Formula 1: Articles & News Reports.

[Fortitude]

Antonelli keeps Mercedes on top as Aston Martin stop again on penultimate test day.
Andrea Kimi Antonelli lowered the best time seen so far in testing to 1’32.803, getting within three seconds of last year’s pole position time at the Bahrain International Circuit.
19th Feb 2026
Keith Collantine
RaceFans

Max Verstappen was the first driver to improve on the quickest time from the first part of the day’s test. He went on to cover the highest mileage of any driver on the penultimate day. Oscar Piastri eventually returned McLaren to the top of the times with a best lap of 1’32.861. However with less than an hour remaining Antonelli narrowly beat that in his Mercedes.

Having done only five laps in the morning, Lewis Hamilton was quick to rejoin the track when the session resumed. Ferrari switched back to their conventional rear wing design having tested an unusual new model which rotated its main flap 180 degrees when activated. With around 20 minutes left, Hamilton moved up to fourth place in the times. The Ferrari arguably looked best when teams performed their practice starts at the end of the session, Hamilton pulling off the line noticeably more smoothly than his rivals and arriving at the first corner before them.

Only nine cars participated in the race start test at the end of the day. It briefly looked like there would only be eight, as Piastri had trouble changing up from first gear as he left the pits and temporarily parked in the turn one bypass before rejoining.

‘Antonelli keeps Mercedes on top’;

https://www.racefans.net/2026/02/19/...mate-test-day/


Test Times: Bahrain 19-02
19/02/2026
Pitpass

Today's Times - All Times Unofficial
Name Team Tyres Laps Time Gap
Antonelli Mercedes C3 79 1:32.803 129.548 mph
Piastri McLaren C3 86 1:32.861 0.058
Verstappen Red Bull C3 139 1:33.162 0.359
Hamilton Ferrari C3 78 1:33.408 0.605
Norris McLaren C4 72 1:33.453 0.650
Colapinto Alpine C5 120 1:33.818 1.015
Hulkenberg Audi C4 73 1:33.987 1.184
Russell Mercedes C3 77 1:34.111 1.308
Ocon Haas C4 58 1:34.201 1.398
Lawson Racing Bulls C4 106 1:34.532 1.729

Best Times To Date
Date Driver Team Tyres Time Gap
19-Feb Antonelli Mercedes C3 1:32.803 129.548 mph
19-Feb Piastri McLaren C3 1:32.861 0.058
19-Feb Verstappen Red Bull C3 1:33.162 0.359
19-Feb Hamilton Ferrari C3 1:33.408 0.605
19-Feb Norris McLaren C4 1:33.453 0.650
18-Feb Russell Mercedes C3 1:33.459 0.656
18-Feb Leclerc Ferrari C3 1:33.739 0.936
19-Feb Colapinto Alpine C5 1:33.818 1.015
19-Feb Hulkenberg Audi C4 1:33.987 1.184
18-Feb Norris McLaren C3 1:34.052 1.249

‘Test Times’;

https://www.pitpass.com/82071/Test-Times-Bahrain-19-02


Max Verstappen leads the way on laps, while Ferrari hit problems on Day 2 in Bahrain
19 Feb
Henry Eccles
GPblog.com

Max Verstappen led the way on laps completed on Day 2 of the final week of winter testing in Bahrain, the four-time world champion was the sole Red Bull driver on track on Thursday, completing 138 laps in total.

Bahrain Test 2, Day 2: lap count per driver
1 Verstappen 139
2 Colapinto 120
3 Albon 117
4 Lawson 106
5 Piastri 86
6 Antonelli 79
7 Hamilton 78
8 Russell 77
9 Hulkenberg 73
10 Norris 72

‘Lap count’;

https://www.gpblog.com/en/news/max-v...y-2-in-bahrain


Antonelli quickest on Day 2
19/02/2026
Pitpass

It's been said that the upgrades will come thick and fast this season, and Red Bull has already introduced a new floor, engine cover and sidepods, with other teams also adding new bits here and there as the data is analysed.

Yesterday, Lawrence Stroll was spotted in conversation with Adrian Newey and Enrico Cardile. Nothing strange about that you might say, but the discussion was outside the team's motor home on the veranda, which allowed at least one enterprising soul to use AI to try and lipread their conversation.

"Red Bull looked really good until we started talking about their power unit and they turned it down, which is amusing," said James Vowles. "Of course, it is never that simple," he admitted, "but it is true the moment one team appears to be cranking up the pace, they immediately reverse into the pack to try to hide again.”

