Max Verstappen has kicked off the pre-season testing in Bahrain with an impressive performance, establishing himself as the fastest driver in the opening session of the day. The four-time World Champion led the time charts on Wednesday morning, setting a strong tone for the rest of the teams and drivers participating in this crucial phase of preparation.
Following the initial shakedown held in Barcelona, the teams have reconvened for the first of two three-day testing events at the Bahrain International Circuit. This time, all 11 teams are present, unlike in Barcelona where Williams opted out.
During these testing sessions, each team is permitted to run only one car throughout the day. Consequently, drivers must share their allocated driving time, which means some will switch places between the morning and afternoon sessions, while others may have the opportunity to drive continuously throughout the day.
Notably, Verstappen was set to remain in the car for the duration of Wednesday's morning session. He was quick to take to the track in his Red Bull at 10:00 AM local time, followed shortly by Audi’s Gabriel Bortoleto and Racing Bulls driver Arvid Lindblad.
Within the first half-hour of the session, a remarkable 10 out of the 11 teams had already completed laps on the circuit, many of them equipped with aerodynamic measurement devices known as aero rakes. Alpine was the last to join the on-track action, with Franco Colapinto making his way in the A526.
Just after several laps were logged, the session faced a brief interruption due to a red flag caused by Colapinto's car stopping on the side of the track. However, once the situation was resolved, the teams swiftly resumed their testing, eager to put their new cars through their paces.
As the drivers explored the limits of grip available on the track, there were a few notable moments; Lewis Hamilton experienced a spin, while Verstappen had a minor lock-up at Turn 1 before managing to return safely to the circuit. Throughout much of the session, Verstappen dominated the leaderboard with a notable lap time of 1 minute and 35.433 seconds.
As the morning session drew to a close, the track became increasingly crowded, leading to additional lock-ups and moments of oversteer. Some drivers also took the opportunity to follow closely behind others, gaining insights into the dynamics of drafting with the new 2026 models.
When the checkered flag finally waved, Verstappen remained firmly in the top position with his earlier time of 1:35.433, finishing 0.169 seconds ahead of McLaren's Oscar Piastri, who placed second. George Russell from Mercedes secured third place, trailing Verstappen by six-tenths of a second. Lewis Hamilton ended up fourth, while Esteban Ocon in the Haas rounded out the top five.
Lindblad and Carlos Sainz of Williams finished sixth and seventh respectively, both achieving the highest lap counts of the session with 75 and 77 laps. Bortoleto landed in eighth place, followed by Valtteri Bottas from Cadillac, Lance Stroll of Aston Martin, and Colapinto, completing the list of times.
After this intense morning session, the teams will now take a one-hour lunch break to regroup before returning for the afternoon session, which starts at 3:00 PM local time. Most teams are expected to swap drivers during this break, with the exceptions of Red Bull, Racing Bulls, Aston Martin, and Haas, who will keep their drivers in the car for the afternoon.
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