George Russell set Mercedes’ fastest time on the first day of the final 2026 F1 test event as Ferrari suffered its first major pre-season problem, with technical problems limiting Lewis Hamilton’s driving.
Russell’s time of 1 minute 33.459 seconds at the Bahrain International Circuit beat teammate Kimi Antonelli’s fastest lap during last week’s three-day test at the same venue. Two official test events have been held at the same venue since the new 2026 F1 cars debuted all at once in Barcelona last month.
The reigning constructors’ champion also enjoyed a strong day as the Briton beat McLaren’s Oscar Piastri by just 0.010 seconds after driving in fast conditions in the evening, with reigning world champion Lando Norris 0.5 seconds behind in fourth place.
Ferrari had run without any noticeable problems over the six days of track time at the event so far, but after Charles Leclerc impressed in the morning session and produced a lap that kept him third on the timesheets at the end of the day, Hamilton missed 90 minutes of the afternoon due to a technical issue and returned for the final stage.
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Craig Slater updates you on all the action on and off the track during the first day of the second Bahrain pre-season test.
Ferrari were not the only Big Four to face problems on Wednesday, with Red Bull’s Izak Hajar completing just 13 laps in the morning session due to a water-related problem, but was able to get in a full afternoon of practice before teammate Max Verstappen sat in the cockpit all day on Thursday.
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Watch F1 drivers reunite for class photos for the 2026 season.
This means that of the teams expected to compete for wins and the title this season, Mercedes and McLaren have had more solid days. Russell and Antonelli secured the top of the distance chart for Mercedes with a combined 145 laps, while McLaren clocked a solid 124 laps around the Sakhir circuit.
The big four teams occupied the top seven positions on the timesheets, and Hamilton still completed 44 laps, but was eight-tenths off the pace at the back of those positions.
“It was a good day because we completed a fair amount of running, so that’s a positive thing,” said Hamilton.
“I had a small problem during the session, but the team did a great job getting me back on track and getting me some long runs.
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Lewis Hamilton says he has more feelings for the 2026 car after leaving last season “behind me”.
“I feel like we’ve made progress compared to last week and we continue to improve our understanding of the car. We’re still working on fine-tuning the balance, but we’re moving in the right direction.”
The suggestion that the top four would start the timesheets ahead of the rest was reflected in the fact that Williams’ Carlos Sainz was a further eight tenths three seconds behind eighth-placed Hamilton.
Elsewhere, Aston Martin continued to struggle, with an issue limiting Fernando Alonso to just 28 laps in the morning and a spin in the gravel limiting Lance Stroll to just 26 in the afternoon.
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Lance Stroll spins out during a lockup and goes off course, bringing out a red flag!
Despite limited running, Aston Martin was able to run at least two seconds faster than it achieved in Bahrain last week as the team played catch-up after arriving late in Barcelona.
2026 newcomer Cadillac once again faced reliability issues as Sergio Perez completed just 24 laps in the morning, but Valtteri Bottas added 35 laps so he could at least finish the day on track.
New starting procedure trialled | FIA submits proposed engine rule changes
The day ended with a trial of new start-up procedures amid concerns that new power units for 2026 will require longer to prepare for lights-out than previous guidelines allowed.
An additional 5-second pause has been added between the last car lining up on the grid and the starting lights.
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Take a look at the grid line-up and complete the practice start on the second day of the Bahrain test.
The trial comes one day after a key meeting in Bahrain, where the sport’s chief executives met to resolve a number of issues before the season officially begins with the Australian Grand Prix from March 6-8.
It was also announced on Wednesday afternoon that the FIA will propose mid-season engine regulation changes, which will be decided in a vote among five power unit manufacturers before the Melbourne race.
The FIA has proposed rule changes that will come into force during the sport’s summer break in August, after rival manufacturers questioned the legality of Mercedes’ power unit throughout pre-season amid controversy over loopholes surrounding compression ratio limits.
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Craig Slater described the latest FIA meeting where a solution to Mercedes’ engine problems was found, although the team was unable to gain an advantage in terms of compression ratio.
Under current regulations, the compression ratio is only measured when the vehicle is stationary at ambient temperature, and it is technically allowed to exceed the compression ratio during track driving, but this proposal is about a new system that can also be measured when the engine is at operating temperature.
The proposal will be submitted to power unit manufacturers Mercedes, Red Bull, Ferrari, Honda and Audi for one vote, with a supermajority needed to carry out the new test in early August.
To reach a supermajority, six of the seven voters, including the FIA, F1 and the manufacturers, need to agree.
Sky Sports F1 Bahrain test schedule
Thursday, February 19th
6:50am to 11:05am: Morning session live 11:55am to 4:10pm: Afternoon session live 8pm: Test lap
Friday, February 20th
6:50am to 11:05am: Morning session live 11:55am to 4:10pm: Afternoon session live 8pm: Test lap
Watch every race of the 2026 F1 season live on Sky Sports, including the Australian Grand Prix from March 6-8. Stream Sky Sports now – cancel anytime with no contract