‘Upgrades will come thick and fast this season’;

https://www.pitpass.com/82072/Antone...ckest-on-Day-2


Seven things we learned from day two of F1 2026's final pre-season test
19 Feb 2026
The Race

Ferrari's taken everyone by surprise
Two lessons from race start practice
Aston Martin is only fighting Cadillac right now
Mercedes angry but still ominous
F1's 'big four' have a big margin
Trials for energy management fixes
Overtake mode isn't worth much

‘Seven’;

https://www.the-race.com/formula-1/s...e-season-test/


Mercedes too strong for Verstappen and Red Bull in bizarrely fast long runs
19 Feb 2026
Shanna Lutgert
GPblog.com

Max Verstappen set the benchmark during the first test week in Bahrain, but it was shattered on day five by George Russell. On Thursday, Mercedes appeared to be a step ahead, while Ferrari also joined the party. George Russell also chose three stints and ran slightly longer runs than Verstappen. Norris completed one longer long run on the medium tire. What immediately stands out is that Mercedes is significantly faster than Verstappen this time around.

Does Wolff have nothing to fear anymore? Last week, the four-time world champion was over a second quicker than the German team, but now it’s the other way around. At the start of test week one, Toto Wolff still feared that Red Bull Racing would pull far ahead of Mercedes. For now, that doesn’t seem to be the case. Wolff sounded much more positive on Thursday in Bahrain.

‘Wolff positive’;

https://www.gpblog.com/en/analysis/m...fast-long-runs


David Croft calls Lewis Hamilton’s Ferrari a ‘rocket launcher’ after F1 testing practice start
19 Feb 2026
David Comerford
F1 Oversteer

David Croft raves about Ferrari launches in F1 testing. Hamilton cleared Racing Bulls’ Liam Lawson, Mercedes’ Kimi Antonelli, Haas’ Esteban Ocon and Red Bull’s Max Verstappen at the second simulated start. World feed commentator Croft couldn’t help but get excited. “Lewis Hamilton, as he did at lunchtime, getting the best start of all and takes the lead into the first corner from Kimi Antonelli and Esteban Ocon,” he said. “That Ferrari, for the second practice start in a row, has been the rocket launcher, as it were, on the grid.”

‘Ferrari a rocket launcher’;

https://www.f1oversteer.com/news/dav...ractice-start/


Adrian Newey is ‘convinced’ Aston Martin will emerge with the best chassis despite Bahrain test woes
19 Feb 2026
Ashley Hambly
F1 Oversteer

Adrian Newey is ‘convinced’ that the AMR26 will have the best chassis on the grid by round eight. David Croft has full faith in Adrian Newey turning Aston Martin’s issues around, and the man himself already has a plan to do exactly that.

According to a report by DAZN commentator Antonio Lobato from inside the pit-lane at pre-season testing in Bahrain, Newey has now set a timeline for when he expects Aston Martin to emerge with the “best chassis on the grid”. Despite the Silverstone-based team looking like the weakest outfit among their rivals, the team principal is reportedly “convinced” that Aston Martin will be a step ahead of the competition in “six, seven or eight” races’ time.

‘Round eight’;

https://www.f1oversteer.com/news/adr...ain-test-woes/

[Fortitude]

‘Total utter bulls**t’: Mercedes boss unloads over bitter F1 feud... and immediately regrets joke.
“We were told that the (engine’s) compression ratio was something illegal, which is total bullshit, utter bulls**t,” thundered Wolff during a press conference on the sidelines of F1 pre-season testing in Bahrain.
20th Feb 2026
AFP from Afp
Fox Sports (Australia)

Mercedes boss Toto Wolff on Thursday vigorously defended accusations of irregularities regarding the engine and fuel of his cars for the 2026 Formula One season, going so far as to joke sarcastically about being involved in the Epstein affair. For some weeks, Mercedes has been suspected by some of its rivals of having found a loophole in the new engine regulations concerning the measurement of the compression ratio and therefore the car’s power.

“We were told that the (engine’s) compression ratio was something illegal, which is total bullshit, utter bulls**t,” thundered Wolff during a press conference on the sidelines of F1 pre-season testing in Bahrain. “Then they come up with a story claiming our fuel is illegal,” he continued. “I don’t know where that comes from and it starts spinning again. “Maybe tomorrow we’re inventing something else? I don’t know, I’ve been on the Epstein files, God knows what.”

Moments later Wolff appeared to backtrack on his reference to the billionaire paedophile Jeffrey Epstein. “You’re not happy with me saying that, no?,” he appeared to ask his media representative. “I was too young. What? Oh, yeah, I must not say that.” The US Justice Department last month released the latest cache of so-called Epstein files -- more than three million documents, photos and videos related to its investigation into sex criminal Epstein, who died from what was determined to be suicide while in custody in 2019.

‘Total utter bulls**t’;

https://www.foxsports.com.au/motorsp...cc8607fb4d89eb


Red Bull engine emerges as wild card from pre-season testing
19 Feb 2026
Last Word On Sports

Red Bull have changed the narrative about their chances of being competitive in 2026, with their first ever F1 power unit exceeding expectations. The more pessimistic forecasts about Red Bull have been discarded, with the RB22 showing a solid baseline in Barcelona and Sakhir.

The question is now whether Red Bull’s package is strong enough to set the pace. At present, Laurent Mekies’ personnel are expected to be in the top four group with Mercedes, Ferrari and McLaren. Of course, being at the front and having the fastest car are two very different things. Whilst the Milton Keynes outfit continue to downplay their chances, rivals believe Red Bull are hiding their potential.

