Lando Norris set the fastest time on the opening day of Formula 1's 2026 pre-season testing at the Bahrain International Circuit, edging out Max Verstappen by 0.129 seconds. Verstappen completed the most laps with 136, highlighting Red Bull's reliability. The session featured new-generation cars with revised aerodynamics and power units, as teams gathered data amid minor stoppages.
The first day of official pre-season testing for the 2026 Formula 1 season took place on February 11, 2026, at the Bahrain International Circuit, marking the debut of all 11 teams' new cars following the Barcelona shakedown. McLaren's Lando Norris topped the timesheets with a lap of 1m34.669s in the afternoon session, after teammate Oscar Piastri had run 54 laps in the morning with a best of 1m35.602s. Norris added 58 laps, bringing McLaren's total to 112.
Red Bull's Max Verstappen was second overall at 1m34.798s, set on soft tires during a late stint, but he dominated mileage with 136 laps—the highest of any driver. Verstappen led the morning with 1m35.433s and was the first to exceed 100 laps, showcasing the Red Bull-Ford power unit's consistency. Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff noted that Red Bull appeared "about a second faster on straights than others" due to superior energy deployment.
Ferrari's Charles Leclerc placed third at 1m35.190s after 80 laps, contributing to the team's productive 132 laps total alongside Lewis Hamilton's morning 52 laps and 1m36.433s. Haas' Esteban Ocon was fourth with 1m35.578s over 115 laps, the second-highest individual count. Williams led team mileage at 145 laps, with Carlos Sainz running 77 in the morning and Alex Albon 68 in the afternoon, recovering from missing Barcelona.
Cadillac impressed as newcomers, completing 107 laps split between Valtteri Bottas (49) and Sergio Perez (58), in their two-tone livery revealed at the Super Bowl. Audi debuted revised sidepods but faced a red flag when Nico Hulkenberg's car stopped, though he recovered for 73 laps total. The only other stoppage was Alpine's Franco Colapinto in the morning after 17 laps, fixed for Pierre Gasly's later run.
Aston Martin managed just 36 laps due to a "data anomaly" in their Honda unit, limiting Lance Stroll to 1m39.883s. Mercedes encountered balance issues and a suspension glitch, restricting Andrea Kimi Antonelli to 30 laps. The new cars, smaller and lighter with enhanced electric power, proved skittish, with drivers noting longer throttle applications and variable braking. Williams principal James Vowles described their FW48 as having "no vices."
Two red flags interrupted the day, but overall mileage was high at 1,143 laps across the field, providing valuable data on the 2026 regulations.
