Norris leads Verstappen on opening day of 2026 F1 pre-season test

Lando Norris topped the timesheets for McLaren on the first day of official pre-season testing for the 2026 Formula 1 season in Bahrain, narrowly edging out reigning champion Max Verstappen. The session provided the first glimpse of the new-generation cars under revised technical regulations, with teams balancing performance runs, reliability checks, and solving early teething problems.

Why it matters:

Pre-season testing times are notoriously deceptive, but the opening day offers critical initial data on car balance, reliability, and the pecking order. With major regulation changes for 2026 focusing on active aerodynamics and new power unit concepts, every lap of data is invaluable. Teams use this time to validate their winter development work and establish a baseline before the competitive season begins.

The details:

• Norris set the benchmark with a 1:34.669 in the afternoon, just 0.129 seconds clear of Red Bull's Verstappen, who completed a mammoth 136 laps.
• Ferrari's Charles Leclerc finished third, over half a second behind Norris, after taking over the SF-26 from Lewis Hamilton for the afternoon session.
• The day was marked by several technical issues. Aston Martin's Lance Stroll stopped early with a "data anomaly" on his power unit, requiring precautionary checks. Alpine lost significant track time with an undisclosed problem in the morning, limiting Franco Colapinto to just 28 laps.
• Mercedes rookie Kimi Antonelli managed only 30 laps as the team addressed an issue found during planned setup changes, while Racing Bulls retired its car early due to a fluid leak.
• The test also featured the track debut of Audi's innovative sidepod solution and Alpine's interpretation of the new active rear wing regulations, giving the first real-world look at 2026's divergent car philosophies.

What's next:

Testing continues for two more days in Bahrain, with teams expected to shift focus to long-run performance and race simulations. The limited running for some teams, like Mercedes and Alpine, means they have a compressed schedule to gather essential data. All eyes will be on whether the early pace shown by McLaren and Red Bull is genuine, or if other teams like Ferrari and the revamped Haas team—which placed Esteban Ocon an encouraging fourth—have more performance to unlock. The true competitive picture will remain unclear until qualifying for the Bahrain Grand Prix in two weeks.