Aside from the Red Bull engine’s top speeds and horsepower, its electrical harvesting and energy saving is very strong. The Austrian machine is capable of recharging their battery extremely quickly, and – according to some analysts – faster than the other manufacturers. Although lower engine modes can hide a power unit’s brute strength, electrical efficiency is harder to obscure – and in this sense Red Bull are not going unnoticed.

‘Wild card’;

https://lastwordonsports.com/motorsp...eason-testing/


What explains 'rocket' Ferrari 2026 race starts
19 Feb 2026
Scott Mitchell-Malm
The Race

Ferrari-engined cars have turned heads at Formula 1 testing after taking off “like rockets” in the end-of-season collective practice race starts. Lewis Hamilton in the works car and Esteban Ocon in the Ferrari-powered Haas comfortably made the best getaways on Thursday evening in Bahrain, where these dress rehearsals are inconclusive but still indicative.

“I think everyone is taking it seriously, it looks like, because they were doing pre-start revs etc,” said Ocon when asked by The Race about how much could be read into the starts. “And yes, me and Lewis we rocket past everybody, pretty much. On my side they’ve put some safety before Turn 1 so I clipped after 200 metres! I was a bit frustrated, let’s say, that I had to reach the boost button to go faster. But it’s only testing and the important was the first 200 metres.”

Ocon is pleased with how repeatable the Ferrari starts are, as while it is “not quite yet the same as last year” it is already “nowhere near how it was in the beginning of the test and when we tried these cars for the first time”. “That was pretty strong the last two days, the way we started,” he said. “We're happy with it. We need to see when we go into tracks where there is much more grip on the line.”

'Rocket Ferrari’;

https://www.the-race.com/formula-1/f...ing-explained/


Hamilton starts add to mounting Ferrari evidence as rotating rear wing spotted – roundup
19 Feb 2026
Oliver Harden
PlanetF1.com

Thursday’s fast-paced F1 news includes Lewis Hamilton’s practice start in Bahrain adding to the growing evidence that Ferrari could have a key advantage at the start of F1 2026. With Ferrari debuting an innovative new rear wing design in Bahrain, here’s today’s roundup… Lewis Hamilton’s impressive practice starts in Bahrain testing has added to the theory that Ferrari could have an advantage off the line in F1 2026.

Mercedes driver George Russell claimed last week that Ferrari could have an edge with race starts due to the team’s smaller turbo compared to the opposition. F1 is trialling a revised practice start procedure in this week’s Bahrain test amid safety concerns over the F1 2026 cars, with Hamilton impressing off the line on Thursday.

‘Ferrari could have a key advantage’;

https://www.planetf1.com/news/lewis-...ahrain-testing


What we learned from Day 2 of the second 2026 pre-season test in Bahrain
F1.com’s Lawrence Barretto examines the key developments from Day 2 of the second 2026 pre-season test in Bahrain.
19 Feb 2026
Lawrence Barretto
Formula One - Official Site

The top four appear to still be the top four
Ferrari cause a scene with innovative rear wing
Aston Martin's woes continue
Mercedes enjoy ruthlessly efficient day

‘Key developments’;

https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/a...99M5uL35BLatxF


Is Aston Martin in big trouble after F1’s first Bahrain test?
Late start, new Honda engine and major changes combine to create a worrying picture
19 Feb 2026
Ewan Gale
Total Motorsport

Four seconds is a metaphorical age in Formula 1, yet that was the time gap that Lance Stroll believes his Aston Martin has to overcome after a day behind the wheel at the Bahrain International Circuit. The issue facing the entire team is that if it is that far behind in what is expected to be an immense development race, it could be out of the hunt before it has even really started.

With Fernando Alonso already making his quips – suggesting a chef could drive his car after his day of running in Bahrain – and Lance Stroll already disgruntled, how patient will his father be? The businessman walked out of the paddock last week with a face like thunder as it became apparent this was not the season he would have hoped for.

While the hope will be that Newey can work his magic, there is precedent in history that this isn’t always the case. His design work on the MP4-18 led to serious issues at McLaren in 2003 that meant the car never actually raced that season, the team instead continuing with a developed iteration of its 2002 machinery. Uncompromising in so many areas, it remains to be seen if the AMR26 is the same story or suffers from other ailments.

‘Worrying picture’;

https://www.total-motorsport.com/ast...-bahrain-test/


WATCH: What we learned from Day 2 of the second pre-season test in Bahrain
The F1 TV crew break down what happened during Day 2 of the second pre-season test in Bahrain.
19 Feb 2026
Formula One - Official Site

As the second day of the final 2026 pre-season test at the Bahrain International Circuit drew to a close, the F1 TV crew assembled to run through the key talking points. On the track, it was Kimi Antonelli who set the pace for Mercedes, leading the way from McLaren rival Oscar Piastri, the Red Bull of Max Verstappen and the Ferrari of Lewis Hamilton.

