F1 Bahrain Test: Ferrari Fastest, Aston Martin Ends Early

Charles Leclerc of Ferrari recorded the quickest lap during Formula 1’s 2026 pre-season trials.

The driver, who has won eight grand prix events, maintained the top position on the leaderboard for the entire day. His morning performance saw him achieve a 1m33.689s lap, which he progressively improved in the afternoon to 1m33.629s, 1m33.162s, and then 1m32.655s using C3 compound tires.

Leclerc subsequently fitted C4 tires, achieving lap times of 1m32.297s and later 1m31.992s.

Kimi Antonelli’s previous day’s best of 1m32.803s remained unchallenged, with Lando Norris coming closest. The McLaren racer, who was absent for the initial two hours of the afternoon session, finished 0.9 seconds slower than Leclerc, posting a 1m32.871s lap on C3 compound tires.

Red Bull secured third place with Max Verstappen recording 1m33.109s on Pirelli’s experimental tires, which were also utilized by Mercedes’ George Russell for his 1m33.197s lap. The day proved more challenging than expected for the Silver Arrow team; during the morning session, Antonelli’s car triggered a red flag due to a loss of pneumatic pressure, necessitating a power unit replacement.

Alpine led the mid-pack rankings following a late run by Pierre Gasly, who used the softest C5 Pirelli tires to achieve a 1m33.421s lap. This time was merely 0.066 seconds quicker than Oliver Bearman of Haas, who established his best using C3 tires during a day where his team completed 170 laps.

Andrea Kimi Antonelli, Mercedes

Photo by: Steven Tee / LAT Images via Getty Images

Gabriel Bortoleto placed Audi in seventh, completing a lap in 1m33.755s on the C4 compound.

Arvid Lindblad, the sole newcomer on the track, evidently demonstrated his physical preparedness for his Formula 1 debut, completing an impressive 165 laps independently (555 miles, 893 km) to achieve a 1m34.149s lap, which was two-tenths faster than Carlos Sainz’s time.

Subsequently, the expected contenders occupied the lower positions of the standings. In a familiar pattern, Cadillac did not commence track activity for the initial 100 minutes of the session; however, the American team still managed 99 laps, with Valtteri Bottas recording their fastest time yet, a 1m35.290s, which was a full second slower than the midfield competitors.

Concurrently, Aston Martin’s Lance Stroll managed only six laps without posting any lap times, as a scarcity of engine components resulted from the battery problem Fernando Alonso encountered on the preceding day.

Formula 1 Bahrain Pre-Season Trials – Day 6 Outcomes