Bahrain Test Day 2: Leclerc fastest as five red flags interrupt second day of F1 2026 testing

Charles Leclerc’s lap stood the test of time on Day 2 of F1 2026 testing in Bahrain.

It was a somewhat disrupted second day of action at the Bahrain International Circuit, where a total of five red flags flew, with problems for the likes of Red Bull, Mercedes and Alpine.

Charles Leclerc and Ferrari top Day 2 in Bahrain

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Leclerc had set the pace on the morning of Day 2 in Bahrain, a session in which both Red Bull and Mercedes encountered gremlins.

A Mercedes engine issue saw Kimi Antonelli complete just three laps, while Isack Hadjar did not get a timed lap on the board, following a hydraulic leak on his Red Bull.

Hadjar was quickly out on track when the light went green to kick-start the afternoon running.

Ferrari meanwhile was switching it up, giving the front-left of their SF-26 a flow-vis paint job, having done the same for the rear corner in the morning. Leclerc continued at the wheel.

Alonso continued to lay down the laps for Aston Martin, after a disrupted Day 1 limited Lance Stroll to just 36 laps.

Aston Martin is a team with work to do, according to Stroll, who told PlanetF1.com and others that the Silverstone squad must “try and find four seconds of performance.” That is seconds, not tenths.

Red Bull and its new power unit continued to impress, meanwhile, as Williams boss James Vowles told Sky: “We are seeing six tenths consistently into Turn 1. We can’t get close to that.”

Mercedes returned to the Day 2 action as George Russell rolled out onto the Bahrain circuit, ahead of brief red flag for debris on the straight.

As the sun set and the floodlights began to take hold, another red flag interruption came about. Pierre Gasly’s Alpine had come to a halt at Turn 1.

Still, with 97 laps on the board for Gasly and Alpine, it had been a productive day, one which did not resume for the Frenchman after that stoppage.

With the track back to green, and around two hours of the day remaining, Russell and Hadjar were among the cars back out on track, as was Norris, who having got tucked up behind Alex Albon’s Williams during the morning, had swapped to the services of Valtteri Bottas in the Cadillac.

Norris cut underneath the Cadillac at Turn 9 to bring that potential dirty air experiment to an end.

Russell had a trip into the run-off at Turn 10, while Leclerc, Norris and Oliver Bearman all passed the 100 laps marker going into the final hour of running. F1 2026’s only rookie Arvid Lindblad continued to stack up the laps in the VCARB 03, but was also caught out briefly by the tricky Turn 10.

As was Hadjar, who was getting crucial track time in after the morning disturbances.

There had been a lack of headline times, but the pace began to ramp up in the final hour. Lindblad clocked a 1:37.470 new personal best, though a slide at the final corner did the Brit no favours.

A fifth and final red flag with less than 10 minutes to go was likely an FIA systems check, as Ferrari ended the day on top, Leclerc’s 1:34.273 standing the test of time.

Full Bahrain Day 2 timesheet

1. Charles Leclerc Ferrari 1:34.273 – 139 laps
2. Lando Norris McLaren 1:34.784 – 149
3. Oliver Bearman Haas 1:35.394 – 130
4. George Russell Mercedes 1:35.466 – 54
5. Isack Hadjar Red Bull 1:36.561 – 87
6. Gabriel Bortoleto Audi 1:36.670 – 67
7. Pierre Gasly Alpine 1:36.723 – 97
8. Valtteri Bottas Cadillac 1:36.824 – 67
9. Alex Albon Williams 1:37.229 – 62
10. Nico Hulkenberg Audi 1:37.266 – 47
11. Arvid Lindblad Racing Bulls 1:37.470 – 83
12. Carlos Sainz Williams 1:37.592 – 69
13. Liam Lawson Racing Bulls 1:38.017 – 50
14. Fernando Alonso Aston Martin 1:38.248 – 98
15. Sergio Perez Cadillac 1:38.653 – 42
16. Kimi Antinonelli Mercedes No time – 3

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