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The Independent UK

Kieran Jackson

F1 testing 2026 live: Aston Martin finish test early with Charles Leclerc fastest on final day in Bahrain

F1 Bahrain Kieran Jackson Lewis Hamilton Red Bull Ferrari FIA Max Verstappen Bahrain International Circuit Barcelona

The 2026 Formula 1 season is a fortnight away from starting in Australia and the teams and drivers will be making their final checks at this week’s final pre-season test in Bahrain.

With new engine and chassis regulations this season, the grid has already undertaken eight days of testing - five in a private format in Barcelona and three last week in Bahrain. This final three-day event is the final action before the season-opening Australian Grand Prix in Melbourne on 6-8 March.

EXPLAINER: Final F1 test overshadowed by car safety concerns

Mercedes came out the strongest from Barcelona but Red Bull, in partnership with new engine partner Ford, were impressive last week in Sakhir, despite Max Verstappen describing this new generation of car as “anti-racing” and “like Formula E on steroids.” Ferrari’s Lewis Hamilton was also among the drivers unimpressed by aspects of the new machinery.

Further discussions will be taking place between all 11 teams and the FIA this week over a myriad of issues, including the ongoing engine compression row and the safety of race starts, as the new campaign draws ever closer.

Follow live updates from F1 pre-season testing with The Independent

Final F1 2026 testing session in Bahrain set to be overshadowed by safety concerns

Red Bull’s chief F1 designer leaves team – two weeks before 2026 season

Ferrari F1 boss gives snappy response over Lewis Hamilton situation: ‘Stop this story!’

F1 PRE-SEASON TESTING - LATEST UPDATES

The final F1 pre-season test takes place this week in Bahrain
Action takes place from 7am-4pm (GMT) with a one-hour lunch break at 11am (Wed-Fri)
Kimi Antonelli fastest on day 2; Piastri 2nd; Verstappen 3rd
EXPLAINER: The safety issues at play ahead of the new season
The 2026 season starts in Australia on 8 March

Leclerc fastest

16:32 , Kieran Jackson

The fastest time of all six days of testing goes to Charles Leclerc, with a 1:31:992 - eight-tenths clear of Lando Norris in second.

Max Verstappen was third-fastest,1.117 secs off, with George Russell fourth and Pierre Gasly fifth.

6-10: Bearman, Bortoleto, Antonelli, Lindblad, Sainz

Race start off with no incident

16:08 , Kieran Jackson

A smooth start, with at least nine teams involved.

Lando Norris, in the midfield, made a terrific start.

And that is testing done for 2026!

Final laps coming in

15:54 , Kieran Jackson

A red flag to end the session, as the FIA do their final checks before the final practice race start.

We only had three cars take part this morning - how many will do so this evening?

Charles Leclerc sets a new fastest time

15:34 , Kieran Jackson

Leclerc is now in the 1:31s!

A 1:31:982 is the best lap of testing so far. Purple in all three sectors.

Statement made.

Arvid Lindblad set to hit 150 laps

15:22 , Kieran Jackson

Mightily impressive from Racing Bulls’ rookie driver today:

Arvid Lindblad (Racing Bulls) - 146

Carlos Sainz (Williams) - 119

Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) - 117

Pierre Gasly (Alpine) - 100

Oliver Bearman (Haas) - 73

George Russell (Mercedes) - 64

Max Verstappen (Red Bull) - 50

Gabriel Bortoleto (Audi) - 50

Valtteri Bottas (Cadillac) - 21

Lando Norris (McLaren) - 17

Lance Stroll (Aston Martin) - 6

Norris goes second-fastest

14:55 , Kieran Jackson

The Briton sets a 1:33:373 - 0.211 secs off Charles Leclerc’s new fastest time of 1:33:162.

Max Verstappen has also made a move, now third, four-tenths off, with George Russell six-tenths behind Norris in fourth.

5-10: Antonelli, Piastri, Ocon, Hadjar, Gasly, Lindblad

Test over for Aston Martin

14:39 , Kieran Jackson

That’s six laps and done for Lance Stroll today, with Aston Martin packing up the garage.

What a shocker of a pre-season test window for the team decked in racing green. Some serious work to do over the next few weeks...

VIDEO: Season 8 of Drive to Survive trailer

14:28 , Kieran Jackson

Lando Norris on 2026 cars:

14:14 , Kieran Jackson

"I agree with Max on a lot of comments," Norris said. "Probably most of the comments I agree with, but it's not that I don't have fun out there. So there's two sides.

"I do agree with basically every other driver, because I think every other driver has made their comments pretty clear. I just didn't want to come out into the media and complain to everyone on the first weekend back. I want to still enjoy my time and just say what I feel.

