F1 Bahrain pre-season testing live commentary and updates - day 2
Follow along for updates on the second day of F1's 2026 pre-season test in Bahrain
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Lawson has appeared in the Racing Bulls for the first time today and is sporting one heck of a aero rake. We are talking a total garden fence panel that hangs across the centre of the car just behind the airbox. Well, big airbox, big aero rake.
Perez in the Caddy retrieved and off we go again.
As the rest of the drivers head back to the pits, Perez awaits recovery. The Mexican appeared to be on his out-lap and has come to a halt on the back straight.
Hold up, we have our first red flag of the day. Perez has come to a halt in his yet-to-be-named Cadillac. The timing screen had him down as stopped for a long time before the red flag was officially shown, so we had a feeling this was coming.
Perez in the Cadillac and Antonelli in the Mercedes make it eight teams to venture out so far, so we're just missing Red Bull, Aston Martin and Racing Bulls. Meanwhile Gasly has provided some quicker times to go top with a 1m39.625s.
That quartet have been joined on the track by Gasly and Albon, while Leclerc has given us our first lap time of the day: a 1m57.509s. Which, safe to say, won't be the fastest lap time at the end of the day.
The day starts with what appears to be a planned Virtual Safety Car test, as Norris, Hulkenberg, Leclerc and Bearman head out under VSC conditions. It lasts for a lap before the green flag is waved again and the proper testing can start.
And just to confirm as the green flag is waved, it is the same plan as yesterday. Four hours of running this morning before a lunch break and then another four hours of action, with the final hour broadcast live on TV for all to see.
It is potentially a big day for Hadjar given he hit the headlines for the wrong reasons with a crash in the wet during the Barcelona shakedown. It was far from the end of the world and the team's explanation of the barrier trouble took the blame entirely away from the French driver. But crashing in testing can be oh-so costly - just ask Gasly for his experience at Red Bull.
Isack Hadjar, Red Bull Racing
Photo by: Rudy Carezzevoli / Getty Images
Good morning one and all! Who fancies some more F1 testing action? Oh, go on then. Running gets under way in 10 minutes and here’s who is in action today:
McLaren: Lando Norris
Mercedes: Andrea Kimi Antonelli (AM)/Goerge Russell (PM)
Red Bull: Isack Hadjar
Ferrari: Charles Leclerc
Williams: Alex Albon (AM)/Carlos Sainz (PM)
Racing Bulls: Liam Lawson (AM)/Arvid Lindblad (PM)
Aston Martin: Fernando Alonso
Haas; Oliver Bearman
Audi: Nico Hulkenberg (AM)/Gabriel Bortoleto (PM)
Alpine: Pierre Gasly
Cadillac: Sergio Perez (AM)/Valtteri Bottas (PM)
By: Autosport Staff
