Russell edges Piastri on day one
TDT | Manama
Email : editor@newsofbahrain.com
Bahrain International Circuit (BIC) was bustling with activity yesterday as Formula 1 Aramco Pre-Season Testing 2026 resumed with the first of three final days of running.
Mercedes superstar George Russell pipped his McLaren counterpart Oscar Piastri by a mere one-hundredth of a second to top the overall timesheet. Both drivers hit the tarmac for the cooler evening runs along BIC’s 5.412-kilometre track to shine brightest under lights.
Russell posted a pace-setting best lap time of 1min 33.459secs while logging a day one best of 76 laps after taking over for teammate Kimi Antonelli, who tested in the morning in their F1 W17 car.
Piastri ranked right behind Russell on times and completed 70 laps in McLaren’s MCL40 car.
Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc steered his SF-26 to third on the classification 0.280s off the leading mark. He set his best time in the morning session while racking up 70 laps.
Reigning F1 Drivers’ World Champion Lando Norris followed in fourth, also testing in daylight conditions, 0.593s from Russell while going for 54 laps. Antonelli joined Russell in the top five 0.699s from his teammate with 69 laps. Isack Hadjar was the lone tester for Red Bull Racing today and he finished sixth, 0.801s from the top, although only registered 66 laps in his RB22.
Completing the top 10 were Ferrari’s Lewis Hamilton (+0.840s), Williams’s Carlos Sainz (+1.654s) in the team’s F W4 8, Franco Colapinto (+1.795s) in Alpine’s A526, and Gabriel Bortoleto (+1.804s) behind the wheel of his Audi R26.
Rounding off the day’s classification from 11th through 21st, respectively, were Alexander Albon (+2.231s) for Williams, Liam Lawson (+2.294s) in Racing Bulls’s VCARB 03, Oliver Bearman (+2.319s) in Haas’s VF26, Pierre Gasly (+2.439s) for Alpine, Lance Stroll (+2.515s) in Aston Martin’s AMR26, Esteban Ocon (+2.959s) for Haas, Fernando Alonso (+3.077s) for Aston Martin, Nico Hulkenberg (+3.282s) for Audi, Arvid Lindblad (+3.310s) for Racing Bulls, and the Cadillac pair of Valtteri Bottas (+3.339s) and Sergio Perez (+4.732s) in their CA01 contender.
F1 Aramco Pre-Season Testing 2026 continues Thursday and Friday (Editor’s note: 19 and 20 February) at ‘The Home of Motorsport in the Middle East’.
It will mark the last two days of the F1 teams’ on-track preparations ahead of the first grand prix of the 2026 FIA F1 World Championship, to be held in Melbourne, Australia, next month.
BIC will be welcoming fans on both days of the tests. Gates are scheduled to open at 11am and close at 7pm on both days.
Tickets per open day of F1 Aramco Pre-Season Testing 2026 cost BD10 for adults and BD5 for children. To buy tickets or to get more information, visit the circuit’s official website bahraingp. com or call the BIC Hotline on +973-17450000.
Exclusive hospitality packages are also on offer by BIC for the two public days. These feature the best views of the action along with exceptional food and hospitality in an elegant setting. The hospitality lounge is located right above the F1 pit lane.
Full details on BIC’s hospitality offerings are available on bahraingp.com. The packages can be booked online or by calling +973-17451086.
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