"I had fun last week. I've still been having fun out there now. And I think we know as a championship with FIA and with Formula 1, we're trying to improve the car that we have now, because it's certainly not the purest form of racing, and that's what Formula 1 should be.

"A lot of the driving is focused on just trying to get the battery to work properly and less focused on how can you as a driver get everything out of the car."

Lando Norris is hoping to defend his world drivers’ title (Bradley Collyer/PA) (PA Wire)

Leclerc still quickest

13:58 , Kieran Jackson

The Monegasque has been P1 for quite some time now, with no-one pipping his 1:33:629 yet - even though we had two drivers in the 1:32s yesterday.

Top-5:

Charles Leclerc - 1:33:629
Kimi Antonelli +0.287
Oscar Piastri +0.723
Esteban Ocon +0.865
Isack Hadjar +0.882

NEWS: Ferrari F1 boss gives snappy response over Lewis Hamilton situation: ‘Stop this story!’

13:43 , Kieran Jackson

When asked further about Lewis Hamilton’s Ferrari race engineer situation, Vasseur interrupted the question and said: “Please stop with this story! If you go into the paddock of 22 cars, you have approximately six or seven new engineers each year and the same with the team principals.

“I’m probably the oldest [longest-serving] one with Toto [Wolff]. You are changing three or four team principals each year and it’s not the end of the team.

“The team today is something like 1,500 people. It’s not about one race engineer. The guy that you see on the pit wall is leading a team of people working on the car and it’s not a matter of individuals.

What is the new race start trial?

13:29 , Kieran Jackson

“A red flag will be shown and all cars will return to the pit lane. The cars will then complete a formation lap, followed by an additional formation lap, before lining up on the grid for a simulated race start.

“Once all cars are in position, a new Pre-Start Warning will begin: all grid panels will flash blue for 5 seconds. After the blue warning ends, the usual start sequence will begin.

“In total, the sequence will consist of:

* Red flag

* Cars back in pit lane and line up in the fast lane

* Pit exit open - cars leave pit lane to go back on the grid

* Extra formation lap

* Cars back in position on the grid

* 5-second blue pre-start warning

* Standard start light procedure

Norris and Bortoleto absent

13:13 , Kieran Jackson

No sign of the reigning world champion or the Brazilian driver so far this afternoon.

There’s also work being done on Max Verstappen’s Red Bull.

Slow start to this afternoon session...

Arvid Lindblad closing in on 100 laps

12:57 , Kieran Jackson

The British rookie leads the way on the lap count so far and, on 92, is closing in on a century.

Valuable time in the cockpit for the only rookie driver on the grid this season.

NEWS: Red Bull’s chief F1 designer leaves team – two weeks before 2026 season

12:43 , Kieran Jackson

Red Bull have suffered an early-season blow with the departure of chief F1 designer Craig Skinner from the team.

Skinner worked closely with Red Bull’s former design guru Adrian Newey, now team principal at Aston Martin, but the Milton Keynes outfit have now confirmed his exit after two decades.

While not directly linked to other departures, Skinner is the latest in a long line of key personnel to leave the team in the last year or two.

Who's driving this afternoon?

12:13 , Kieran Jackson

McLaren - Lando Norris

Mercedes - George Russell

Red Bull - Max Verstappen

Ferrari - Charles Leclerc

Williams - Carlos Sainz

Racing Bulls - Arvid Lindblad

Aston Martin - Lance Stroll

Haas - Ollie Bearman

Audi - Gabriel Bortoleto

Alpine - Pierre Gasly

Cadillac - Valtteri Bottas

Afternoon session underway

12:00 , Kieran Jackson

The likes of Max Verstappen and George Russell are back in the cockpit for the final session of pre-season testing in Bahrain.

One final 4-hour window....

Johnny Herbert makes 2026 F1 predictions

11:45 , Kieran Jackson

“I'm going to obviously go with George Russell to win the championship,” Herbert said, in association with Snabbare. “Then Max Verstappen, followed by Oscar Piastri.

“It would be brilliant to see Max and George go wheel-to-wheel. It's going to be mighty, mighty tight between Oscar and Lando. Oscar is going to learn from the experience of last year.

“Motivation can be such a powerful thing and that's why I've gone for Oscar because Oscar will be applying himself more than he did last year and has a point to prove.”

Morning leaderboard

11:23 , Kieran Jackson

Leclerc (Ferrari) - 1:33:689 (80 laps)

Antonelli (Mercedes) +0.227 (49)

Piastri (McLaren) +0.663 (66)

Ocon (Haas) +0.805 (82)

Hadjar (Racing Bulls) +0.822 (59)

Gasly (Alpine) +1.157 (57)

Lindblad (RB) +1.549 (77)

Sainz (Williams) +1.563 (66)

Hulkenberg (Audi) +2.330 (64)

Perez (Cadillac) +7.153 (61)

Stroll (Aston Martin) no time (2)

Charles Leclerc fastest

11:10 , Kieran Jackson

A really productive morning for the Ferrari driver.

