Leclerc leads Norris early in Bahrain after issues hit Mercedes and Red Bull.
Charles Leclerc finished ahead of Lando Norris during the second morning session of Bahrain winter testing, while Mercedes and Red Bull ran into issues.
12 Feb 2026
Olly Darcy
GPblog.com

On the track, it was Charles Leclerc and Ferrari who were the team to beat, with a 1:34.273 the fastest lap put down by anyone on day two of testing. World Champion Lando Norris set a 1:34.784 to put his McLaren in P2, but his 64 laps were the most of anyone, just two more than Leclerc's 62 laps.

The Alpine of Pierre Gasly rounded out the top three, while Oliver Bearman and Alex Albon finished the morning session in P4 and P5, respectively. Nico Hulkenberg finished sixth for Audi come the end of the four-hour session, with Liam Lawson and Racing Bulls were eight-tenths behind the German in P7. Cadillac's Sergio Perez and the Aston Martin of Fernando Alonso rounded out the top ten.

Pos Driver Team Best lap Gap
P1 Charles Leclerc Ferrari 1:34.273 —
P2 Lando Norris McLaren 1:34.784 +0.511
P3 Pierre Gasly Alpine 1:36.723 +2.450
P4 Oliver Bearman Haas 1:37.025 +2.752
P5 Alex Albon Williams 1:37.229 +2.956
P6 Nico Hulkenberg Audi 1:37.266 +2.993
P7 Sergio Perez Cadillac 1:38.653 +4.380
P8 Liam Lawson Racing Bulls 1:38.707 +4.434
P9 Fernando Alonso Aston Martin 1:38.960 +4.687
P10 Kimi Antonelli Mercedes 11:54.791 N/A
P11 Isack Hadjar Red Bull N/A N/A

‘Charles Leclerc finished ahead of Lando Norris’;

https://www.gpblog.com/en/breaking-n...s-and-red-bull


Why unusual Max Verstappen F1 2026 approach is proving controversial
Max Verstappen has adopted an unusual energy management technique. RacingNews365 technical analyst Paolo Filisetti explains why it may not be sustainable.
12 February 2026
Paolo Filisetti
RacingNews365

At certain points around the Bahrain International Circuit on the first day of F1 pre-season testing, it was clearly audible how Max Verstappen was performing some very unusual and entirely deliberate downshift sequences — specifically in sections where a downshift would not normally be expected.

It later emerged that the Dutchman — and also Audi — is using these downshifts as a way of charging the battery and having more energy available on the straights. Based on what we have seen so far, Verstappen's technique is undoubtedly effective, but specifically at this circuit; its impact is likely to vary from track to track over the course of the season. On some tracks, the drawbacks may outweigh the potential benefits.

In practical terms, and according to several engineers, it is very likely that over the opening races of the season, we will gradually see a blend of battery recharge techniques emerge, rather than one single dominant approach. What will ultimately prevail is a balance between the costs and benefits associated with each individual method. There is no doubt that energy harvesting and subsequent deployment currently represent the primary focus for all teams.

‘Very unusual and entirely deliberate downshift sequences’;

https://racingnews365.com/why-unusua...-controversial


Day 2 of F1 Testing: Leclerc Shines While Red Bull and Mercedes Struggle
FEBRUARY 12, 2026
SCOTT GULBRANSEN
sportsnaut.com

Red Bull and Mercedes, two teams widely expected to contend for the F1 2026 championship, spent most of the morning sidelined with mechanical problems while their rivals racked up miles in the desert heat. For newcomers trying to figure out the 2026 pecking order, here’s the honest truth: don’t read too much into it yet. Teams run different fuel loads, tire compounds, and engine modes during testing. But reliability? That matters. And Thursday was a rough one for two big names.

The F1 Start Problem Nobody’s Talking About Enough. One of the more fascinating storylines coming out of Bahrain has nothing to do with lap times. It’s about race starts, specifically how much harder they are under the 2026 rules. The new F1 engines no longer have the MGU-H, a component that previously used exhaust gases to spin the turbocharger.

Without it, drivers face significant turbo lag off the line. They have to rev much higher and hold it much longer before releasing the clutch. It’s a completely different procedure from what they’ve done for the past decade.

‘Day 2 of F1 Testing’;

https://sportsnaut.com/f1/f1-bahrain...edes-struggles


Ferrari SF-26 debuts ‘aggressive’ diffuser extensions to outpace Mercedes and Williams on downforce
12 February 2026
Ben Evans
F1 Oversteer

Ferrari have developed ‘aggressive’ diffuser extensions on their 2026 Formula 1 car. A report from Motorsport has shared more details about what’s going on with the back of Ferrari’s car this year.

A change in the 2026 regulations has allowed Ferrari to extend the sides of the diffuser structure in the hopes of improving the efficiency of the car and generating more downforce. Mercedes and Williams are two teams that have followed a similar path to Ferrari in the development of their diffuser.

‘Ferrari SF-26 debuts’;

https://www.f1oversteer.com/news/fer...-on-downforce/


Mercedes relied on manual hammer adjustments for W17 suspension in Bahrain testing
12 Feb 2026
Luke Newman
F1 Oversteer

Heading into the six-day Bahrain test, it was expected that Mercedes would continue their strong form. However, on the opening day at the Bahrain International Circuit, the team encountered issues with the W17. George Russell was able to complete 56 laps in the opening session and ended the day sixth on the timesheets, but Kimi Antonelli was only able to complete 30 laps after an issue delayed his running in the second session.

Mercedes were forced to fix a suspension issue with a hammer. After missing half of the session, Antonelli was released from the pits and ended the opening day of the test in 11th place on the timesheets. Mercedes confirmed that the issue they faced in the second session was not related to their Power Unit, but they did not want to discuss any further details regarding the problem. However, it is now believed that there was an issue with the W17’s suspension, which they were ‘hitting with a hammer’.

Technical Analyst, Sam Collins, added, “Well, I have been fettling about in the back of the garage, and they were hitting it with a hammer. So, I know they had a big problem. “I understand that the issue was in the suspension area of the car; they did not want to give more detail but obviously, they needed to make an adjustment with a hammer. So, that is a pretty substantial issue, because Mercedes are not the team to fix it with a hammer.”

‘Manual hammer adjustments’;

https://www.f1oversteer.com/news/mer...hrain-testing/