AM Session
The final day of pre-season testing at the Bahrain International Circuit got underway under warm and stable conditions, with Charles Leclerc setting the fastest time as teams focused on long runs and final data collection ahead of the season opener in Australia. Air temperatures at around 25–26°C, while track temperatures rose from 33°C to approximately 45°C as the session progressed.
Early Running & Session Development
Rookie Arvid Lindblad for the Visa Cash App Racing Bulls, was the first driver to head out on track, as teams gradually filtered into the session. Most drivers out on medium tyres early on, while Arvid, Lindblad, Esteban Ocon and Nico Hulkenberg, ran the harder compounds. Several teams split their ‘shifts’ with some drivers doing half-day stints.
Benchmark Pace & Mileage
Charles Leclerc—Scuderia Ferrari HP, set the benchmark pace, posting a 1:33.689 to go fastest in the morning session. The Monegasque driver combined performance running with long stints, completing 80 laps by the end of the session. However, Esteban Ocon — TGR Haas F1 Team narrowly edged him by end of the session, with a total mileage, logging impressive an 82 laps.
A highlight being his brief stint on intermediate tyres in dry conditions. Ocon showcased impressive car control, lighting up the rear axle and laying down a visible line of rubber before switching back to scrubbed medium tyres for continued data collection.
Mercedes Halt & Aston Martin Struggles
The only red flag of the session occurred when Kimi Antonelli—Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS stopped between Turns 10 and 11, causing a brief stoppage. Mercedes were subsequently forced to perform a precautionary power unit change, ending Antonelli’s running early despite him finishing second-quickest (+0.227).
Meanwhile, Aston Martin Aramco F1 Team continued to struggle, following a battery issue identified by Honda on Fernando Alonso’s car the previous day testing, the team ran minimal laps.
Lance Stroll, managed only a few installation laps late in the session, highlighting ongoing reliability concerns ahead of the season opener. As Pedro de la Rosa, Aston Martin Team Ambassador, explained:
“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.” (Honda Racing F1 statement)
Oscar Piastri of Mclaren Mastercard F1 Team placed third (+0.663), overcoming limited track time due to garage work to produce a representative lap.
Field Incidents & Lock-Ups
Lock-ups were a recurring theme as drivers explored braking points and grip on the new compounds. Isack Hadjar— Oracle Red Bull Racing, experienced a front lock-up, followed by a double lock-up from Piastri while on medium tyres.
Nico Hülkenberg—Audi Revolut F1 Team also ran wide but returned safely to the pits. Other minor off-track moments were observed but did not cause further stoppages.
Cadillac F1 team endured a challenging week, completing only 167 laps leading into today, while Aston Martin managed almost none before Stroll’s late laps.
FIA Systems Check & Practice Restart Procedure
In the final five minutes of the session, a red flag was deployed to allow FIA test procedures, with cars returning to the pit lane for systems checks. Drivers then completed practice starts to test the restart procedure. Ocon, Piastri, and Hadjar completed an extra formation lap, with Ocon leading off the line and the other two following closely, marking a controlled end to the morning session.
Afternoon Session – Pace Builds as Conditions Improve
The afternoon saw a reshuffle, with Lando Norris—Mclaren Mastercard Formula One Team, George Russell—Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS and Max Verstappen— Oracle Red Bull Racing joining the session, while Lindblad, Leclerc, Sainz, Lindblad, Stroll, Pierre & Gasly continued from the morning.
Track temperatures at 42°C but steadily dropped, offering improved conditions towards sunset.
It was a delayed start for McLaren Formula 1 Team, with Norris remaining in the garage behind screens due to ongoing issues carried over from the morning.
Oliver Bearman, stepping in for Ocon at Haas, was among the first to head out but completed only a brief run before returning to the pits. He was joined by Stroll, who continued Aston Martin’s limited running with short stints following their disrupted morning.
Meanwhile, Verstappen began with a longer stint on C3 tyres, while Sainz resumed his full-day programme, building on his earlier mileage. Russell also returned to the track following Mercedes’ power unit change, gradually working up to pace.
Ferrari Maintain Control
Leclerc, resumed where he left off, improving his benchmark to 1:33.629 before continuing to lower the pace throughout the session as conditions evolved.
Running all day, the Ferrari driver combined consistency with outright performance, reinforcing the team’s strong showing across testing. There were also signs of strong tyre management from Ferrari, particularly in the hotter conditions, suggesting a potential early advantage.
Mid-Session Developments
Lindblad continued an exceptional full-day effort, surpassing 100 laps early in the afternoon and extending his tally significantly. Sainz also crossed the 100-lap mark, completing a consistent running for Williams.
Russell steadily climbed the standings after Mercedes’ earlier disruption, while Verstappen completed long runs before returning to the garage for adjustments.
Changing wind conditions created additional challenges, with drivers, particularly Bottas—reporting difficulty adapting to a headwind along the main straight.
Aston Martin, meanwhile, called an early end to their day, with Stroll completing only six laps overall.
Late Performance Runs
As temperatures dropped to around 28°C, teams shifted focus to performance runs. Norris eventually joined the session and quickly climbed the order, with a series of strong laps. Initially moving into sixth (+1.217s) before delivering a series of improvements on the C3 compound.
The McLaren driver first jumped to fourth with a 1:33.999, setting personal bests across all three sectors, before climbing as high as second with a 1:33.373, briefly closing to just over two-tenths of the benchmark. He later improved again to a 1:32.871, underlining McLaren’s late-session pace.
Verstappen also delivered competitive laps, setting a 1:33.866 on C3 tyres to move briefly into second early in the run. Although he improved further to a 1:33.324 on a later attempt, the Red Bull driver ultimately settled into third, as others found more time in the evolving conditions.
Out front, though, Charles Leclerc remained in a class of his own. After already leading the session, the Ferrari driver delivered a series of dominant improvements, including laps with purple sectors across all three sectors, eventually posting a 1:31.992, the fastest time not only of the session but of the entire test.
Despite late gains from both Norris and Verstappen, neither could challenge Leclerc’s benchmark, as Ferrari closed out pre-season testing with a clear statement of intent.
Final Push & Session Conclusion
In the closing stages, multiple drivers completed personal best laps, including Gasly and Bearman, while Bortoleto improved on harder tyres.
Lindblad’s standout day continued, ultimately setting a new benchmark for laps completed in a single Bahrain test day with 165 laps, an exceptional display of consistency and reliability.
A final red flag was deployed for FIA procedures, allowing teams to conduct practice starts and formation laps. Russell led the final start simulation, successfully holding position ahead of Leclerc into Turn 1.
Key Takeaways
- Scurderia Ferrari HP end testing as clear pace-setters, with Leclerc topping both the session and overall test.
- McLaren Mastercard F1 Team recovered late through Norris despite early session delays.
- Oracle Red Bull Racing showed competitive pace but lacked consistency across runs.
- Mercedes —AMG PETRONAS Formula One Team managed solid mileage despite earlier disruption.
- Visa Cash App Racing Bulls Formula One Team Lindblad delivered one of the standout performances in terms of endurance and consistency.
- Aston Martin Armaco Formula One Team face concerns after extremely limited running across the test.