He takes the fastest time this morning with a 1:33:689, 0.227 secs ahead of Kimi Antonelli in second - who had an issue midway through the session.

Oscar Piastri is third, 0.663 secs off, with Esteban Ocon (+0.805) and Isack Hadjar (+1.157) completing the top-five.

Ferrari have impressed so far during pre-season testing (Bradley Collyer/PA) (PA Wire)

All three away smoothly

11:04 , Kieran Jackson

A fair bit of a gap between all three cars but they all move off smoothly - no daring overtakes like yesterday from Lewis Hamilton!

And that’s your lot for the morning session!

Only three cars in for practice start

10:59 , Kieran Jackson

Ocon, Hadjar and Piastri are the only cars lining up for the new practice start procedure at the end of the session.

Interesting - you’d have thought as many drivers as possible would like to practice with the new ‘five-second blue warning’ light.

Let’s see how this one goes...

Lance Stroll out the garage

10:46 , Kieran Jackson

One solitary lap for Stroll, as he finally leaves the garage this morning.

It’s been a tumultuous testing period for Aston Martin - and a new blow today with the news that engine partner Honda can’t support long runs at the moment...

NEWS: Stefano Domenicali hints at return of much-loved F1 race for 2027: ‘Stay tuned’

10:29 , Kieran Jackson

Formula 1 chief executive Stefano Domenicali has hinted that Turkey is set to return to the calendar next year.

The popular race at Istanbul Park has not been on the sport’s schedule since 2021, when Valtteri Bottas won the grand prix in wet conditions. In total, there have been nine events at the 14-turn circuit, with its debut race back in 2005.

More below:

Stefano Domenicali hints at return of much-loved F1 race for 2027: ‘Stay tuned’

Charles Leclerc leads the way on lap count

10:12 , Kieran Jackson

Top of the leaderboard with less than an hour to go - and top of the lap count too!

Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) - 64
Arvid Lindblad (Racing Bulls) - 57
Esteban Ocon (Haas) - 50
Oscar Piastri (McLaren) - 49
Kimi Antonelli (Mercedes) - 49
Nico Hulkenberg (Audi) - 49
Carlos Sainz (Williams) - 48
Isack Hadjar (Red Bull) - 38
Pierre Gasly (Alpine) - 38
Sergio Perez (Cadillac) - 29
Lance Stroll (Aston Martin) - 0

VIDEO: Antonelli's issue

09:56 , Kieran Jackson

The red flags are out as Kimi Antonelli stops his Mercedes on track 🛑 pic.twitter.com/R9qEef6YVG
— Sky Sports F1 (@SkySportsF1) February 20, 2026

Honda release statement

09:40 , Kieran Jackson

Aston Martin’s new power unit partner have encountered issues and, now, they’ve released a statement.

“Our last run with Fernando Alonso yesterday showed a battery-related issue that impacted our test plan with the Aston Martin Aramco Formula One Team.

“Since then, we have been carrying out simulations on the test bench in HRC Sakura. Due to this and a shortage of power unit parts, we have adapted today’s run plan to be very limited and consist only of short stints.”

Gosh...

Green flag

09:23 , Kieran Jackson

A quick recovery for the car off track and we’re back underway, with Cadillac’s Sergio Perez straight out.

Meanwhile, Aston Martin’s Lance Stroll remains in the garage...

Kimi Antonelli stops on track

09:16 , Kieran Jackson

How odd!

The Mercedes driver seems to just completely lose power, coming out of turn 10, and stops at the side of the track.

He’s out of the car and the marshals are on the circuit ready to wheel the car away.

Strange one for Mercedes...

NEWS: F1 trials unique ‘blue warning’ race start at Bahrain pre-season testing

08:59 , Kieran Jackson

Formula 1 has trialled a new race start procedure – involving flashing blue grid panels – at pre-season testing in Bahrain.

Following discussions in a meeting of the F1 Commission on Wednesday, 10 cars trialled a fresh procedure on Wednesday, with a “five-second, blue pre-start warning” before the usual five red lights illuminate and vanish.

The drivers completed two formation laps before setting up on the grid and undertaking the new protocol. With noisy revving engines, all 10 cars moved off the line, with some experiencing more wheelspin than others. Further trials will take place on Thursday and Friday.

F1 trials unique ‘blue warning’ race start at Bahrain pre-season testing

Lewis Hamilton feels in ‘best place personally’ ahead of 2026 F1 season

08:40 , Kieran Jackson

Lewis Hamilton believes he is in the best place he has been for a long time and is excited by his prospects ahead of the new Formula One season.

