Norris Fastest as Mercedes, Aston Martin Hit Trouble on Bahrain Day 1
Defending champion tops timesheets ahead of Verstappen, but technical issues plague three major teams on opening day of 2026 pre-season testing
Lando Norris laid down an early marker for the 2026 Formula 1 season, setting the fastest time on the opening day of Bahrain pre-season testing while rivals Mercedes, Aston Martin, and Racing Bulls grappled with technical setbacks .
The McLaren driver, taking over from Oscar Piastri for the afternoon session, clocked a 1:34.669 to edge Max Verstappen by just 0.129 seconds as the first of two three-day tests got underway at the Bahrain International Circuit on Wednesday .
The Front-Runners
Norris’ best time came during a 58-lap afternoon stint that pushed McLaren’s daily total to 112 laps — a solid if unspectacular return compared to mileage leaders. Verstappen, who ran the entire day, topped the individual lap count with an impressive 136 laps for Red Bull, setting his best time of 1:34.798 on soft C3 tires .
Behind the leading duo, Charles Leclerc placed third for Ferrari, 0.521s adrift of Norris, while Esteban Ocon was fourth fastest and second in mileage with 115 laps for Haas .
Mercedes Stumbles
The team widely tipped as pre-season favorites encountered their first significant setback of 2026. While George Russell completed 56 laps in the morning, the afternoon session saw Andrea Kimi Antonelli sidelined for more than two hours .
« During planned set-up changes after Kimi’s first lap, we discovered an issue on the suspension that required further investigation, » explained trackside engineering director Andrew Shovlin. The Italian rookie managed just 30 laps total, running predominantly on hard compound tires in the closing hour .
Russell’s morning wasn’t without trouble either, as Mercedes battled « challenges with brake locking, poor traction and general inconsistency » according to Shovlin . The issues marked a stark contrast to their seamless Barcelona shakedown performance.
Aston Martin’s Honda Headache
Adrian Newey’s highly anticipated Aston Martin debut was severely curtailed by power unit problems. Lance Stroll managed just 36 laps total — only three in the afternoon — after Honda detected a « data anomaly » with the engine .
« The Honda team detected a data anomaly with the power unit in the afternoon, which required further analysis and limited Lance’s running, » the team confirmed. The issue proved particularly damaging given Aston Martin’s limited mileage at the Barcelona shakedown due to development delays .
The Silverstone squad is also reportedly struggling with car weight and Honda engine overheating — teething troubles that Newey’s aggressive design philosophy may be exacerbating .
Racing Bulls’ Fluid Leak
The Red Bull sister team enjoyed a productive morning with rookie Arvid Lindblad completing 75 laps, but their afternoon was completely written off due to a fluid leak. Lindblad’s running ended with the morning session while teammate Liam Lawson celebrated his birthday from the sidelines .
Alpine’s Early Stop
Franco Colapinto brought out the first red flag of the day when his Alpine stopped on track in the morning session. The Argentine managed just 28 laps before the stoppage, though Pierre Gasly added 49 laps in the afternoon to bring the team’s total to 77 .
The Reliability Picture
Despite the setbacks, teams accumulated valuable data on the new 2026 regulations featuring 50/50 electric-combustion power units and active aerodynamics. Williams led the mileage charts with 145 laps split between Carlos Sainz and Alexander Albon, while Verstappen’s 136-lap marathon demonstrated Red Bull Ford’s impressive reliability .
As testing continues Thursday, Mercedes and Aston Martin will be particularly eager to recover lost ground before the second Bahrain test (February 18-20) and the season-opening Australian Grand Prix on March 8.
Sources
- RACER: « Norris tops opening day of Bahrain F1 test as Mercedes, Aston stumble » (February 12, 2026)
- Formula1.com: « Norris heads Verstappen and Leclerc on first day in Bahrain » (February 12, 2026)
- Formula1.com: « What we learned from Day 1 of the first Bahrain test » (February 11, 2026)
- F1 Oversteer: « Aston Martin’s ‘main weakness’ in Bahrain test exposes cost of missing Barcelona shakedown » (February 12, 2026)
- Crash.net: « Explained: The issue that hit Adrian Newey’s radical Aston Martin in F1 testing » (February 12, 2026)
- Field Level Media: « Lando Norris posts fastest lap time at Bahrain preseason testing » (February 12, 2026)
- Motorsport.com: « F1 2026 Bahrain pre-season test: Lando Norris edges Max Verstappen on day one » (February 12, 2026)