Formula 1 began its new era on Wednesday as pre-season testing opened at the Bahrain International Circuit. Red Bull’s Max Verstappen set the fastest time in the morning session of Day 1.
The four-time world champion posted a lap of 1:35.433 on medium tyres and completed 65 laps in the new Red Bull RB22, powered by the Red Bull-Ford engine. His time was 0.169 seconds quicker than McLaren’s Oscar Piastri, who clocked a 1:35.602 and completed 54 laps.
Mercedes driver George Russell finished third with a 1:36.108, completing 56 laps. Lewis Hamilton placed fourth in his first official test session for Ferrari. The seven-time champion set a 1:36.433 and completed 52 laps. Hamilton had a small spin during the session but continued without major issues.
Esteban Ocon was fifth for Haas with 64 laps. Racing Bulls rookie Arvid Lindblad impressed by completing 75 laps and briefly leading early in the session before finishing sixth. Carlos Sainz logged the most laps of the morning, completing 77 for Williams and placing seventh.
New teams also joined the action. Audi’s Gabriel Bortoleto finished eighth, while Valtteri Bottas placed ninth for Cadillac, Formula 1’s new 11th team. All 11 teams ran during the session and focused on gathering data under the new regulations.
The 2026 cars introduce major changes. The sport now uses active aerodynamics, which replace the traditional DRS system. Cars also run on 100% advanced sustainable fuels. The new power units have a near 50/50 split between combustion engine and electric power.
More drivers, including Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc and Mercedes rookie Kimi Antonelli, will run in later sessions. Teams will continue testing over the coming days as they prepare for the start of the 2026 season.
Early lap times suggest a competitive field, but teams are still focused on reliability and setup work. The full performance picture will become clearer as testing continues.
