With the Formula 1 opening Grand Prix in Australia right around the corner on March 8, let’s review the highs and lows of the final 2026 testing session that wrapped in Bahrain last Friday.

On pace, Scuderia Ferrari delivered the standout performance of the week, with Charles Leclerc leading the timesheet on the final day with a best lap of 1:31.992. He was nearly nine-tenths quicker than defending champion Lando Norris of McLaren. Leclerc was the only driver to dip into below 1:32. His quick pace, combined with his 132 laps completed, showcased Ferrari’s ability to hit both speed and reliability during test conditions. 

The team’s excellent showing came on the heels of a solid first week of testing February 11-13. At that event, Ferrari completed the third-most laps, with Leclerc clocking the third-fastest laptime and teammate Lewis Hamilton notching the fourth-quickest time around the circuit.

Mercedes was regularly among the quickest cars last week and showed strong reliability. On Day 1, George Russell set the fastest lap (1:33.459) of the session, narrowly ahead of McLaren’s Oscar Piastri. On Day 2, Kimi Antonelli topped the timesheet, again ahead of close rivals McLaren and Red Bull. 

McLaren was consistently competitive throughout the week. Over the full test event, both Papaya drivers posted quick laps. Piastri’s best was 1:32.861 and Norris nailed a 1:32.871, placing them among the leading drivers. On Day 1, Piastri was just 0.01 seconds behind Russell for the fastest time in that session. On Day 3, Norris was the second-fastest driver on track behind Leclerc.

On the final day of testing, Max Verstappen of Red Bull posted the third-fastest time with a 1:33.109, third behind Leclerc and Norris. Red Bull is notorious for keeping their best performance under wraps until the last possible moment. But we have to wonder if they have work to do on their first home-brewed power unit to challenge Ferrari, Merc and McLaren on pace.

Speaking of Red Bull, a notable highlight came from Racing Bulls‘ rookie Arvid Lindblad, who set a single-day record of 165 laps, underlining both driver fitness for long stints and the team’s reliability this week. 

The new U.S. based Cadillac team capped its Bahrain testing campaign with a solid and largely trouble-free run. Drivers Sergio Perez and Valtteri Bottas completed a comprehensive program across the three days of the session, focusing on racking up mileage, checking systems and gauging aerodynamics. In total, Cadillac logged 266 laps during the second test and slightly more than 2,000 miles over the two Bahrain sessions, exceeding the equivalent of more than 10 race distances. In short, it was a respectable achievement for a debut outfit still building its infrastructure.