How are those respective squads looking as testing draws to a close? What about the rest of the teams up and down the pit lane? And can we start to predict a pecking order for the season opener in Australia? Also on the agenda is the rear wing element – which flips upside down in Straight-Line Mode – debuted by Ferrari, prompting plenty of chatter in the paddock.

‘Key talking points’;

https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/a...CQvqCemNA7Oa7l

[Fortitude]

Leclerc fastest midday in Bahrain on final day of testing.
Ferrari laid down another statement in the opening session of Friday’s final day of pre-season testing in Bahrain, with Charles Leclerc surging to the top of the timesheets while Mercedes endured its first on-track breakdown of 2026.
20/02/2026
Michael Delaney
F1i.com

Ferrari laid down another statement in the opening session of Friday’s final day of pre-season testing in Bahrain, with Charles Leclerc surging to the top of the timesheets while Mercedes endured its first on-track breakdown of 2026. Leclerc was in commanding form from the outset, clocking a 1m33.689s inside the first hour that would remain unbeaten through to the chequered flag. More impressively, the Monegasque racked up 80 laps in four productive hours, giving Ferrari both pace and mileage as testing entered its final stretch.

It was a sharp contrast to Mercedes, which had quietly impressed across the winter despite downplaying its prospects. With just under two hours remaining, Andrea Kimi Antonelli ground to a halt between Turns 10 and 11, triggering a red flag. The stoppage was brief, but terminal for the Italian’s morning. Mercedes later confirmed a loss of pneumatic pressure caused the shutdown. Although Antonelli still secured second place on the timesheets with a 1m33.916s from 49 laps, he did not return to the track and will next drive the car in FP1 in Melbourne on March 6.

Bahrain Test - Day 5: Provisional times midday
# Driver Team Gap Time Laps
1 Charles Leclerc Ferrari — 1:33.689 80
2 Andrea Kimi Antonelli Mercedes +0.227 1:33.916 49
3 Oscar Piastri McLaren +0.663 1:34.352 66
4 Esteban Ocon Haas +0.805 1:34.494 82
5 Isack Hadjar Red Bull +0.822 1:34.511 59
6 Pierre Gasly Alpine +1.157 1:34.846 57
7 Arvid Lindblad Racing Bulls +1.549 1:35.238 77
8 Carlos Sainz Williams +1.563 1:35.252 66
9 Nico Hulkenberg Audi +2.330 1:36.019 64
10 Sergio Pérez Cadillac +7.153 1:40.842 61
11 Lance Stroll Aston Martin — 6:56.931 2

‘Ferrari laid down another statement’;

https://f1i.com/news/559538-leclerc-...f-testing.html


Mercedes reliability issue strikes Kimi Antonelli as red flag flies
20 Feb 2026
Samuel Coop
RacingNews365

Kimi Antonelli brought out the red flag just after the halfway stage of the final morning of F1 pre-season testing at the Bahrain International Circuit. The Italian driver's Mercedes ground to a halt soon after Turn 10, with an apparent lack of energy deployment from his W17, although the specific problem is not yet known.

Enjoying a strong morning up to that reliability issue, the three-time podium finisher had completed 49 laps and currently sits second on the time sheets, with a 1:33.916 — just over two-tenths of a second slower than Charles Leclerc's leading time of 1:33.689.
Antonelli still holds the fastest time across both official tests in Sakhir so far. He set the 1:32.803 yesterday evening, with Mercedes remaining the favourites through pre-season, despite the controversy surrounding the compression ratio of its power unit.

‘Mercedes reliability issue’;

https://racingnews365.com/mercedes-r...red-flag-flies


Honda issue statement amid Aston Martin F1 pre-season disaster
20 Feb 2026
Jake Nichol & Samuel Coop
RacingNews365

Honda has issued a statement in the midst of Aston Martin's dismal F1 pre-season after a major failure for Fernando Alonso. After completing just 268 laps across the Barcelona shakedown and first Bahrain test, the team's testing plans suffered a serious setback on Thursday during Alonso's race simulation.

As such, Honda has released a statement, and confirmed that only "very limited" and "short stints" could be completed on Friday. "Our last run with Fernando Alonso yesterday showed a battery-related issue that impacted our test plan with the Aston Martin Formula 1 Team," read the statement.

"Since then, we have been carrying out simulations on the test bench in HRC Sakura. Due to this and a shortage of power unit parts, we have adapted today's run plan to be very limited and consist only of short stints."

‘Battery-related issue’;

https://racingnews365.com/honda-issu...eason-disaster


Fernando Alonso reacts to latest Aston Martin misery after Honda failure
Fernando Alonso has shared a bleak outlook on the current situation at Aston Martin as the Honda misery continues.
20 Feb 2026
Samuel Coop
RacingNews365

Reflecting on another frustrating day, the two-time F1 drivers' champion said: "It was not the easiest day with a few disruptions. It was important to get some mileage in, but it wasn’t enough, and we couldn’t complete our run plan due to a PU-related issue that caused an early finish to the afternoon session."

