F1 Bahrain pre-season test: Ferrari fastest as Aston Martin ends running early

Ferrari has achieved the fastest lap in Formula 1’s 2026 pre-season testing, courtesy of Charles Leclerc.

The eight-time grand prix winner topped the timesheet throughout the day. He was quickest in the morning with a 1m33.689s; in the afternoon, he successively brought this benchmark down to 1m33.629s, 1m33.162s and 1m32.655s with C3 rubber.

Leclerc then bolted on C4 tyres and lapped in 1m32.297s, then 1m31.992s.

Nobody else beat Kimi Antonelli’s 1m32.803s reference from yesterday, with Lando Norris closest. The McLaren driver, who didn’t run in the first two hours of the afternoon, ended up nine tenths adrift of Leclerc in 1m32.871s, with the C3 compound.

Red Bull took third with Max Verstappen in 1m33.109s on Pirelli’s prototype tyres, the same used by Mercedes’ George Russell to set a 1m33.197s. It was a trickier day than usual for the Silver Arrow; it caused a red flag in the morning session with Antonelli at the wheel, due a loss of pneumatic pressure, and consequently had to undergo a power unit change.

Alpine topped the midfield courtesy of a late effort by Pierre Gasly on C5 rubber, the softest in Pirelli’s range, which yielded a 1m33.421s. That was just 0.066s faster than Haas’ Oliver Bearman, who set his own benchmark using C3s in a 170-lap day for the team.

Andrea Kimi Antonelli, Mercedes

Photo by: Steven Tee / LAT Images via Getty Images

Audi was seventh-fastest with Gabriel Bortoleto lapping in 1m33.755s on the C4 compound.

The only rookie on the grid, Arvid Lindblad, certainly made sure he was physically ready for his step up to F1, covering a remarkable 165 laps by himself (555mi, 893km) on his way to a 1m34.149s – two tenths quicker than Carlos Sainz.

Then it was the now-usual suspects at the bottom of the classification. As has become customary, Cadillac didn’t take to the track for the first 100 minutes of the day; the American squad still completed 99 laps and Valtteri Bottas set its quickest time so far, but that’s just a 1m35.290s, one second away from the midfield.

Meanwhile, Aston Martin completed just six laps with Lance Stroll, setting no lap times, as an engine parts shortage ensued from the battery-related issue Fernando Alonso suffered yesterday.

F1 Bahrain pre-season testing - Day 6 results