Formula 1's 2026 pre-season testing begins this week at the Bahrain International Circuit, with all 11 teams running one car each day from February 11 to 13. The sessions mark the first official evaluation of the new regulations, including a 50-50 split of combustion and electrical power. Teams have announced their driver line-ups, balancing morning and afternoon runs.
The 2026 Formula 1 season approaches with the first of two three-day pre-season tests at Bahrain, running from Wednesday, February 11, to Friday, February 13. Each team will field a single car daily, with track action split into morning (10am-2pm) and afternoon (3pm-7pm) sessions in local time (AST, GMT+3). This follows a successful five-day shakedown at Barcelona's Circuit de Catalunya at the end of January, where teams reported reliable performance despite major changes to power units and aerodynamics, ending the ground-effects era.
Weather forecasts predict sunny conditions with temperatures in the high 20s Celsius, contrasting the cooler, sometimes rainy Barcelona sessions. The new cars feature a balanced 50-50 power split, with 350kW from the MGU-K alone after the removal of the MGU-H. A second test is scheduled for February 18-20 at the same venue, ahead of the season opener in Australia on March 8.
Teams have detailed their driver rotations, with most splitting days between their two drivers:
- McLaren: Oscar Piastri (Wednesday AM, Friday full), Lando Norris (Wednesday PM, Thursday full).
- Mercedes: George Russell and Kimi Antonelli alternating sessions across all days.
- Red Bull: Max Verstappen (Wednesday full, Friday AM), Isack Hadjar (Thursday full, Friday PM).
- Williams: Carlos Sainz and Alex Albon splitting each day.
- Aston Martin: Lance Stroll (Wednesday and Friday full), Fernando Alonso (Thursday full).
- Haas: Esteban Ocon (Wednesday full, Friday PM), Oliver Bearman (Thursday full, Friday AM).
- Alpine: Franco Colapinto (Wednesday AM, Friday full), Pierre Gasly (Wednesday PM, Thursday full).
- Cadillac: Valtteri Bottas and Sergio Perez splitting each day.
Line-ups for Ferrari and Racing Bulls remain pending confirmation. Plans may adjust based on testing needs.