The Spaniard was forthright in his appraisal of the situation, adding: "There are many things we need to fix, but I know everyone at the track and at the campus is working at 100% capacity to find solutions."

‘Latest Aston Martin misery’;

https://racingnews365.com/fernando-a...-honda-failure


De la Rosa admits Aston Martin ‘not where we want to be’ as he opens up on team’s pre-season
20 Feb 2026
Formula One - Official Site

Aston Martin Team Representative Pedro de la Rosa has made clear that Aston Martin are “not where they want to be” amid a difficult pre-season period, with the squad working “flat-out” to get on top of their issues. Expanding on that in a conversation with F1 TV, former F1 driver De la Rosa said: “Yesterday we had some battery issues on Fernando’s car, and therefore Honda is carrying out test simulations on the test bench in Sakura.

“Due to this fact, and also the fact that we have a shortage of parts, we will be doing very limited runs today. They will be short and they will be separated by a minimum of half an hour so that it allows us to really look into the data, and be able to test some things in these few runs. We won’t be doing long runs today, for sure.”

He added: “Definitely we are not where we wanted to be. We have been the team with the [fewest] number of laps during pre-season testing. We would have preferred to do a lot more. But despite the fact that we haven’t done a lot of laps, we have an enormous amount of data to look into and to prepare ourselves for Australia.”

“Not where they want to be”;

https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/a...z8amwC9YZdwFGj


The disastrous Honda F1 spiral that Aston Martin’s now trapped in
20 Feb 2026
Scott Mitchell-Malm
The Race

Aston Martin and Honda have had nothing short of a disastrous start to 2026 with a Formula 1 pre-season beset by persistent technical problems. Honda’s engine is down on power and efficiency and is also encountering various problems across the internal combustion engine and battery. The problem is a negative spiral for Honda that Aston Martin’s been trapped in across this test, but began in Spain.

Aston Martin’s car was finished late and it only completed its first shakedown laps at the end of the penultimate day of that test, then had restricted running on the final day. As reliability problems have continued, and fresh ones emerged, in Bahrain the car has spent significant amounts of time in the garage not logging vital laps. This kicks off a hugely problematic cycle: Honda suffers a problem, which costs mileage and vital learning, so they cannot make enough progress and when the car goes back out, another problem is suffered. Then it repeats.

The upshot is just over 240km per day completed on average across eight-and-a-half days of possible testing. To put it in a 2026 context, a Mercedes-engined car manages just over 600km a day on average based on the 8.5 days of testing so far while Ferrari almost hits 600km per day as well and Red Bull (570km) and Audi (540km) are in a similar ballpark. The immediate priority is to establish a baseline level of reliability to complete laps and simply target finishing the season opener in Australia. Only then can Honda and Aston Martin really know how much of a problem they will carry into the season, and what kind of recovery is possible in the short-term.

‘Disastrous Honda F1 spiral’;

https://www.the-race.com/formula-1/t...ow-trapped-in/


Honda battery issue adds to Aston Martin's testing woes
20 Feb 2026
The Straits Times

Aston Martin's woes deepened on Friday after a Honda power unit issue sidelined the team on the final day of Formula One's pre-season testing in Bahrain. Engine partner Honda said in a statement that a battery-related issue had impacted Fernando Alonso's stint in the Adrian Newey-designed car on Thursday.

Alonso told reporters on Thursday that he had no doubt about Newey's abilities. "We need to unlock more performance," said the double world champion. "We're still going step-by-step into the car. We are a little bit on the back foot, we have to admit that, but hopefully there is time to improve.”

"On the chassis there is no doubt, we have the best with us. After 30-plus years of Adrian Newey dominating the sport, I think no one will doubt that we will find a way to have the best car eventually," added the Spaniard. "On the power unit, we need to wait and see when we unlock all the performance, where we are and what is missing, and then work hard."

‘Aston Martin's testing woes’;

https://www.straitstimes.com/sport/f...s-testing-woes

[Fortitude]

Ferrari's Leclerc dominates final day of testing in Bahrain.
The Scuderia charger’s relentless pace culminated in a blistering 1m31.992s late in the session, almost a full second clear of second-placed Lando Norris, as Ferrari’s SF-26 racked up over 130 laps.
20/02/2026
Michael Delaney
F1i.com

By the final hour, conditions at the Bahrain International Circuit were ideal, and the Ferrari driver delivered a performance run that firmly stamped his authority on the pre-season. Leclerc had already set the tone early, topping the first hour with a 1m33.689s and improving to 1m33.162s in hour two.

McLaren Struggles Amid Vital Track Time Lost: Reigning world champion Lando Norris finished second with a 1m32.871s, but his afternoon was hampered by cooling issues on the McLaren. He didn’t hit the track until the final two hours, limiting valuable preparation time. Despite this, the Briton managed nearly 50 laps, adding to teammate Oscar Piastri’s 66 earlier in the day.

