Leclerc quickest, Hadjar P5 on final morning of Bahrain pre-season test
Published on 20 February 2026 by Stefan Meens
Charles Leclerc was quickest on the final morning of 2026’s second pre-season test. The Ferrari driver clocked the fastest lap around the Bahrain International Circuit ahead of Mercedes’ Kimi Antonelli. Oscar Piastri, McLaren, completed the top three. Oracle Red Bull Racing’s Isack Hadjar completed 59 laps in te new RB22, managing the fifth quickest time. The Frenchman will hand over driving duties to teammate Max Verstappen in the afternoon.
With pre-season testing coming to a close, the teams are keen to have as much track time as possible, meaning all teams, apart from Aston Martin, are out straight away.
Honda, the power unit supplier of Aston Martin explains why the team is nowhere to be seen on track. “Our final run with Fernando Alonso yesterday, showed a battery related issue. We have been carrying out simulations on the test bench in HRC Sakura. 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.”
At the start of the second hour, despite sunshine and high ambient temperatures, Haas opt to send Estabon Ocon out on intermediates. It appears that the American outfit are gathering data on how the ride height is affected as the intermediates and wet Pirellis have a different diameter compared to the slick tyre.
As the session heads into the third of four hours, the first red flag of the session is waved; Kimi Antonelli has parked his Mercedes on track between turns ten and eleven. The marshals are able to move the stricken silver arrow quickly behind the guard rails, allowing the session to resume after only a couple of minutes.
With thirty minutes to go, the Aston Martin finally makes an appearance, but after an installation lap, Lance Stroll steers the AMR26 back into the pits. Antonelli is also confined to the garage for the remainder of the session with Mercedes opting to change the young Italian’s power unit.
With eight minutes to go, the customary red flag is thrown, allowing the FIA to test their safety systems. As usual, the red flag is followed by practice starts, marking the end of the morning session.
