F1 2026 Season Begins in Bahrain with Competitive Opening Test Day

The 2026 Formula 1 season officially kicked off with the first day of pre-season testing at the Bahrain International Circuit, offering the paddock its first real glimpse of the new cars and team performance ahead of the upcoming campaign.

Red Bull and reigning champion Max Verstappen set the early benchmark during the morning session, leading the timesheets with a 1:35.433 lap, narrowly ahead of McLaren’s Oscar Piastri and Mercedes’ George Russell. Ferrari also showed promising pace, with Lewis Hamilton placing inside the top four.

As the day progressed, McLaren emerged as one of the strongest teams overall, with Lando Norris eventually posting the fastest time of the day, followed closely by Verstappen and Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc.

Beyond headline lap times, the opening day focused heavily on reliability and data gathering. Williams logged one of the highest lap counts, while rookie Arvid Lindblad impressed with solid mileage for Racing Bulls.

Meanwhile, brief red flags interrupted running after technical issues for Alpine’s Franco Colapinto and later problems affecting Audi, highlighting the typical early-test challenges teams face.

New projects also attracted attention, including Audi’s striking aerodynamic concepts and Cadillac’s debut presence on track, as the evolving 2026 regulations begin to reshape the competitive landscape.

With two more days of testing remaining in Bahrain, teams will continue refining setups and evaluating performance before the season opener, using these early sessions less as a true performance indicator and more as a critical foundation for the months ahead.