Verstappen tops first 2026 F1 test session in Bahrain as new era begins

Max Verstappen set the fastest time in the opening session of Formula 1's 2026 pre-season test in Bahrain, leading McLaren's Oscar Piastri by 0.169 seconds. The times, however, are over five seconds slower than last year's pole position, highlighting the significant impact of the sport's new technical regulations as teams focus on reliability and data gathering over outright performance.

Why it matters:

This test marks the first real-world running of cars built to F1's sweeping 2026 regulations, making every lap a critical data point for teams understanding their new challengers. With performance runs not yet the priority, the lap times are less indicative of the competitive order and more a reflection of differing run plans and early teething problems as the grid adapts to a new era.

The details:

• Top of the timesheet: Verstappen's benchmark of 1m35.433s on the soft tyre was narrowly faster than Piastri's McLaren. Mercedes' George Russell and Lewis Hamilton finished third and fourth, with the latter having a harmless spin.
• Mileage matters: Williams and Racing Bulls will be encouraged by their high lap counts, with Carlos Sainz and Arvid Lindblad completing 77 and 75 laps respectively. This was a vital shakedown for Williams, which missed the Barcelona test due to production delays.
• Trouble for some: Alpine's session was cut short by a red flag caused by Franco Colapinto stopping on track, leaving the team with the fewest laps (28) and the slowest time.
• New looks on display: The session featured several cars in their newly revealed 2026 liveries, including McLaren, Aston Martin, and Cadillac. Audi also debuted a radically revised car with new sidepod concepts.

What's next:

The test continues with afternoon and Thursday sessions, where teams will gradually increase their run programs and begin to reveal more about their car's potential. The focus will shift from initial systems checks to longer runs and setup work, offering the first glimpses of genuine performance trends. All eyes will remain on reliability, as completing laps without major issues is the primary goal for every team in this foundational phase of the new regulatory cycle.