The seven-time world champion endured a difficult debut season with Ferrari, failing to secure a podium as he finished sixth in the standings.

Hamilton’s end to the season was particularly challenging as he did not qualify higher than 13th in the final four races.

Full piece below:

Lewis Hamilton feels in ‘best place personally’ ahead of 2026 F1 season

Toto Wolff in bizarre ‘Epstein files’ rant over F1 engine row

08:20 , Kieran Jackson

"Stories that we have an illegal engine are bull****. Just like [the stories] that our fuel wouldn't meet the standards.

"Maybe something else will come up tomorrow, perhaps that I'm in the Epstein files... though I already regret that remark."

Charles Leclerc fastest

07:58 , Kieran Jackson

The Ferrari driver sets the early benchmark with a 1:33:689, six-tenths clear of McLaren’s Oscar Piastri in second. Here’s the early top-five:

1. Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) - 1:33.689

2. Oscar Piastri (McLaren) +0.663

3. Esteban Ocon (Haas) +0.805

4. Isack Hadjar (Red Bull) +0.822

5. Carlos Sainz (Williams) +1.838

Aston Martin struggling

07:47 , Kieran Jackson

The only car we’re yet to see this morning is Lance Stroll’s Aston, with the protective screen up outside the garage.

Another really tough few days for Aston....

No Lewis Hamilton today

07:30 , Kieran Jackson

Hamilton ran for a full day yesterday and therefore today is Leclerc’s turn.

The next time we’ll see Lewis? Melbourne in two weeks!

Early laps completed

07:25 , Kieran Jackson

Oscar Piastri (McLaren) - 2

Kimi Antonelli (Mercedes) - 3

Isack Hadjar (Red Bull) - 6

Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) - 4

Carlos Sainz (Williams) - 3

Arvid Lindblad (Racing Bulls) - 6

Lance Stroll (Aston Martin) - 0

Pierre Gasly (Alpine) - 3

Esteban Ocon (Haas) - 4

Nico Hulkenberg (Audi) - 4

Sergio Perez (Cadillac) - 1

Who's driving this morning?

07:15 , Kieran Jackson

McLaren - Oscar Piastri

Mercedes - Kimi Antonelli

Red Bull - Isack Hadjar

Ferrari - Charles Leclerc

Williams - Carlos Sainz

Racing Bulls - Arvid Lindblad

Aston Martin - Lance Stroll

Haas - Esteban Ocon

Audi - Nico Hulkenberg

Alpine - Pierre Gasly

Cadillac - Sergio Perez

Morning session underway!

07:01 , Kieran Jackson

The final morning of testing is a go!

Who’ll make an early statement this morning?

Good morning!

06:50 , Kieran Jackson

Ten days down, one to go!

Testing is almost complete for the 2026 season and we have the final two four-hour sessions today, a fortnight before the new campaign begins in earnest in Melbourne!

Goodbye!

Thursday 19 February 2026 16:43 , Kieran Jackson

Thanks for following our coverage and we’ll be back tomorrow for the final day of pre-season testing!

Full day 2 leaderboard

Thursday 19 February 2026 16:35 , Kieran Jackson

Kimi Antonelli - 1:32:803
Oscar Piastri - 1:32.861
Max Verstappen - 1:33.162
Lewis Hamilton - 1:33:408
Lando Norris - 1:33.453
Franco Colapinto - 1:33:813
Nico Hülkenberg - 1:33.987
George Russell - 1:34.111
Esteban Ocon - 1:34:201
Liam Lawson - 1:34:532
Alex Albon - 1:34:555
Gabriel Bortoleto - 1:35.263
Ollie Bearman - 1:35.279
Sergio Pérez - 1:35.369
Fernando Alonso - 1:37.472
Valtteri Bottas - 1:40.193

Who completed more than 100 laps?

Thursday 19 February 2026 16:20 , Kieran Jackson

Max Verstappen - 139

Franco Colapinto - 120

Alex Albon - 117

Liam Lawson - 106

Kimi Antonelli fastest today

Thursday 19 February 2026 16:11 , Kieran Jackson

The teenager impresses late on with his 1:32:803 lap pipping Oscar Piastri to top spot by 0.058 secs.

Max Verstappen, who completed a whopping 139 laps, was third-fastest, three-tenths off, with Lewis Hamilton fourth and Lando Norris sixth.

6-10: Colapinto, Hulkenberg, Russell, Ocon, Lawson

Lewis Hamilton gets good start again

Thursday 19 February 2026 16:03 , Kieran Jackson

For the second practice start in a row, Hamilton gets off the mark extremely well!

