Lando Norris of McLaren leads the first day of F1 testing in Bahrain.
Newly-crowned world champion Lando Norris maintained McLaren’s position at the top during the initial official day of Formula 1 preseason testing for 2026.
Norris recorded the fastest time of 1:34.669 with just over an hour remaining in the session, finishing 0.129 seconds ahead of Max Verstappen, who pursued McLaren’s drivers throughout the season-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix in last year’s championship battle.
This year, Norris, displaying the number one on his car for the first time in his career, shared driving responsibilities with teammate Oscar Piastri as McLaren made a strong start to the first three-day test in Sakhir.
Verstappen completed an impressive 131 laps of the Bahrain International Circuit, which is set to host the 57-lap Bahrain Grand Prix in April, further indicating that Red Bull’s newly developed engine project is in a solid position in terms of reliability.
Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc ended the day in third place, though he was over a second slower than Norris’ best time.
While the headline times may not fully reflect the current state of testing, it was notable that the heavily favored Mercedes team did not deliver a stronger performance.
After showcasing impressive mileage during F1’s private Shakedown event in Barcelona last month, Mercedes experienced a more typical day, with preseason favorite George Russell and Kimi Antonelli combining for 75 laps around the lunch break. Neither driver set particularly remarkable times during their stints.
The German team will aim to increase their mileage over the remaining two days, as conventional preseason logic suggests that a clearer competitive picture will emerge by the end of this first week.
McLaren’s Zak Brown believes the competition at the top will be extremely close.
“I think we can’t draw any definitive conclusions,” Brown told Sky Sports. “If I had to place a bet in Vegas, it appears that the big four are still the big four, but it’s difficult to determine their order.”
“Mercedes performed very well in Spain. Max has achieved some impressive lap times here. However, it seems that the grid is in a similar state.”
Lewis Hamilton drove in the morning for Ferrari, and he and Leclerc combined for 126 laps throughout the day.
The day also provided a first proper look at the Williams car, which missed the Shakedown test entirely.
Alex Albon and Carlos Sainz ensured a strong start to the season for the team, completing a total of 144 laps between them.
Having begun the season at a disadvantage, this productive day will serve as a significant morale boost for Williams.
Aston Martin’s highly anticipated car, the first designed under Adrian Newey’s leadership, also participated, although Lance Stroll managed only 36 laps during the day.
Aston Martin was late to the Shakedown, completing just one meaningful day of running out of a required three, but team principal Newey indicated at the team’s launch on Monday that they are content to start the season at a disadvantage, with new upgrades already planned.
The new teams in F1 were also present, with Cadillac drivers Valtteri Bottas and Sergio Perez completing 104 laps, while Nico Hulkenberg and Gabriele Bortoleto logged 118 laps for Sauber.
Day 1 lap times:
NOR (McLaren) 1:34.669 (58 Laps)
VER (Red Bull) 1:34.798 (136 Laps)
LEC (Ferrari) 1:35.190 (80 Laps)
OCO (Haas) 1:35.578 (115 Laps)
PIA (McLaren) 1:35.602 (54 Laps)
RUS (Mercedes-AMG) 1:36.108 (56 Laps)
HAM (Ferrari) 1:36.433 (52 Laps)
GAS (Alpine) 1:36.765 (49 Laps)
HÜL (Audi) 1:36.861 (73 Laps)
ALB (Williams) 1:37.437 (68 Laps)
ANT (Mercedes-AMG) 1:37.629 (30 Laps)
LIN (Racing Bulls) 1:37.945 (75 Laps)
SAI (Williams) 1:38.221 (77 Laps)
PER (Cadillac) 1:38.828 (58 Laps)
BOR (Audi) 1:38.871 (49 Laps)
BOT (Cadillac) 1:39.150 (49 Laps)
STR (Aston Martin) 1:39.883 (36 Laps)
COL (Alpine) 1:40.330 (28 Laps)
Source: espn.com
