George Russell sets the fastest pre-season time in the morning session of the third day of F1 2026 testing in Bahrain
Mercedes’s George The British driver clocked 1min33s918 on his 78th lap, setting the lowest benchmark of the three days of activities. The mark surpassed the time of Lewis Hamilton, who now defends Ferrari, by 0s291.
The morning session, held between 10am and 2pm local time, saw high activity on the tracks and a red flag interruption. Valtteri Bottas, for Cadillac, stopped in turn 11 due to a mechanical failure, limiting his participation to just 35 laps. Outras teams maintained intense data collection and simulation programs.
Max Verstappen, from Red Bull, completed the top 3 with 1min35s341, 1s423 behind Russell. The Mercedes demonstrated recovery after limitations in previous days, while several teams prioritized long runs and reliability assessment.
Mercedes’s dominant performance
George Russell took advantage of softer compounds to consistently lower his times throughout the morning. The driver completed a full race distance simulation, totaling 78 laps with no reported mechanical issues.
The German team, which changed the power unit the day before, showed clear progress in single-lap pace. Russell highlighted the importance of maximizing track time on the last day before the break until the next test session.
Competitive Ferrari with Hamilton
Lewis Hamilton placed the Ferrari in second place, just 0s291 behind the leader. The seven-time champion completed 69 laps, focusing on medium runs and aerodynamic adjustments.
The Italian team maintained a regular program, alternating C3 compounds and collecting data for correlation with the simulator. Hamilton avoided unnecessary risks, prioritizing consistency in performance throughout the laps.
The small difference to Mercedes indicated a balance between the two teams at the top. The Ferrari has accumulated significant mileage, laying the groundwork for the season that begins in March.
Red Bull and Verstappen in the top 3
Max Verstappen placed Red Bull in third, with a time 1s423 slower than the leader. The three-time champion completed 61 laps, dividing his attention between fast laps and race simulations.
The Austrian team worked on setup adjustments to improve balance on long runs. Verstappen tested different fuel load levels, seeking to optimize consumption.
Despite the distance to the leaders, the Red Bull demonstrated high reliability. The morning program concluded without internal interruptions.
Positive surprise from Haas
Oliver Bearman guided Haas to fourth place, clocking 1min35s972. The reserve driver completed 70 laps, showing a competitive pace among the average teams.
The North American team accumulated more than 300 laps over the three days, standing out in terms of reliability. Bearman explored varied compounds, including qualification simulations.
Haas positioned itself as the best of the teams outside the traditional top 4. The performance reinforced aerodynamic gains implemented in the new car.
Problems at Cadillac and red flag
Valtteri Bottas faced mechanical failure which caused the only red flag of the morning. The Finn stopped at turn 11, limiting his mileage to 35 laps.
Cadillac, a newcomer to the category, concentrated its efforts on solving the problem during the break. The interruption lasted a few minutes, allowing activities to resume quickly.
Other teams took advantage of the break for final adjustments in the pits. The incident did not compromise the general schedule of the session.
Laps completed and focus on reliability
Several teams prioritized high mileage on the last morning of testing. Liam Lawson, from Racing Bulls, led with 84 laps completed.
- Liam Lawson (Racing Bulls): 84 laps
- George Russell (Mercedes): 78 laps
- Oliver Bearman (Haas): 70 laps
- Lewis Hamilton (Ferrari): 69 laps
- Oscar Piastri (McLaren): 73 laps
- Franco Colapinto (Alpine): 64 laps
These numbers reflected strategies aimed at racing simulations. Most teams exceeded 50 laps per driver.
Overall reliability was positive, with few interruptions other than the red flag. The focus on long runs prepared teams for the demands of the season.
Full morning session timeline
The times recorded show a concentration of the main teams at the top of the table. Below are the main results:
- 1st George Russell (Mercedes) – 1:33.918 (78 laps)
- 2nd Lewis Hamilton (Ferrari) – 1:34.209 (69 laps)
- 3rd Max Verstappen (Red Bull) – 1:35.341 (61 laps)
- 4th Oliver Bearman (Haas) – 1:35.972 (70 laps)
- 5th Oscar Piastri (McLaren) – 1:36.390 (73 laps)
- 6th Franco Colapinto (Alpine) – unspecified time (64 laps)
- 7th Carlos Sainz (Williams) – unspecified time (68 laps)
- 8th Gabriel Bortoleto (Audi) – unspecified time (60 laps)
- 9th Liam Lawson (Racing Bulls) – unspecified time (84 laps)
- 10th Lance Stroll (Aston Martin Honda) – unspecified time (54 laps)
- 11th Valtteri Bottas (Cadillac) – unspecified time (35 laps)
The difference between the leaders was less than two seconds. Equipes averages approached race pace.
Aston Martin faces difficulties
Lance Stroll completed 54 laps for Aston Martin Honda, but was at the bottom of the table. The Canadian driver recorded a time 4s5 behind the leader.
The team worked on suspension adjustments to improve handling in slow corners. Apesar of reasonable mileage, the pace remained below expectations.
The Aston Martin prioritized aerodynamic data collection. Melhorias are expected for the next testing session.
Preparation for the next phase
The teams ended the morning with detailed analyzes in the pits. The lunch break allowed for revisions before the afternoon session.
Individual programs varied between quick laps and long simulations. Most focused on preparing for the opening Grande Prêmio.
The data collected will be used for updates before returning to the track.