Verstappen, meanwhile, not so good!

And that’s that for day two at testing!

Practice race start incoming

Thursday 19 February 2026 15:58 , Kieran Jackson

Cleared to go for another practice start trial, though Piastri has stopped at turn 1!

I think the McLaren will be cleared quite quickly...

PHOTOS: A tough turn 10

Thursday 19 February 2026 15:42 , Kieran Jackson

Lock-ups galore!

Turn 10 has proved a handful all session 😤#F1 #F1Testing pic.twitter.com/IUITEYKhrS
— Formula 1 (@F1) February 19, 2026

Top-10 - leaderboard with 35 mins left

Thursday 19 February 2026 15:26 , Kieran Jackson

1. Antonelli - 1:32:803

2. Piastri +0.058

3. Verstappen +0.359

4. Norris +0.650

5. Hamilton +1.125

6. Hulkenberg +1.184

7. Russell +1.308

8. Albon +1.752

9. Colapinto +1.785

10. Ocon +1.841

Kimi Antonelli goes fastest

Thursday 19 February 2026 15:09 , Kieran Jackson

Quickest last week - and this week?!

The teenager sets a 1:32.803, less than a tenth faster than Piastri...

Max Verstappen tops a ton

Thursday 19 February 2026 14:51 , Kieran Jackson

The Red Bull driver now has 102 laps under his belt in a positive day for Red Bull, particularly after mechanical issues yesterday.

Verstappen remains P2 on the timesheet, however...

PHOTOS: Cars out on track on day two

Thursday 19 February 2026 14:37 , Kieran Jackson

Oscar Piastri quickest

Thursday 19 February 2026 14:21 , Kieran Jackson

Piastri takes top spot with the first testing time in the 1:32s, setting a 1:32:861.

Max Verstappen has also gone quicker than Lando Norris, but is three-tenths off PIastri. Kimi Antonelli and, impressively, Audi’s Nico Hulkenberg complete the top-five.

6-10: Russell, Albon, Bortoleto, Bearman, Colapinto

Max Verstappen leads the lap count

Thursday 19 February 2026 13:43 , Kieran Jackson

The Dutchman, driving all day for Red Bull, is leading the way on lap count now, amidst the afternoon runners.

Max Verstappen (Red Bull) - 74

Alex Albon (Williams) - 71

Franco Colapinto (Alpine) - 70

Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin) - 68

Liam Lawson (Racing Bulls) - 60

Lewis Hamilton (Ferrari) - 40

Kimi Antonelli (Mercedes) - 26

Nico Hulkenberg (Audi) - 21

Oscar Piastri (McLaren) -19

Esteban Ocon (Haas) - 19

Sergio Perez (Cadillac) - 4

VIDEO: Season 8 trailer of Drive to Survive revealed

Thursday 19 February 2026 13:35 , Kieran Jackson

Aston Martin recovered

Thursday 19 February 2026 13:13 , Kieran Jackson

Interestingly, given the car was still ‘hot’, it required Aston Martin mechanics to turn it off and wheel it away, causing a substantial delay.

But we’re back to a green light, with Lewis Hamilton - who only managed five laps this morning - straight out onto the circuit...

Fernando Alonso stops on track - RED FLAG

Thursday 19 February 2026 12:57 , Kieran Jackson

Oh no!

More concern for Aston Martin as Alonso stops on the racetrack, due to an unknown issue.

Alonso has left the car and we have a red flag. From bad to worse for Aston...

Carlos Sainz on new 2026 rules:

Thursday 19 February 2026 12:34 , Kieran Jackson

"I think in general my message to FOM [Formula One Management] and FIA is I think at the start of the year we need to stay a bit open-minded, in case the regulations that we've come up with are maybe a bit exaggerated on the amount of harvesting or deployment that we have to do through a lap.

“I would only ask to stay open in case we need to fine tune or adjust to make the category and make the show better. I think we should start stay flexible, rather than committed to a certain level of energy management."

Fernando Alonso locks up

Thursday 19 February 2026 12:23 , Kieran Jackson

Not the first to lock up heading into the tight turn 10 left-hander and Alonso won’t be the last.

Feels like a crucial afternoon for Aston Martin and racking up some mileage, given their struggles so far over the testing period...

Who's driving this afternoon?

Thursday 19 February 2026 12:14 , Kieran Jackson

McLaren - Oscar Piastri

Mercedes - Kimi Antonelli

Red Bull - Max Verstappen

Ferrari - Lewis Hamilton

Williams - Alex Albon

Racing Bulls - Liam Lawson

Aston Martin - Fernando Alonso

Haas - Esteban Ocon

Audi - Nico Hulkenberg

Alpine - Franco Colapinto

Cadillac - Sergio Perez

Afternoon session underway

Thursday 19 February 2026 12:00 , Kieran Jackson

The green light is on at the end of the pit-lane and the second four-hour session of the day is underway!

