Day 2 of test 2 at the 2026 Bahrain F1 testing is completed, view the full report and results here.
Compared to day 1 of test 2, more teams opted to give their driver a full day of 2026 Bahrain F1 testing. Among those with a full day were World Champions Max Verstappen, Lewis Hamilton, and Fernando Alonso.
Hour 1 of 2026 Bahrain F1 Testing, Test 2
The track was busy right after the green light, with everyone eager to get some laps in. Lando Norris and Red Bull’s Max Verstappen traded fastest lap times in the first hour. The reigning Champion held the fastest time, a 1:33.453, after the first hour of 2026 Bahrain F1 testing, a tenth ahead of Verstappen. Notably absent from the opening hour of day 2 was Cadillac driver Valtteri Bottas. Most drivers opted to start the day on the C3 medium compound, while Norris chose the C4, and Mercedes’ George Russell the C1, with both completing 17 laps.
Hour 2
There was very little running from Ferrari driver Lewis Hamilton in the opening stages. The Briton completed only 5 laps before diving into the garage, where the team put up screens to work on the car. Also absent were Audi’s Gabriel Bortoletto and Racing Bull’s Liam Lawson, who both completed 8 laps, as well as Bottas, who only came out for an installation lap during the second hour of day 2 of 2026 F1 testing in Bahrain.
Busiest in the second hour were Russell and Williams’ Alex Albon, who racked up 36 laps. There wasn’t any change at the top of the timing sheet, as Norris’s lap time, set in hour 1, held firm with Verstappen and Russell completing the Top 3.
Hour 3
After only completing an installation lap with aero rakes mounted on the car, Bottas finally headed out for some laps in hour 3. The Finn completed a total of 28 laps. While every driver put in some laps, Hamilton remained absent as Ferrari reportedly worked on the rear of the SF 26. Meanwhile, Albon remained busy as the first driver to complete 50 laps in the morning session on day 2 of 2026 Bahrain F1 Testing. Russell closely followed him, completing 60 laps in 3 hours. remained the fastest man on track in hour 3, ahead of Verstappen and Russell.
Hour 4
As the morning session neared its end, the track was busy with drivers collecting long-run data. Bottas made up for missing most of the early running, ending his day with 58 laps to his name. By the end of the am session, Russell put the most laps (77) on track across the first 4 hours of day 2 of test 2 at the 2026 Bahrain F1 testing. In comparison, Lewis Hamilton completed the fewest laps in the session, with only 5 laps, heading out again only in the final minutes of the morning practice. Although the Ferrari remained stationary for most of the session, their unique rotating rear wing attracted attention.
Results after the morning session on Day 2, of 2026 Bahrain F1 Testing, Test 2
Hour 5 of 2026 Bahrain F1 Testing, Test 2
Back from the break for the evening session on day 2 of the 2026 Bahrain F1 Testing, Oscar Piastri, Kimi Antonelli, Esteban Ocon, Nico Hülkenberg, and Sergio Pérez joined today’s running. After missing most of the morning session, Hamilton finally headed out in the afternoon session, making up for lost time. Half an hour into the session, Verstappen set a new fastest lap of 1:33.444, just 0.009 seconds faster than Norris’ time this morning. In the final minutes of the opening hour, Fernando Alonso stopped on the track, prompting the first red flag of the day and ending the Spaniards final day of testing early.
Hour 6
The stranded Aston Martin was subsequently recovered, and running resumed with just under 3 hours left on day 2 of the 2026 Bahrain F1 Testing. Hamilton was the first one out at the green light and was quickly joined by a roaster of cars, including Sergio Pérez, who made his debut in the afternoon session in hour 6. On one of his first laps back on track, Verstappen improved on his fastest lap, clocking in a 1:33.162, but shortly after, Piastri went even faster, soaring to the top with a 1:32.861.
Hour 7
As the sun went down over the Bahrain International Circuit, drivers continued their running with tyre compounds ranging from the C4 run by Hulkenberg and Albon to the C1 run by Hamilton. The 7-time Champion appeared to be focused on long runs with his fastest lap 4.5 seconds adrift from the, so far, fastest time set by Piastri. Over seven hours into day 2 of test 2, Verstappen is the first driver to reach 100 laps. The penultimate hour of day 2 of 2026 Bahrain F1 Testing saw little change at the top, with Piastri leading ahead of Verstappen, Norris, Antonelli, and Hülkenberg completing the Top 5.
Hour 8
In the final hour, Franco Colapinto from Alpine and Alex Albon from Williams both completed 100 laps, while Antonelli set the fastest time with a 1:32.803. As the clock ticked down, we saw several drivers improving, reshuffling the order. But Antonelli remained on top just ahead of Piastri and Verstappen. In the final minutes, Piastri came to a stop after a test start, but was ultimately able to get the car going again. As day 2 came to a close, the final test started off without a hitch.
Results after the evening session on Day 2, of 2026 Bahrain F1 Testing, Test 2
- Antonelli 1:32.803 (79)
- Piastri 1:32.861(86)
- Verstappen 1:33.162 (139)
- Hamilton 1:33.408 (78)
- Norris 1:33.453 (72)
- Colapinto 1:33.818 (120)
- Hülkenberg 1:33.987(73)
- Russell 1:34.111 (77)
- Ocon 1:34.201(58)
- Lawson 1:34.532 (106)
- Albon 1:34.555 (117)
- Bortoletto 1:35.263 (29)
- Bearman 1:35.279 (69)
- Pérez 1:35.369 (50)
- Alonso 1:37.472 (68)
- Bottas 1:40.193 (58)
Five drivers (Hamilton, Albon, Lawson, Alonso, and Colapinto) have finished their running in the 2026 Bahrain F1 testing as the checkered flag falls on Day 2 of test 2. Their teammates will take over on the final day of testing.
