Ferrari’s Leclerc leads McLaren’s Norris in day two times in F1 Aramco Pre-Season Testing 2026

Charles Leclerc powers Ferrari SF-26 car to a fastest lap time of 1min 34.273s while running the whole day
F1 completes first three-day test session on Friday with BIC set to welcome fans from 11am to 7pm

Formula 1 Aramco Pre-Season Testing 2026 continued today at Bahrain International Circuit (BIC) in Sakhir with Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc leading McLaren’s reigning F1 Drivers’ World Champion Lando Norris atop the timesheet.

Leclerc set the day’s fastest time of 1min 34.273secs during the morning session, which took place in warm and sunny conditions. He was one of six drivers who was in their team’s car for the full day – completing 139 laps in his SF-26 contender around BIC’s 5.412-kilometre Grand Prix track.

Leclerc was 0.511secs quicker than Norris on testing’s day two classification. Norris was the leader on opening day on Wednesday and continued to show strong pace in the MCL40 of the F1 Constructors’ World Champions. He too tested the entire day, racking up 149 laps.

Oliver Bearman of Haas ranked third 1.121s from the top in his VF-26. Bearman was the lone driver in the cockpit for Haas today, completing 130 laps.

George Russell in Mercedes’s F1 W17 followed 1.193s back after running in the cooler evening session, while Isack Hadjar was in Red Bull’s RB22 for his first action in Bahrain. He finished 2.288s from first as he was also at work the full day, although he registered just one lap in the morning.

Gabriel Bortoleto (+2.397s) in Audi’s R26 was sixth-quickest testing under BIC’s bright, state-of-the-art floodlights, Pierre Gasly (+2.450s) in Alpine’s A526 finished seventh also going for the full day, Valtteri Bottas (+2.551s) in Cadillac’s CA01 came eighth after being out on track in the evening, Alexander Albon (+2.956s) was ninth following his morning testing in Williams’s FW48, and Nico Hulkenberg (+2.993s) was classified 10th after also being in action in the morning.

Completing the second day’s classification from 11th to 16th, respectively, were Arvid Lindblad (+3.197s) for Racing Bulls, Carlos Sainz (+3.319s) for Williams, Liam Lawson (+3.744s) for Racing Bulls, Fernando Alonso (+3.975s) for Aston Martin, and Sergio Perez (+4.380s) for Cadillac.

Kimi Antonelli also got out on track today but only had three laps in the morning and didn’t set a time.

F1 Aramco Pre-Season Testing 2026 continues Friday (13 February) at BIC. It will be the final day of the first three-day session in Sakhir, which is to be followed by another three days of running next week from 18 to 20 February.

Friday is another day open to fans, who are the first in the world to witness in person the next generation of F1 cars in action ahead of the start of the 2026 FIA F1 World Championship.
BIC’s gates are scheduled to open on Friday morning at 11am and close at 7pm.

F1’s superstar drivers and their teams are busy trying to maximise their track running and gather valuable data ahead of the top flight’s highly anticipated ‘new era’, featuring a host of transformative new regulations around a brand-new, more agile F1 car.

All those attending testing will also be able to enjoy a series of off-track attractions, including dynamic racing simulators, a Batak reaction game, and a stick catching game.

Aside from these, fans visiting BIC will have the chance to see a display of the new 2026 F1 car in its special Bahrain livery.

Tickets for the open days of F1 Aramco Pre-Season Testing 2026 cost BD10 for adults and BD5 for children per day. To buy tickets or to get more information, visit the circuit’s official website bahraingp.com or call the BIC Hotline on +973-17450000.

There is also free access on both open days of the second Bahrain test on 19 and 20 February for all who purchased their tickets to the F1 Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix 2026 before 8 September last year.

BIC is also offering exclusive hospitality packages during the tests, featuring the best views of the action along with incredible, five-star cuisine and beverage selection. The hospitality lounge is located right above the F1 pit lane. Full details on BIC’s hospitality offerings are available on bahraingp.com. The packages can be booked online or by calling +973-17451086.

The pre-season tests will pave the way for the start of the new F1 season in Australia from 6 to 8 March. The F1 battles will continue with races in China and Japan before heading to the Kingdom for the F1 Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix 2026 from 10 to 12 April – the fourth round of the 24-race world championship.

Tickets to the grand prix weekend are selling fast, with seats to the Turn 1 Grandstand already completely sold out and the Main Grandstand already 98 per cent sold. Tickets are also selling out quickly for the Beyon Grandstand, University Grandstand, and Victory Grandstand.