NEWS - Ferrari F1 boss gives snappy response over Lewis Hamilton situation: ‘Stop this story!’

Thursday 19 February 2026 11:37 , Kieran Jackson

Fred Vasseur has defended Ferrari’s plan of action after Lewis Hamilton described his F1 race engineer situation as potentially “detrimental” to the start of his season.

After a tumultuous, podium-less debut season with the Scuderia, Hamilton has opted to ditch race engineer Riccardo Adami after a fraught relationship, with disagreements regularly playing out over team radio last year.

Hamilton will work with Carlo Santi, Kimi Raikkonen’s race engineer in 2018, on an interim basis for the first few races of the new season. It is widely expected that Cedric Michel-Grosjean, formerly Oscar Piastri’s performance engineer at McLaren, will become Hamilton’s full-time race engineer.

However, Michel-Grosjean is taking what he describes as a “career break” after leaving McLaren at the end of last season, leaving Hamilton in a situation which he last week acknowledged was sub-optimal as he prepared for the 2026 campaign.

Full piece below:

Ferrari F1 boss gives snappy response over Hamilton situation: ‘Stop this story!’

Morning leaderboard

Thursday 19 February 2026 11:25 , Kieran Jackson

1. Lando Norris - 1:33:453

2. Max Verstappen +0.131

3. George Russell +0.658

4. Alex Albon +1.677

5. Gabriel Bortoleto +1.810

6. Ollie Bearman +1.826

7. Franco Colapinto +2.053

8. Liam Lawson +3.506

9. Fernando Alonso +4.019

10. Lewis Hamilton +6.217

11. Valtteri Bottas +6.740

Morning session completed

Thursday 19 February 2026 11:10 , Kieran Jackson

Interesting finale, but it was nonetheless Lando Norris who was quickest on the timesheet this morning.

The world champion with a 1:33:453, 0.131 secs ahead of Max Verstappen in second, with George Russell in third - six-tenths down on the McLaren.

4-11: Albon, Bortoleto, Bearman, Colapinto, Lawson, Alonso, Hamilton, Bottas

Lewis Hamilton impressive

Thursday 19 February 2026 11:03 , Kieran Jackson

We haven’t seen Hamilton for more than three hours but he’s come out for the practice start!

Three of the four cars get away well, but Hamilton’s Ferrari got off the line superbly, overtaking Mercedes’ George Russell ahead.

Meanwhile, Lando Norris did not move off at all...

Interesting!

Practice start

Thursday 19 February 2026 10:59 , Kieran Jackson

Only 4 of the 11 teams have opted to take on the new race start trial at the end of this session.

A few formation laps and then we’ll have the new ‘blue light flashing’ start...

Final 20 minutes

Thursday 19 February 2026 10:43 , Kieran Jackson

A lot of long runs out there at the moment, with George Russell still leading the way on lap count with 62 laps.

A number of teams are also performing practice pit-stops and, in hot conditions, the mechanics are getting a sweat on!

NEWS: Red Bull F1 boss shuts down Max Verstappen rumours: ‘Zero concern’

Thursday 19 February 2026 10:32 , Kieran Jackson

Red Bull F1 boss Laurent Mekies rejected a suggestion that Max Verstappen could lose interest in Formula 1 because of the sport's new engine era.

Four-time F1 world champion Verstappen has been outspoken about the new crop of cars, saying last week that his Red Bull was not much fun to drive and more like “Formula E on steroids.”

Full story below:

Red Bull F1 boss shuts down Max Verstappen rumours: ‘Zero concern’

Hamilton still in garage

Thursday 19 February 2026 10:20 , Kieran Jackson

The screens are still up at Ferrari.

I wonder if the new rear wing resulted in a problem with the ride, or perhaps it is a power unit change. But if it’s that, why did they not do it overnight? There’s no curfew in place over testing.

Still we wait for Lewis to emerge again. Just 5 laps this morning...

George Russell leads lap count

Thursday 19 February 2026 10:06 , Kieran Jackson

While the Mercedes driver is six-tenths off on the leaderboard, he is leading the way on lap count which, arguably, is as important in these final days of testing.

Russell - 58

Norris - 52

Albon - 52

Bearman - 46

Colapinto - 45

Verstappen - 36

Alonso - 29

Bottas- 26

Bortoleto - 12

Lawson - 9

Hamilton - 5

Top-five on leaderboard

Thursday 19 February 2026 09:56 , Kieran Jackson

With just over an hour to go, here’s the top-five on the leaderboard:

1. Lando Norris (McLaren) - 1:33.453

2. Max Verstappen (Red Bull) +0.131

3. George Russell (Mercedes) +0.658

4. Alex Albon (Williams) +1.677

5. Oliver Bearman (Haas) +1.826

NEWS: F1 announces ‘rotation’ races for future calendar with two European venues impacted

Thursday 19 February 2026 09:50 , Kieran Jackson

Formula 1 has announced a six-year “rotational” contract for a grand prix at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya, in the next phase of the sport’s expansion strategy.