‘Scuderia charger’s relentless pace’;

https://f1i.com/news/559557-ferraris...n-bahrain.html


Ferrari dominates final day of 2026 F1 testing as McLaren misses track time.
Ferrari and Charles Leclerc dominated the final day of the 2026 Bahrain Formula 1 pre-season test by almost a second, as McLaren missed vital track time.
20 Feb 2026
Lewis Duncan
Crash.Net

With track conditions at their absolute best in the final hour of the second Bahrain test, Ferrari and Charles Leclerc went for a true performance run. Having topped the first session with a 1m33.689s, which kept him fastest after hour one of the afternoon session, Leclerc strengthened his position with a 1m33.162s inside hour two.

With just under an hour remaining, Leclerc lit up the timing screens and produced a test-best 1m31.992s to move 0.879s clear of the field. That time came under no threat as the session drew to a close, with Leclerc putting over 130 laps on the SF-26 on Friday.

The Ferrari driver bested reigning world champion Lando Norris, who was second with a 1m32.871s after a troubled afternoon in the McLaren. The Briton did not emerge inside the first two hours of the afternoon session as McLaren worked on an apparent cooling issue. Missing crucial track time, Norris still managed almost 50 laps to add to team-mate Oscar Piastri’s 66 from earlier in the day.

‘Ferrari dominates’;

https://www.crash.net/f1/news/109001...ses-track-time


F1 Testing: Leclerc strengthens Ferrari hype as Honda issues halt Aston Martin.
20 Feb 2026
Jamie Woodhouse
PlanetF1.com

Charles Leclerc wrestled the Ferrari SF-26 at times to an impressive P1 on the final day of F1 Testing in Bahrain. Leclerc set an untouchable pace on Day 3 in Bahrain, his 1:31.992 proving the benchmark by nine tenths of a second. However, the likes of Lando Norris, Max Verstappen and George Russell did not take a final, qualy run shot at Leclerc. Aston Martin meanwhile completed just six laps all day, as Honda battery and spare engine parts issues bit.

Full Bahrain F1 Testing day 3 timesheet
1. Charles Leclerc Ferrari 1:31.992, 132 laps
2. Lando Norris McLaren 1:32.871, 47
3. Max Verstappen Red Bull 1:33.109, 65
4. George Russell Mercedes 1:33.197, 82
5. Pierre Gasly Alpine 1:33.421, 118
6. Oliver Bearman Haas 1:33.487, 88
7. Gabriel Bortoleto Audi 1:33.755, 71
8. Kimi Antonelli Mercedes 1:33.916, 49
9. Arvid Lindblad Racing Bulls 1:34.149, 165
10. Carlos Sainz Williams 1:34.342, 141
11. Oscar Piastri McLaren 1:34.352, 66
12. Esteban Ocon Haas 1:34.494, 82
13. Isack Hadjar Red Bull 1:34.511, 59
14. Valtteri Bottas Cadillac 1:35.290, 38
15. Nico Hulkenberg Audi 1:36.019, 64
16. Sergio Perez Cadillac 1:40.842, 61
17. Lance Stroll Aston Martin NO TIME, 6

‘Ferrari hype’;

https://www.planetf1.com/news/charle...artin-six-laps


Ferrari fastest by eight-tenths as F1 pre-season testing ends in Bahrain
20th Feb 2026
Keith Collantine
RaceFans

Ferrari ended pre-season testing with comfortably the quickest time around the Bahrain International Circuit. Charles Leclerc used the softer C4 tyres to set the benchmark lap time of 1’31.992 less than half an hour before the chequered flag fell. Most teams used harder rubber to set their best times.

The second-fastest time of the test was Andrea Kimi Antonelli’s 1’32.803, which the Mercedes driver set yesterday. A loss of pneumatic pressure cut his running short today, but team mate George Russell joined the track soon after the lunch break finished. He ended the day fourth in the times sheets. Lando Norris was second-fastest for McLaren but, like Mercedes, they did not improve on their best time on the final day. Max Verstappen took five-hundredths of a second off Red Bull’s quickest lap, leaving him third.

‘Ferrari fastest by eight-tenths’;

https://www.racefans.net/2026/02/20/...ds-in-bahrain/


Lewis Hamilton still lacks the ‘right feeling’ with Ferrari’s 2026 F1 car at the Bahrain test
20 Feb 2026
Kyle Archer
F1 Oversteer

Ivan Capelli believes Lewis Hamilton still lacks the “right feeling” with the front-end of the Ferrari SF-26 after watching the seven-time F1 champion at the 2026 Bahrain test. Lewis Hamilton lacks ‘smoothness’ driving the Ferrari SF-26 at the 2026 F1 Bahrain test. While Ferrari’s updates have impressed, Capelli believes Hamilton is still trying to find an improved “feeling” with the front-end of the SF-26 after watching him over F1’s two tests in Bahrain. Capelli has especially seen Hamilton struggle amid his attempted high-speed runs.

