Norris Tops Morning Session in Final 2026 F1 Bahrain Test

Lando Norris set the fastest time of 2026 pre-season testing so far for McLaren, narrowly edging out Max Verstappen's Red Bull in the Thursday morning session. While lap times hinted at a tight battle at the front, Ferrari's radical new car was conspicuously absent for most of the running, only emerging for a practice start after initially showcasing its innovative rear wing design.

Why it matters:

With just one and a half days of testing remaining before the season opener in Melbourne, this session offered the final glimpses of genuine performance before teams fully hide their hands. The times and long-run data collected here form the last major puzzle piece for teams and analysts trying to predict the early pecking order for the 2026 championship.

The details:

• Top of the Timesheets: Norris's 1m33.453s on the C4 tyre was just 0.006s faster than George Russell's Wednesday benchmark and 0.131s clear of Max Verstappen, who used the harder C3 compound in his first outing of the test.
• Ferrari's Mystery Run: After wowing the paddock with its radical 'rotating' rear wing, the SF-26 completed only a handful of laps. The car returned solely for a practice standing start at the session's end, with Lewis Hamilton managing just five laps total.
• Midfield Mix: Williams' Alex Albon impressed with the fourth-fastest time on C4s, while Gabriel Bortoleto (Audi) and Ollie Bearman (Haas) set nearly identical times close behind, marking Haas's best lap of testing.
• Mileage and Race Sims: Russell was the busiest driver with 77 laps and again showed strong long-run pace. Valtteri Bottas in the Cadillac appeared to complete a full race simulation, though its pace was roughly three seconds per lap off the fastest sims from earlier testing.
• Low-Running Cars: Several cars had limited track time, with Bortoleto's Audi (29 laps) and Liam Lawson's Racing Bulls (27 laps) among those completing the fewest circuits.

What's next:

Teams will now analyze the data from this session before the final afternoon of running. The practice race starts conducted at the end of the session will be particularly valuable for Melbourne preparations. All eyes will remain on Ferrari to see if it returns to meaningful track time, while the long-run pace of Mercedes and Red Bull compared to McLaren's single-lap speed will be a key storyline to watch as testing concludes and the real season approaches.

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