2026 F1 pre-season testing results: Leclerc beats Norris to top spot on final day
12 February 2026The second and final Bahrain F1 pre-season test of 2026 concluded on Friday with Charles Leclerc delivering a late headline time, the Ferrari driver setting the fastest lap of the entire test on the final afternoon in Sakhir.
Leclerc, who completed a full day at the wheel of the SF-26, steadily lowered the benchmark as conditions improved and ultimately fired in a 1:31.992 – the only lap under the 1:32 barrier across both Bahrain tests. The time sealed the top spot on the final day and ensured Ferrari ended pre-season testing on a high.
2026 F1 pre-season testing results
Pos | Driver | Team | Time |
1 | Charles Leclerc | Ferrari | 1:31.992 |
2 | Lando Norris | McLaren | +0.879 |
3 | Max Verstappen | Red Bull | +1.100 |
4 | George Russell | Mercedes | +1.245 |
5 | Pierre Gasly | Alpine | +1.412 |
6 | Oliver Bearman | Haas | +1.684 |
7 | Gabriel Bortoleto | Audi | +1.902 |
8 | Kimi Antonelli | Mercedes | +2.031 |
9 | Arvid Lindblad | Racing Bulls | +2.274 |
10 | Carlos Sainz | Williams | +2.511 |
11 | Oscar Piastri | McLaren | +2.689 |
12 | Esteban Ocon | Haas | +2.931 |
13 | Isack Hadjar | Red Bull | +3.112 |
14 | Valtteri Bottas | Cadillac | +3.447 |
15 | Nico Hulkenberg | Audi | +3.632 |
16 | Sergio Perez | Cadillac | +3.871 |
17 | Lance Stroll | Aston Martin | - |
18 | Fernando Alonso | Aston Martin | - |
19 | Franco Colapinto | Alpine | - |
20 | Lewis Hamilton | Ferrari | - |
21 | Alexander Albon | Williams | - |
22 | Liam Lawson | Racing Bulls | - |
Ferrari finishes testing on top
Leclerc had already set the pace during the morning session, but the Ferrari driver continued to push as the afternoon progressed. After briefly running wide while improving on his own benchmark, he returned late on to deliver the quickest lap seen across both Bahrain tests.
The Monegasque ended the day 0.879 seconds clear of Lando Norris, who joined the action later in the afternoon after McLaren completed work on the car following the morning session. Max Verstappen placed third for Red Bull, just over a second adrift of Leclerc’s best.
Mixed fortunes across the field
George Russell finished fourth for Mercedes after boosting the team’s mileage following a morning stoppage for Kimi Antonelli, who encountered a pneumatic issue. Alpine’s Pierre Gasly completed the top five, ahead of Haas pair Ollie Bearman and Esteban Ocon, who split their running.
Aston Martin endured a disrupted final day, with Lance Stroll completing just six non-timed laps after battery issues curtailed the team’s programme, while Arvid Lindblad recorded the highest lap count of the day at 165 laps for Racing Bulls.
With 2026 F1 pre-season testing now complete, attention turns to Melbourne, where the new era of Formula 1 will begin in earnest when the championship gets underway in two weeks.
