Lando Norris topped the timesheets as Day 1 of the first official 2026 pre-season test drew to a close in Bahrain.
After Max Verstappen set the pace during the morning session on a lap of 1m 35.433s, the times tumbled further as running continued in the afternoon – and while the Red Bull driver bettered his own effort, Norris went even quicker via his time of 1m 34.669s.
This put the McLaren man 0.129s clear of Verstappen as the chequered flag fell on the first day of testing at the Bahrain International Circuit, with Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc, Haas’ Esteban Ocon and the other McLaren of Oscar Piastri rounding out the top five.
Watch the highlights from Day 1 of the first 2026 pre-season test in Bahrain at the top of the page.
/16x9%20single%20image%20-%202026-02-11T105611.479.webp?ssl=1 "Max Verstappen leads opening morning of first pre-season test in Bahrain")
