MOTORSPORT – PAPAYA continued to reign in Bahrain last night as Formula One drivers’ world champion Lando Norris topped the timesheet on the first of six days of F1 Aramco Pre-Season Testing 2026 at Bahrain International Circuit (BIC) in Sakhir.
Norris showed that back-to-back F1 constructors’ world champions McLaren are eager to defend their crown after setting the pace with a fastest lap of one minute 34.669 seconds.
The Briton was behind the wheel of his MCL40 contender as he clocked his leading mark during the test’s evening session, held under BIC’s bright, state-of-the-art floodlights and in cool evening conditions.
Norris completed 58 laps of running after taking over driving duties from teammate Oscar Piastri, who was in the car for McLaren in the morning.
Norris finished 0.129 seconds ahead of four-time drivers’ world champion Max Verstappen of Red Bull Racing on the day’s classification. The Dutchman was the busiest of the 18 drivers who took to BIC’s 5.412-kilometre track yesterday, racking up 136 laps of work as he was in his RB22 for the full day.
Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc was third quickest 0.521s behind Norris while posting 79 laps in his SF-26, while Esteban Ocon was fourth for Haas in his VF-26 0.909s from the top with 115 laps. Piastri completed the top five with a 0.933s gap in best lap times from his teammate. He registered 54 laps in the car.
Sixth through 10th, respectively, were George Russell (+1.439s) in his Mercedes F1 W17, Ferrari’s Lewis Hamilton (+1.764s), Alpine’s Pierre Gasly (+2.096s) behind the wheel of his A526, Audi’s Nico Hulkenberg (+2.192s) in his R26, and Alexander Albon (+2.768s) in Williams’s FW48.
Rounding out the times were Mercedes’s Kimi Antonelli, F1 rookie Arvid Lindblad of Racing Bulls, Williams’s Carlos Sainz, Sergio Perez for Cadillac, Audi’s Gabriel Bortoleto, Valtteri Bottas in the other Cadillac, Lance Stroll for Aston Martin, and Alpine’s Franco Colapinto.
Bahrain is hosting six days of the pre-season tests as F1’s 11 teams get acclimated to the new generation cars – a product of the biggest rule changes in the top flight’s history, which will be coming into effect in the 2026 FIA F1 World Championship.
The tests at BIC are also the first opportunity for F1 fans in Bahrain and worldwide to see the challengers in action on track. Testing continues today and tomorrow to complete the first three-day session. The second three-day session is set for Wednesday to Friday next week.
patrick@gdnmedia.bh
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