F1 Bahrain pre-season testing live commentary and updates - day 5
Follow for updates of day five from F1 pre-season testing for the 2026 season in Bahrain
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What a tough time Aston has been having. The car looks slow, and this is its third major issue in two days.
A crane has intervened to clear the stricken Aston, but it's taking quite some time, so I'll leave you in Haydn Cobb's capable hands for the remainder of the afternoon.
Thanks Ben, I'll try my best. So, 24 hours ago I was stepping away from live coverage under a red flag for Stroll's off in the Aston Martin. Now, I'm stepping back on to our live coverage under a red flag for Alonso's stoppage in the Aston Martin. Just a coincidence, but pretty weird.
We're still under a red flag as the Aston Martin mechanics arrive at the stricken car which had its yellow lights flashing to indicate its electrical status wasn't safe to touch. That's been resolved and the JCB is in position to lift the AMR26 to safety.
Aston Martin safely retrieved and the track has returned to green flag running. Plenty of eager drivers after that 15-minute delay - still more than enough time to get in a race simulation.
Of the latest runners, Perez has joined the action in the Cadillac for the first time this afternoon. F1's newest team is notching up the laps, Bottas did 58 of them this morning, but they are going nowhere near performance running as they are over six seconds off the pace.
Sergio Perez, Cadillac Racing
Photo by: Steven Tee / LAT Images via Getty Images
Antonelli, the fastest driver from the first Bahrain test, makes an early attempt to get that title back as he posts a 1m33.875s to go third for Mercedes.
But it is short-lived, as Piastri takes third from him for McLaren with a 1m33.624s.
But all of that is nothing compared to Verstappen's latest lap, as he produces the new fastest lap of testing with a 1m33.162s - taking a couple of tenths out of his previous overall best.
Verstappen has the best lap time but only the best sector time in the first sector (Norris holds that honour for sectors two and three). Given the opening part of the lap is mostly two long straights, that points to the impressive power deployment and top speed of the Red Bull Ford powertrain.
Meanwhile, Hulkenberg in the Audi goes fifth with a 1m33.987s on the C4 tyres.
Alonso's stopped Aston Martin has made it back to the pitlane and is being wheeled down to the team garage for inspection. The car is entirely covered by a sheet to stop prying eyes getting a good look at it.
Perez is back on track, this time using the test tyre, and marginally improves with a 1m39.323s but that isn't troubling any of the frontrunners. Given this is the start of a long run, that's not a surprise.
Antonelli is going through a series of constant speed tests in the Mercedes which, when you are used to seeing cars going flat chat and through the gears, it always strikes like there's an issue. But the Italian is all good and pits as planned.
Piastri plants his McLaren to the top of the times with a 1m32.861s - the first 1m32s of the test - using a fresh set of C3 medium tyres. The performance running is coming steadily.
Our eyes in the paddock spot Stroll and Alonso sitting together in the Aston Martin hospitality with not a lot to do. It hasn't been the pre-season that team had hoped for at all.
'aj.hartley' asks if the 107% qualifying cut-off still exists and we can confirm it does. So yes, in the cold light of the times right now, Cadillac would be sweating over that, but there has been no outright performance running from the US squad today so this is definitely not representative of their pace relative to the top times seen today. We're not saying they'll jump up the order dramatically, but they are comfortably fast enough to qualify for a grand prix.
Piastri attempts to wind up his McLaren for another quick lap but locks up into Turn 1 on the test tyres and the lap quickly goes away. After a recharge lap he goes again and pops in a 1m33.116s which isn't an improvement overall but still the second-fastest lap of the day in total.
The Australian driver did produce the fastest final sector of anyone though, which could be down to looking after his tyres over the lap or looking after his battery deployment for the final sector. Or both!
Still no sign of Hamilton as we head into this final quarter of the day. The Ferrari driver has completed 43 laps today having lost a huge chunk of the morning to a chassis issue. Which is a shame because we want to see that 180-degree spinning rear wing again.
Lewis Hamilton, Ferrari
Photo by: Andy Hone/ LAT Images via Getty Images
Verstappen nips out of the Red Bull garage equipped with some brand new C3 tyres, which is always exciting as the shadows begin to lengthen on the Bahrain circuit. But will it be a long run or a quali run?
