Max Verstappen of Red Bull Racing set the fastest time during the opening morning session of Formula 1’s pre-season testing in Bahrain, clocking a 1m 35.433s. The four-time world champion, piloting the new RB22, finished just under two-tenths of a second ahead of Oscar Piastri of McLaren.
The test, the first of two three-day sessions at the Bahrain International Circuit, saw all 11 teams participate, including Williams, marking their first official on-track running ahead of the 2026 season. The morning session was largely uninterrupted, with only one red flag period caused by Alpine driver Franco Colapinto, who stopped between Turns 7 and 8.
Verstappen’s early pace saw him trade fastest laps with George Russell of Mercedes and Piastri, though lap times at this stage of testing are not considered fully indicative of performance, according to reports. Audi also drew attention with the debut of a radical new sidepod concept on their R26 car, featuring minimal sidepods.
Several drivers experienced lock-ups, particularly at Turn 10, including Lewis Hamilton, Franco Colapinto, and Esteban Ocon. Ocon’s incident ultimately led to the red flag as his Alpine required marshaling attention. Arvid Lindblad of Racing Bulls was noted as the busiest driver on track, pushing hard and experiencing a slide during the session.
The testing schedule continues with afternoon sessions today, February 11th, and will run through February 13th, before a second three-day test is held from February 18th to 20th. Driver changes are expected for the afternoon session, with reigning world champion Lando Norris scheduled to take to the track.
