Charles Leclerc set the outright fastest time of the 2026 Bahrain pre-season test, edging Mercedes and McLaren as lap times tumbled across six days of running at Sakhir. With track temperatures peaking above 44°C, teams pushed development programs to the limit ahead of the season opener.
Pre-season testing in Bahrain offered the first real clues of the competitive order for 2026, with McLaren, Ferrari, and Mercedes each taking turns at the top of the timesheets. Across three warm days in Sakhir, reliability runs, tire evaluations, and a late benchmark lap hinted at a closely matched field heading into the new Formula 1 season.
In Bahrain, McLaren roared back—and Formula 1’s 2025 balance of power may never be the same.
Beneath a desert sky and a canopy of stars, Sakhir comes alive.
Pre-Season Testing Wraps Up: Three Days of Intense Running in Bahrain
Fine collection of posters for the first race of the 2024 F1 season!
Formula 1’s Season 75 starts here!
FORMULA 1 PRE-SEASON TESTING 2024
Max wins, Red Bull 1-2, Alonso 3rd for Aston Martin!
What a season opener! Great racing, lots of action and controversy!
Formula One Pre-Season testing at Bahrain…
