Bahrain Test Day 2: Leclerc quickest as Red Bull and Mercedes run into trouble

Charles Leclerc set the pace in the morning session on Day Two in Bahrain, while rivals Red Bull and Mercedes both experienced problems.

Red Bull did one late installation lap after the team repaired a leak on the RB22 while Kimi Antonelli’s running was limited to three laps due to an engine issue.

Charles Leclerc beat Lando Norris to P1

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Thursday marked Day Two of the Bahrain pre-season test, and began without Red Bull on the track. The team discovered a ‘hydraulic leak on the chassis side’ during Wednesday night’s rebuild of the car.

Isack Hadjar had to cool his heels in the team’s garage while he waited for the mechanics to fix the car.

But he wasn’t the only one sidelined with Sergio Perez triggering the first red flag of the day with a throttle set-up problem. Cadillac was quick to resolve it, and he was back out on track.

Charles Leclerc set the early pace with a 1:34.442, putting him comfortably ahead of the McLaren of Lando Norris. Of course only the teams know what programme and fuel loads they are running.

Fernando Alonso was on track in the Aston Martin, laying down the laps as he bedded in the new Honda power unit. Aston Martin had to change the power unit on Wednesday, which limited Lance Stroll to just 36 laps.

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Two hours in, Leclerc was sitting up in P1 with a 1:34.442, 1.353s ahead of Norris. Pierre Gasly was in third place, just shy of a second down on the McLaren. He had covered the most laps at 38 while Kimi Antonelli had the fewest, bar Hadjar who had yet to appear, at three.

Antonelli’s running was hampered by an engine problem that Mercedes was working on, the W17 not expected out again until after the afternoon session.

Leclerc upped his pace to a 1:34.273, putting 1.5s clear of Norris as he hit the 50-lap mark in the third hour. The reigning World Champion closed the gap in the final hour to sit half a second down on the Ferrari.

Turn 10 remained a hot spot for the drivers, many of them locking up with Leclerc and Alonso adding to the list late in the morning.

A second red flag came out with 10 minutes remaining, but it was a systems test, not an on-track incident. The session was back underway with five minutes on the clock but there were no takers until Hadjar emerged from the Red Bull garage for a single installation lap.

The morning ended with Leclerc 0.511s up on Norris and Gasly third. Hadjar never made it out.

Bahrain Day 2 Morning Times

1 Charles Leclerc Ferrari 1:34.273 – 62 laps
2 Lando Norris McLaren 1:34.784 – 64 laps
3 Pierre Gasly Alpine 1:36.723 – 61 laps
4 Oliver Bearman Haas 1:37.025 – 55 laps
5 Alex Albon Williams 1:37.229 – 62 laps
6 Nico Hulkenberg Audi 1:37.266 – 47 laps
7 Liam Lawson Racing Bulls 1:38.017 – 50 laps
8 Sergio Perez Cadillac 1:38.653 – 42 laps
9 Fernando Alonso Aston Martin 1:38.960 – 55 laps
10 Kimi Antonelli Mercedes no time – 3 laps
11 Isack Hadjar Red Bull no time – 1 laps

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