The Formula 1 2026 season first pre-season test in Bahrain has completed its first morning session on Wednesday, with the participation of all 11 teams, including rookie Arvid Lindblad, new driver for Racing Bulls, who completed 75 laps and delivered the sixth best lap time of the morning, at 1:37.945.
Four-time World Champion Max Verstappen was the fastest of the morning session, with a best lap time of 1:35.433 after 65 laps. Defending champion Lando Norris did not run in the morning, but his teammate, and third in the championship last year, Oscar Piastri, made the second best time, at 1:35.602, followed by George Russell and Lewis Hamilton.
Valtteri Bottas, in his return to the driver seat after working as reserve driver in 2024, completed 49 laps with the new Cadillac team. Lance Stroll for Alpine and Franco Colapinto completed fewer laps, with Colapinto clocking in five seconds slower than Verstappen.
We are one month away from the debut of the Formula 1 season, with the first race being in Australia, at the Melbourne Grand Prix Circuit, on Sunday, March 8... at 5:00 AM CET, 4:00 GMT.