F1 announced last year that the famous Spa-Francorchamps will host a grand prix once every two years from 2027 to 2031, and now the Belgian Grand Prix’s rotational partner has been confirmed.

Barcelona’s future as a host venue had been in doubt, given F1 will host an annual street race in Madrid from this September. However, after major renovation to the site, the newly titled Barcelona-Catalunya Grand Prix will take place in 2028, 2030 and 2032 in rotation with Spa.

Full details below:

F1 announces ‘rotation’ races for future calendar with two European venues impacted

Lando Norris remains quickest

Thursday 19 February 2026 09:14 , Kieran Jackson

With that time of 1.33:453, Norris remains top of the timesheet, 0.131 secs ahead of Max Verstappen and six-tenths clear fo George Russell in third.

Hamilton, meanwhile, stays in the garage on five laps. He’s in the car all day, but this is far from ideal for the seven-time world champion.

VIDEO: Ferrari's new 'spinning' rear wing

Thursday 19 February 2026 09:04 , Kieran Jackson

An upside-down rear wing?! 😳

Get a closer look as Ferrari test their new innovative system 🔎 pic.twitter.com/HAOynSYJst
— Sky Sports F1 (@SkySportsF1) February 19, 2026

Lewis Hamilton in the garage

Thursday 19 February 2026 08:36 , Kieran Jackson

Problems for Ferrari.

Hamilton has done just five laps this morning, with the new spinning rear-wing, and he’s behind the screen in front of the garage.

What are they doing, I wonder? Perhaps a power unit change...

Cadillac out on track

Thursday 19 February 2026 08:24 , Kieran Jackson

Valtteri Bottas is now out on the racetrack, with his car fitted with a big aerorake on the front of the car.

Typical testing fodder...

Norris back on top

Thursday 19 February 2026 08:15 , Kieran Jackson

The reigning world champion goes fastest:

1. Lando Norris (McLaren) - 1:33.453

2. Max Verstappen (Red Bull) +0.131

3. Alex Albon (Williams) +1.946

4. Franco Colapinto (Alpine) +2.393

5. George Russell (Mercedes) +3.610

Max Verstappen goes top

Thursday 19 February 2026 07:46 , Kieran Jackson

Early statement from the Dutchman.

He puts his Red Bull top with a 1:34:620, nearly a second quicker than any of his rivals but, still, slower than yesterday’s times in the 1:33s.

Ten laps on the board for Verstappen, too...

Lando Norris goes quickest

Thursday 19 February 2026 07:35 , Kieran Jackson

Lando Norris’ time of 1:35.406 puts him top early on, though that’s some way short of yesterday’s leading laps.

Meanwhile, no sign of Cadillac again from the off...

Who's driving this morning?

Thursday 19 February 2026 07:15 , Kieran Jackson

McLaren - Lando Norris

Mercedes - George Russell

Red Bull - Max Verstappen

Ferrari - TBC

Williams - Alex Albon

Racing Bulls - Liam Lawson

Aston Martin - Fernando Alonso

Haas - Ollie Bearman

Audi - Gabriel Bortoleto

Alpine - Franco Colapinto

Cadillac - Valtteri Bottas

Morning session underway

Thursday 19 February 2026 07:01 , Kieran Jackson

A typically perfect Bahraini morning as we get underway with the first four-hour session of the day!

Good morning!

Thursday 19 February 2026 06:45 , Kieran Jackson

Welcome to live coverage of day two of pre-season testing in Bahrain!

We’re set to see Max Verstappen for the first time this week, as he takes to the Red Bull car for a full day of running.

Goodbye!

Wednesday 18 February 2026 16:45 , Kieran Jackson

Thanks for following today’s coverage - join us tomorrow for day 2 in Bahrain!