Speaking to F1TV, James Vowles has said "Red Bull looked really good until we started talking about their power unit and they turned it down" which is amusing. Of course it is never that simple, but it is true the moment one team appears to be cranking up the pace, they immediately reverse into the pack to try to hide again.
It is a long run for Verstappen so the lap-by-lap excitement is quelled for now. Still, Hamilton has ventured out for the first time in over an hour, so what can he provide us?
Piastri practices a full and proper start sequence at the end of the pitlane to begin a race simulation. A lot of quick flicks and twists on his McLaren steering wheel to get the car ready to blast off and then off he goes. It is a smooth getaway - and with 1h45m to go today he's got plenty of time to get 57 laps in to simulate a Bahrain GP.
Colapinto wakes up the timing screen with a new personal best of 1m34.622s on the C3 tyres to go seventh for Alpine.
Piastri, on his race run, is tucked up behind Verstappen and both are on long runs on the C3s with the McLaren driver's tyres seven laps younger. He's getting a perfect experience of what it is like following another car at racing speeds. Let's hope the feedback is positive.
The Verstappen-Piastri couplet lasts a handful of laps before the Red Bull driver dives into the pits for a set of hard tyres after 16 laps on the C3s. Still, good data for all and how it feels to follow a race in close proximity.
Racing action everywhere you look! Piastri becomes the hunted as Hamilton, on fresher tyres, looks for a move on the McLaren driver. The Ferrari has to back out of it at Turn 4 but then gets the power down out of Turn 10 on the short straight to get ahead.
Elsewhere Antonelli has improved on his personal best but stays fourth with a 1m33.726s. Hamilton, on C2s, puts in his personal best of the day with a 1m36.413s.
Pancake day was Tuesday but here Ferrari is delivering a flipping rear wing on Thursday. We were so close!
One for our UK followers, I suspect.
Hamilton fancies another overtake as he hustles up behind Ocon in the Haas before getting on by.
On the race run front, both Verstappen and Piastri are on the hards for their second stints and there's little to choose between them. Verstappen, six laps further ahead on his race sim, is duly being caught by Piastri but the rate of degradation over the stint is evenly matched.
It might be no surprise but it looks very much like day done at Aston Martin with no signs of activity outside of the garage with the screens up. Alonso did manage 68 laps before his stoppage but in truth it wasn't much to write home about. They've got one more day to try to fix everything they can before heading off to Melbourne.
Fernando Alonso, Aston Martin Racing
Photo by: Guido De Bortoli / LAT Images via Getty Images
Hamilton is back in the Ferrari garage with the mechanics working on the rear brakes of his car. It hasn't been a smooth day for the Italian squad, with just 65 laps completed today and no complete race simulation within that, even if they've made headlines with their rear wing.
Lawson locks up under braking into Turn 8 and has to back out of his lap - the Kiwi had been pushing for a personal best in his Racing Bull having put in 'green' mini sectors in up to that point meaning he was on a personal best.
Verstappen pits to end the second stint of his race simulation, but it is a sticky left-front tyre which makes it a slow stop. But off he goes again on a fresh set of hard tyres with his Red Bull.
Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing
Photo by: Zak Mauger / LAT Images via Getty Images
Antonelli goes fastest! The Mercedes driver punches in a 1m32.803s on the C3 tyres to go quickest.
And just like that, lap time improvements everywhere you look. Ocon goes eighth with a 1m34.644s for Haas, Albon is duly shuffled back one spot having put in a 1m34.984s for Williams and Lawson gets a second go for a quick lap with a 1m35.335s to go 12th for Racing Bulls.
Colapinto suffers a huge lock up into the heavy braking zone of Turn 1 and cannot get his Alpine stopped in time so takes to the ample run-off there.
Hamilton the next to go off-track, as he locks up in his Ferrari into Turn 8 and has to give up on a lap.
Hamilton shakes it off and goes again to post a 1m33.928s, but does suffer a wide moment at Turn 10, so that puts him fifth and 1.1s off the pace set by Antonelli.
Piastri pits for the second time on his race run just after locking up and running very close to the outside barrier at Turn 10. McLaren also tested out serving a five-second penalty during his stop... well, I guess it is testing after all! The Australian is back out on a set of hards to complete his race run.
By: Autosport Staff