Capelli told Sky Sports Italy: “It is certainly an opportunity that he wants to seize, this radical change in regulations that makes him put his bitter memories of the ground-effect cars in a drawer and start a season where he wants to get back to being competitive. We haven’t seen how competitive everyone is yet. I saw him on the track last week, and I still think he hasn’t found the right feeling at the front to get into, at least in the fast practice sessions where I was, the smoothness of driving. He has to find that transition.”

Hamilton is said to have particularly found braking to be an issue in Ferrari’s 2026 car, as he either tries to brake too late or cannot tell when to brake and get back on the throttle. His issues are largely similar to the problems that frustrated him during F1’s ground-effect era. Ruth Buscombe believes Ferrari are trying to help Hamilton with their “clever” rear diffuser upgrade in Bahrain, too. Their addition of a small plate that blankets off half of the exhaust has the potential to improve how the SF-26 acts and bring it more towards Hamilton’s style.

“He has to find that transition”;

https://www.f1oversteer.com/news/lew...-bahrain-test/


Aston Martin's final day of F1 testing over early after six laps
Feb 20, 2026
Jon Noble
The Race

Aston Martin's troubled second Formula 1 test in Bahrain came to an early end on Friday, with the team abandoning running after just six laps. Having missed all but 15 minutes of track action in the first four-hour session of the day - as Aston Martin sat out until shortly before the lunch break to sort out a problem on the AMR26 in the garage - Lance Stroll barely got much more running done in the afternoon.

With around two hours and 20 minutes of running remaining, and the AMR26 up on stands in the garage, the team issued a statement saying its programme was done. Aston Martin had been braced for a challenging time already, with engine supplier Honda saying that a lack of spare parts would severely hamper the mileage it could do. But the day turned out worse than expected, as Stroll's six-lap tally has left Aston Martin and Honda facing a huge mountain to climb ahead of the start of the season in Australia next month.

Team representative Pedro de la Rosa: "Definitely, we are not where we wanted to be," he told F1TV. "We have been the team with [the] less number of laps during pre-season testing. Obviously, we would have preferred to do a lot more, but despite the fact that we haven't done a lot of laps, we have an enormous amount of data to look into and prepare us for Australia."

‘Six laps’;

https://www.the-race.com/formula-1/a...-end-six-laps/

[Fortitude]

10 things we learned from F1 2026 pre-season testing Week 2.
So what did we actually learn, once you strip away the sandbagging talk and focus on the themes that repeated themselves across the grid?
21 Feb 2026
John Smith
Total Motorsport

1) Ferrari looks properly quick
2) Mercedes the team to beat
3) McLaren quietly cautious
4) Red Bull power unit looks the real deal

5) The grid already looks split
6) Aston Martin’s winter was a disaster
7) Innovation is alive

8) The performance target
9) Haas the most convincing midfield team so far
10) Two rule concerns moved forward

‘Once you strip away the sandbagging talk’;

https://www.total-motorsport.com/10-...-testing-2026/


F1 predicted running order for 2026: Who is on top of the new cars?
Feb 21, 2026
Laurence Edmondson
Nate Saunders
ESPN.co.uk

1. Mercedes
Bahrain testing laps completed: 714 (6th most)
Bahrain testing best time: 1:32.803; +0.811 (2nd quickest)
2. Ferrari
Bahrain testing laps completed: 744 (4th)
Bahrain testing best time: 1:31.992 (1st)
3. McLaren
Bahrain testing laps completed: 817 (1st)
Bahrain testing best time: 1:32.861; +0.869 (3rd)
4. Red Bull
Bahrain testing laps completed: 672 (7th)
Bahrain testing best time: 1:33.109; +1.117 (4th)

5. Haas
Bahrain testing laps completed: 794 (2nd)
Bahrain testing best time: 1:33.487; +1.495 (6th)
6. Alpine
Bahrain testing laps completed: 667 (8th)
Bahrain testing best time: 1:33.421; +1.429 (5th)
7. Audi
Bahrain testing laps completed: 639 (9th)
Bahrain testing best time: 1:33.755; +1.763 (7th)
8. Racing Bulls
Bahrain testing laps completed: 723 (5th)
Bahrain testing best time: 1:34.149; +2.157 (8th)

9. Williams
Bahrain testing laps completed: 790 (3rd)
Bahrain testing best time: 1:34.342; +2.350 (9th)
10. Cadillac
Bahrain testing laps completed: 586 (10th)
Bahrain testing best time: 1:35.290; +3.298 (10th)
11. Aston Martin
Bahrain testing laps completed: 334 (11th)
Bahrain testing best time: 1:35.974; +3.982 (11th)

‘Predicted running order’;

https://www.espn.co.uk/racing/f1/sto...6-top-new-cars


Mercedes are ‘attracting interest’ at F1 testing after unveiling ‘extremely’ bold rear wing solution
20 Feb 2026
Kyle Archer
F1 Oversteer

Mercedes stun with two ‘horns’ on their rear wing at the 2026 F1 Bahrain pre-season test. Mercedes hit the circuit with Antonelli in the morning session with two ‘horns’ on the edges of their rear wing. The concept, ‘never seen before’ in F1 let alone on Mercedes’ car, has got the paddock talking owing to the aerodynamic gains from the ‘extremely interesting’ design.