Full day 1 leaderboard

Wednesday 18 February 2026 16:26 , Kieran Jackson

1 George Russell (GB) Mercedes 1:33:459

2 Oscar Piastri (Aus) McLaren +0.010

3 Charles Leclerc (Mon) Ferrari +0.280

4 Lando Norris (GB) McLaren +0.593

5 Kimi Antonelli (Ita) Mercedes +0.699

6 Isack Hadjar (Fra) Red Bull +0.801

7 Lewis Hamilton (GB) Ferrari +0.840

8 Carlos Sainz (Spa) Williams +1.654

9 Franco Colapinto (Arg) Alpine +1.795

10 Gabriel Bortoleto (Brz) Audi +1.804

11 Alex Albon (Tha) Williams +2.231

12 Liam Lawson (NZ) Racing Bulls +2.294

13 Pierre Gasly (Fra) Alpine +2.439

14 Lance Stroll (Can) Aston Martin +2.515

15 Esteban Ocon (Fra) Alpine +2.959

16 Fernando Alonso (Spa) Aston Martin +3.077

17 Nico Hülkenberg (Ger) Audi +3.282

18 Arvid Lindblad (GB) Racing Bulls +3.310

19 Oliver Bearman (GB) Haas +3.311

20 Valtteri Bottas (Fin) Cadillac +3.787

21 Sergio Pérez (Mex) Cadillac +4.732

Afternoon laps completed:

Wednesday 18 February 2026 16:15 , Kieran Jackson

Oscar Piastri (McLaren) - 70

George Russell (Mercedes) - 76

Lewis Hamilton (Ferrari) - 44

Isack Hadjar (Red Bull) - 66

Lance Stroll (Aston Martin) - 26

Carlos Sainz (Williams) - 55

Liam Lawson (Racing Bulls) - 61

Oliver Bearman (Haas) - 42

Gabriel Bortoleto (Audi) - 71

Franco Colapinto (Alpine) - 60

Valtteri Bottas (Cadillac) - 35

Practice start procedure

Wednesday 18 February 2026 16:02 , Kieran Jackson

A lot of revving, a lot of wheelspin, but all 10 cars got away OK!

So the systems work. Let’s see how further trials go tomorrow and on Friday...

New start procedure

Wednesday 18 February 2026 16:00 , Kieran Jackson

Two formation laps are done and dusted... let’s see how this turns out!

Ten cars on the grid...

George Russell goes fastest

Wednesday 18 February 2026 15:50 , Kieran Jackson

The Mercedes driver sets the new benchmark, with a 1:33:459 - 0.010 secs ahead of Piastri in second!

Final few laps now before we get this practice start...

Isack Hadjar up to sixth

Wednesday 18 February 2026 15:24 , Kieran Jackson

The Frenchman has been in the car all day for Red Bull - though after issues this morning, only has 55 laps to his name - and has just set his best time with a 1:34.260 putting him sixth-fastest.

As the sun sets and darkness falls, the final few laps now for this afternoon’s drivers.

Where is Lewis?

Wednesday 18 February 2026 15:05 , Kieran Jackson

Hamilton has only done 24 laps this afternoon and, with an hour to go, he’s been in the garage for a while now.

Unsure why...

George Russell third-fastest

Wednesday 18 February 2026 14:35 , Kieran Jackson

Russell has not moved up to third, two-tenths off Piastri.

Top-6:

1. Piastri - 1:33:469

2. Leclerc +0.270

3. Russell +0.279

4. Norris +0.583

5. Antonelli +0.689

6. Hamilton +0.830

Energy compression row - statement:

Wednesday 18 February 2026 14:22 , Kieran Jackson

“Over recent weeks and months, the FIA and the Power Unit Manufacturers have collaboratively developed a methodology to quantify how the compression ratio changes from ambient to operating conditions.

“Following validation of this approach, a proposal has been submitted whereby, from 1 August 2026, compliance with the compression ratio limit must be demonstrated not only at ambient conditions, but also at a representative operating temperature of 130°C.

“The vote has been submitted to the Power Unit Manufacturers, and its outcome is expected within the next 10 days and will be communicated in due course. As with all Formula 1 regulatory changes, any amendment remains subject to final approval by the FIA World Motor Sport Council.”

Oscar Piastri goes fastest

Wednesday 18 February 2026 14:10 , Kieran Jackson

The Australian goes purple in the first two sectors and takes the fastest lap of the day so far with a 1:33.469, 0.270 secs ahead of Charles Leclerc.

So far, a very positive day for McLaren...

FIA releases statement on safety of F1 race starts after meeting in Bahrain

Wednesday 18 February 2026 13:57 , Kieran Jackson

A hot topic in recent days has been the potential safety risks of race starts, given the new cars need more turbo boost pressure – and therefore more time – to move off the line, with McLaren team boss Andrea Stella insisting last week he was concerned about the potential of dangerous collisions on the grid.

Yet despite “constructive talks and proposals”, the sport’s governing body have resisted changing the start procedure and any of the technical regulations, for now.

However, they did detail discussions around doubling the number of sprint races from six to 12. A move to a dozen sprints would mean the short-race format, much criticised by four-time world champion Max Verstappen, would take up exactly 50% of the 24-race calendar.

Full statement below: