Mercedes, the afternoon session is critical to making up for lost time. For Ferrari, the goal will be to maintain their momentum and continue their deep dive into long-run pace. With the first race of the season in Australia fast approaching, the clock is ticking. The 2026 era has officially begun, and while the cars are smaller and the fuel is sustainable, the pressure to perform remains as massive as ever.
He’s a software engineer with a deep passion for Formula 1 and motorsport. He co-founded Formula Live Pulse to make live telemetry and race insights accessible, visual, and easy to follow.