A week of pre-season testing in Bahrain continues today as teams gear up for the 2026 F1 season and the complete overhaul of regulations that could herald a changing of the guard and a new era in the sport.
While lap times during testing should be taken with a pinch of salt, day one at the Bahrain International Circuit certainly didn’t suggest a shake-up, with reigning world champion Lando Norris posting the fastest lap in his McLaren and Max Verstappen only marginally behind. Mercedes boss Toto Wolff claimed Red Bull had “set the benchmark” with Verstappen’s straight-line speed, while McLaren chief executive Zak Brown suggested the “big four” of his team, Red Bull, Mercedes and Ferrari were still the big four at the front.
