George Russell claimed the top spot on the first day of the second 2026 pre-season test in Bahrain, outperforming Oscar Piastri and Charles Leclerc. The Mercedes driver set the pace with a time of 1m 33.459s, just 0.010s ahead of Piastri's effort. Leclerc, who led the morning session with a lap of 1m 33.739s, saw his lead diminish as the day progressed. The afternoon session witnessed a surge in lap times, with Russell ultimately securing the P1 position. The day's proceedings were marked by strategic driver changes, with all teams but one opting to switch drivers for the second session, except for Red Bull, who kept Isack Hadjar in the RB22 due to track time loss in the morning. The session commenced quietly, with Ollie Bearman in the Haas leading the way, followed by Piastri and Lewis Hamilton's Ferrari. However, the day took a turn when Lance Stroll's Aston Martin became stranded in the gravel at Turn 11, prompting a red flag. The session resumed, and the teams resumed their programs, with just two and a half days of testing remaining before the campaign begins in Australia. As the sun set, Piastri took the lead with a time of 1m 33.469s, three-tenths faster than Leclerc's benchmark. The day's conclusion saw Russell maintain his lead with the highest lap count of 76, just 0.010s ahead of Piastri. Leclerc held onto third place, while Lando Norris and Kimi Antonelli secured fourth and fifth, respectively. Hadjar, Hamilton, Carlos Sainz, Franco Colapinto, and Gabriel Bortoleto followed, with Alex Albon in 11th. The remaining positions were filled by Liam Lawson, Pierre Gasly, Stroll, Esteban Ocon, Nico Hulkenberg, Arvid Lindblad, and the Cadillac duo of Valtteri Bottas and Sergio Perez.
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