F1 Practice Results: Leclerc Fastest, Verstappen & Hamilton Miss Session

Charles Leclerc of Ferrari set the fastest lap time on the second day of Formula 1 pre-season testing at the Bahrain International Circuit on Thursday, clocking a 1:34.273. The time edged out McLaren’s Lando Norris by 0.511 seconds, continuing a trend of strong performance from the Italian and British teams as preparations intensify for the 2026 season.

Norris, the reigning World Champion, finished second, while Haas’ Oliver Bearman secured third place with a lap time of 1:35.394. George Russell of Mercedes followed in fourth, posting a 1:35.466, and Isack Hadjar rounded out the top five for Red Bull with a 1:36.561.

The testing session, designed to allow teams to adapt to new power unit and chassis regulations, saw varied levels of success. Ferrari and McLaren demonstrated consistent running and pace, with Leclerc completing 139 laps and Norris managing 149. However, several other teams encountered technical difficulties.

Mercedes experienced a disrupted morning session as Andrea Kimi Antonelli managed only three laps before a power unit issue halted his run. The team later improved with Russell’s afternoon performance. Red Bull also faced early setbacks with Hadjar, though he was able to complete more laps later in the day. Alpine’s Pierre Gasly also experienced issues, triggering a red flag when his car stopped on track. A separate red flag was caused by debris from Valtteri Bottas’ Cadillac, narrowly missing Carlos Sainz’s Williams.

Audi, preparing for its debut F1 season, saw Gabriel Bortoleto finish sixth and Nico Hulkenberg tenth. Cadillac’s Bottas was eighth, while Williams’ Alex Albon placed ninth. Racing Bulls drivers Arvid Lindblad and Liam Lawson were eleventh and thirteenth respectively, sandwiching Sainz in twelfth. Fernando Alonso of Aston Martin finished fourteenth.

Several drivers did not participate in Thursday’s running, including Max Verstappen and Lance Stroll of Red Bull and Aston Martin respectively. Esteban Ocon (Haas), Franco Colapinto (Alpine), Lewis Hamilton (Ferrari), and Oscar Piastri (McLaren) also remained absent from the track. Kimi Antonelli did not set a lap time.

The pre-season testing continues, with a second test scheduled for February 18-20 at the Bahrain International Circuit.