F1 Testing Results: Bahrain timesheets as Russell dominates on day FIA proposes new engine test

F1 Testing 2026

F1 Testing Results: Bahrain timesheets as Russell dominates on day FIA proposes new engine test

All the times from the first day in Bahrain

Sheona Mountford F1 Journalist

Motorsport journalist working in F1 since 2024.

Wednesday 18 February 2026 17:06 Updated: 11:20

The second week of F1 testing at the Bahrain International Circuit has commenced with George Russell and Mercedes back on top after the FIA proposed a new engine test.

The British star topped the timesheets on Wednesday in Bahrain with a 1:33.459, but bigger news took place off the racetrack and could have severe implications on Mercedes' season after the controversy surrounding the geometric compression ratio trick in their power unit.

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Following an F1 Commission meeting which also took place on Wednesday, the FIA announced that a proposal has been put forward to measure compression ratios at both high temperatures and ambient temperatures, with power unit manufacturers due to vote on whether to introduce that rule or not.

There was also drama on track on the first day of the second week testing stint when Aston Martin star Lance Stroll caused a red flag in the afternoon, veering off into the gravel at Turn 11 and provoking concern that a previous hand injury could resurface.

Lewis Hamilton's afternoon running was also thrown into jeopardy when the screens were spotted up in front of the Ferrari garage, with the team working on his car.

The Brit managed to get back out on track 90 minutes later after the delay, accompanied by a hefty splatter of flow-vis paint on his SF-26. By the end of the day, Hamilton managed to complete 44 laps and set the seventh best time of a 1:34.299.

Isack Hadjar was plagued by technical issues in the RB22 throughout the morning session, experiencing a water system issue that kept the Frenchman off the track for a considerable amount of time.

The Red Bull star only completed 13 laps in the first half of the day, as concerns over reliability mount especially after a hydraulics leak last week hampered Hadjar's running too.

However, Max Verstappen's new team-mate managed to pick up an additional 53 laps in the afternoon after a difficult start to his week in Bahrain.

Verstappen himself was not part of Wednesday's running plan for Red Bull, and instead will enjoy a full day in the RB22 on Thursday while Hadjar will sit out the day.

F1 Testing Results - Bahrain Week Two - Day One

F1 Pre-season testing results: Day two
Position	Driver	Team	Time	Laps completed
1	George Russell	Mercedes	1:33.459	76 laps
2	Oscar Piastri	McLaren	1:33.469	70 laps
3	Charles Leclerc	Ferrari	1:33.739	70 laps
4	Lando Norris	McLaren	1:34.052	54 laps
5	Kimi Antonelli	Mercedes	1:34.158	69 laps
6	Isack Hadjar	Red Bull	1:34.260	66 laps
7	Lewis Hamilton	Ferrari	1:34.299	44 laps
8	Carlos Sainz	Williams	1:35.113	55 laps
9	Franco Colapinto	Alpine	1:35.254	60 laps
10	Gabriel Bortoleto	Audi	1:35.511	71 laps
11	Alex Albon	Williams	1:35.690	55 laps
12	Liam Lawson	Racing Bulls	1:35.753	61 laps
13	Ollie Bearman	Haas	1:35.778	42 laps
14	Pierre Gasly	Alpine	1:35.898	61 laps
15	Lance Stroll	Aston Martin	1:35.974	26 laps
16	Esteban Ocon	Haas	1:36.418	65 laps
17	Fernando Alonso	Aston Martin	1:36.536	28 laps
18	Nico Hulkenberg	Audi	1:36.741	49 laps
19	Arvid Lindblad	Racing Bulls	1:36.769	75 laps
20	Valtteri Bottas	Cadillac	1:37.246	35 laps
21	Sergio Perez	Cadillac	1:38.191	24 laps

Who's driving for the F1 teams in Bahrain?

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	Sergio Perez	Valtteri Bottas	Valtteri Bottas	Sergio Perez	Sergio Perez	Valtteri Bottas

When does the 2026 F1 season start?

After the first round of pre-season tests in Bahrain took place between February 11 and 13, the second round continues this week between February 18 and February 20.

All 11 teams will then be back 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 Testing 2026: Bahrain schedule, start times and how to watch it all LIVE

Written by

Sheona Mountford - F1 Journalist

Sheona Mountford is a motorsport journalist specialising in F1. As a writer and contributor, she covers a wide range of motorsport series from F1 to F1 Academy, responsible for breaking news, live race coverage and in depth analysis of the sport and the culture around it.

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F1 Red Bull Ferrari Charles Leclerc Isack Hadjar pre-season testing