F1 Testing 2026

F1 Testing 2026: Bahrain driver lineups and team schedules

Sheona Mountford Tuesday 17 February 2026 22:12

Antonelli during Day 3 of Bahrain Test 1

The second round of official pre-season testing for the 2026 F1 championship begins this week at the Bahrain International Circuit.

Last week we saw all 11 teams take to the track after the closed doors shakedown in Barcelona last month, but this week's test marks the first time fans can watch the full three days live.

Once again all 22 drivers return for three days (Wednesday February 18-Friday February 20), where the drivers within each team will split their duties between the AM and PM sessions.

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When will each each team and their drivers be in action in Bahrain?

So, when will each driver be taking to the track to get further acquainted with their brand new machinery following the 2026 regulation overhaul?

Each team has chosen to either split its driver duo up for the morning and afternoon testing sessions, or dedicate an entire day to each of its drivers. And we now have full details for day three for every single team.

This week's pre-season testing will take place between 10am and 7pm local time (AST) which translates to 7am until 4pm GMT, with the entire three-test being shown live on Sky Sports and F1TV.

Keep an eye on this article for the very latest updates:

Bahrain F1 Testing Lineup
Team	Wed AM	Wed PM	Thu AM	Thu PM	Fri AM	Fri PM
McLaren	Lando Norris	Oscar Piastri	Lando Norris	Oscar Piastri	Oscar Piastri	Lando Norris
Mercedes	Kimi Antonelli	George Russell	George Russell	Kimi Antonelli	Kimi Antonelli	George Russell
Red Bull	Isack Hadjar	Isack Hadjar	Max Verstappen	Max Verstappen	Isack Hadjar	Max Verstappen
Ferrari	Charles Leclerc	Lewis Hamilton	TBC	TBC	TBC	TBC
Williams	Alex Albon	Carlos Sainz	Alex Albon	Alex Albon	Carlos Sainz	Carlos Sainz
Racing Bulls	Arvid Lindblad	Liam Lawson	Liam Lawson	Liam Lawson	Arvid Lindblad	Arvid Lindblad
Aston Martin	Lance Stroll	Fernando Alonso	Fernando Alonso	Fernando Alonso	Lance Stroll	Lance Stroll
Haas	Esteban Ocon	Oliver Bearman	Oliver Bearman	Esteban Ocon	Esteban Ocon	Oliver Bearman
Audi	Nico Hulkenberg	Gabriel Bortoleto	Gabriel Bortoleto	Nico Hulkenberg	Nico Hulkenberg	Gabriel Bortoleto
Alpine	Franco Colapinto	Pierre Gasly	Pierre Gasly	Pierre Gasly	Franco Colapinto	Franco Colapinto
Cadillac	TBC	TBC	TBC	TBC	TBC	TBC

TV channel and live stream - how to watch live

In the UK, Sky Sports F1 will be showing every minute of pre-season testing action this week, having only broadcast an hour per day during last week's event.

This will be live on F1TV too, while the F1 website is the place to go for live updates on lap times, as well as interviews with various drivers and team bosses.

Fans in the UK also have the added bonus of a 'Ted's Notebook' from the great Ted Kravitz - that will air on Sky Sports F1 at 8pm UK (9pm CET, 3pm Eastern, 12pm Pacific).

When does the 2026 F1 season start?

After the final round of pre-season tests in Bahrain this week, the countdown begins for the 2026 season.

All 11 teams will then be in action when the 2026 season starts in Melbourne for the Australian Grand Prix. The first race of the year takes place on March 8 at 3pm local time (AEDT), 4am GMT, and 11pm ET.

F1 pre-season testing