George Russell Tops Day 1 of Bahrain F1 Pre-Season Test as Lap Times Tumble

Sakhir, Bahrain, February 18, 2026: Lap times continued to improve on the opening day of the second pre-season test at the Bahrain International Circuit, with George Russell setting the benchmark for Mercedes.

Russell clocked a best time of 1:33.459s to lead the timesheets, narrowly edging out home favourite Oscar Piastri of McLaren, who posted a 1:33.469s. The Australian’s effort was exactly two tenths faster than the quickest lap recorded by rookie Kimi Antonelli during last week’s running.

Charles Leclerc of Ferrari completed the top three but was unable to match Piastri’s pace, finishing 0.270 seconds adrift.

C3 Tyres Dominate as Teams Ramp Up Performance Runs

All five of Wednesday’s fastest laps were set on the C3 compound, with track conditions closely mirroring those from the previous three days of testing in Bahrain. Unlike the first test, teams were permitted to select 24 sets of dry tyres from the full range of Pirelli compounds.

The C3 tyre proved the clear favourite, accounting for 72% of total mileage. Teams completed 842 laps on the C3, covering 4,556 kilometres. The C2 compound logged 227 laps (19%) and 1,228 kilometres, while the hardest C1 tyre was used for 48 laps (4%), totalling 259 kilometres.

The softer C4 compound saw limited action, primarily during the closing hours as track temperatures dropped. McLaren, Red Bull Racing and Williams combined for 47 laps (254 kilometres) on C4 tyres, focusing mainly on performance simulations. Notably, Piastri completed a 12-lap stint on a used set that had already logged seven laps.

No team opted to run the C5 compound during the session.

Piastri Quick Across Multiple Compounds

Piastri emerged as one of the standout performers of the day, setting the fastest times not only on the C3 but also on the C4 (1:33.641) and C2 (1:34.067) compounds. Meanwhile, Russell posted the quickest lap on the hardest C1 tyre with a 1:37.094.

Overall, teams appeared focused on evaluating car set-ups through a series of short runs, fine-tuning performance ahead of the season opener. Among the longer stints was a 15-lap run from Sergio Pérez, now driving for Cadillac F1 Team, on C1 tyres.

Verstappen Absent as Test Concludes with Procedure Trial

The only notable absentee from the day’s running was reigning world champion Max Verstappen, who did not take to the track.

The session concluded with teams participating in a trial of a new starting light sequence procedure, adding a final layer of preparation as Formula 1’s second Bahrain pre-season test gathers momentum.

With lap times tightening and tyre strategies evolving, the battle at the front between Mercedes, McLaren and Ferrari is already shaping up to be one of the key storylines ahead of the 2026 Formula 1 season.