Ferrari set searing pace as technical drama hits F1 heavyweights
Charles Leclerc powered Ferrari to the top of the timesheets on day two of pre-season testing in Bahrain, leaving McLaren’s Lando Norris trailing as key rivals Mercedes and Red Bull battled significant reliability setbacks.
The Monegasque driver laid down a formidable marker for the Scuderia, lowering the event’s benchmark by nearly four tenths of a second with a blistering 1:34.273s lap during the morning run.
While the Italian outfit enjoyed a trouble-free day, the narrative elsewhere in the paddock was dominated by mechanical headaches for the sport’s other giants.
Stuttering start for challengers
Mercedes endured a nightmare opening to the session as rookie sensation Kimi Antonelli was confined to the garage for almost the entire morning.
A power-unit issue restricted the young Italian to just three installation laps, preventing him from setting a representative time before the lunch break.
Red Bull fared little better, with their programme severely disrupted by a hydraulic leak on the RB22.
Junior driver Isack Hadjar managed only a solitary lap before the team was forced to undertake lengthy repairs.
Mileage marathon
In stark contrast to their faltering adversaries, McLaren and Ferrari continued to rack up impressive mileage under the intense Sakhir sun.
Reigning world champion Norris completed a marathon 149 laps, finishing half a second adrift of Leclerc’s benchmark.
The Ferrari man was also a fixture on the track, logging 139 circuits including a full race simulation in the afternoon to gather crucial data on the new 2026 regulations.
Both stricken teams did manage a recovery of sorts later in the day, with George Russell dragging the Mercedes to fourth fastest after taking over from Antonelli.
Hadjar also returned to the fray, salvaging 87 laps for the Milton Keynes-based squad, though questions remain over their reliability relative to the rampant Ferrari.
Lewis Hamilton is set to take the wheel of the SF-26 on Friday as the test concludes, looking to build on the momentum generated by his teammate.