The Silver Arrows have been able to anchor two flaps on the top element of their rear wing as F1 created more freedom for intelligent designs with the 2026 regulations that were not previously possible. And by anchoring the flap to the fixed part, Mercedes satisfy the rules. Having the additional flaps on the edges of their rear wing appeals to Mercedes as they can create more downforce when the wing is set to corner mode without substantially creating more drag. The flaps can thus help enhance the W17’s stability in the corners and traction.

‘Attracting interest’;

https://www.f1oversteer.com/news/mer...wing-solution/


Russell admits Mercedes 'stumbling' as Ferrari gain key early advantage in Bahrain
21 Feb 2026
Henry Eccles
GPblog.com

George Russell has admitted his concern that Mercedes are “stumbling” behind Lewis Hamilton’s Ferrari on race launches, revealing he has made his “worst-ever” practice starts this week in Bahrain testing. “I think two starts I've made this week were worse than my worst ever start in Formula 1.” - George Russell.

“I think we've got a lot of potential beneath us, but to win a race you've also got to get off the line quite well and I think two starts I've made this week were worse than my worst ever start in Formula 1. And Lewis, down in P11, got into P1. At this stage, I don't think it matters how quick you are, the thing that's going to trip you up is going to be that tallest hurdle and that's what we're trying to get our heads around right now and we're stumbling on something at the moment.” George Russell.

‘Mercedes stumbling';

https://www.gpblog.com/en/news/russe...age-in-bahrain


Fred Vasseur has changed Ferrari’s Australian Grand Prix objective after impressive testing
21 Feb 2026
David Comerford
F1 Oversteer

Fred Vasseur now says Ferrari are going to Australian Grand Prix to win. In an interview late last year, Vasseur said it ‘didn’t matter’ if Ferrari were ‘P10’ in Australia. It appears that the team are now feeling more ambitious heading to Melbourne. While Bahrain is regarded as a ‘power track’ dominated by low-speed corners, Albert Park is a fast, flowing circuit. That’s why Vasseur is wary of drawing too many conclusions from testing.

Ferrari have only won the opening round twice since 2010 (Sebastian Vettel in 2018, Charles Leclerc in 2022) but they believe they can start 2026 on the top step. Vasseur told Canal+: “Are we going to Melbourne to win? Yes, but so are McLaren, Mercedes and Red Bull. “We know very well that the Bahrain test results aren’t necessarily representative of the season. We have to stay calm, and that’s what we did today. I’m happy – especially happy that we did a lot of laps – and we’ll see in Melbourne!”

Before any testing had taken place, Vasseur was clearly expecting the pecking order to be somewhat fluid at the start of the ruleset. But most predictions now put Ferrari in the top two. Ferrari’s 2026 car has been called a ‘rocket-launcher’ at race starts, which could be a gamechanger in the early rounds. Even if they qualify behind favourites Mercedes, they could storm into the lead on lap one. Ferrari’s smaller turbo is helping them achieve the rapid launches, though there is a concern it could lead to a power deficit at engine-dominant tracks.

‘Ferrari’s 2026 car has been called a ‘rocket-launcher’!’;

https://www.f1oversteer.com/news/fre...ssive-testing/


Is Ferrari pulling a poker face over its true F1 2026 pace?
21 Feb 2026
James Phillips
Motorsport Week

Bahrain testing has seen the continuation of a long standing trend: the Tifosi has hope that the curse of ineptitude will end, and this will be the team’s year. Normally, this would be a seen as clutching at straws, but the SF-26 is demonstrating reasons for optimism. Ferrari appears confident, but is pulling a poker face. Sat in a high stakes game with its rivals in a dimly li room, it is biding its time, hiding its hand from the other teams with a wry smile on its face.

To understand Ferrari’s true pace in the baking Bahrain sun, we have to go deeper. Any analysis of testing has to be taken with a pinch of salt, but consistent patterns have emerged during both tests in the Middle East. Short run and qualifying pace look to be behind Mercedes, but comfortably ahead of Red Bull, and having a slight advantage over reigning champions McLaren. While not the best news for the Tifosi, it shows a remarkable improvement compared to the nadir of 2025, when the car dropped off a competitive cliff consistently in Q3.

Lewis Hamilton DNA and Ferrari ingenuity. Another factor behind Ferrari’s potential jump towards of the front of the pack is arguably one of its biggest detractors from 2025: Hamilton himself. The Hamilton DNA in the SF-26 may have brought the Briton’s competitive edge and chances back to life. His poker face is perhaps the most obvious of the Ferrari camp so far in 2026. The final piece of Ferrari’s hand comes in the details of the SF-26 itself. The car that launched in Maranello was very much an A-Spec car, Ferrari promising updates being added to the car during the Bahrain tests, and we got far more than we asked for


‘A poker face’;

https://www.motorsportweek.com/2026/...026-true-pace/