Ferrari's Charles Leclerc Dominates the Morning Session in Bahrain!
The roar of engines returned to Bahrain for the second day of pre-season testing, and it was Charles Leclerc who set the blistering pace! He topped the timesheets this morning, leaving Lando Norris and Pierre Gasly in his dust. It was a morning filled with drama, speed, and a few unexpected hiccups for some of the biggest names in motorsport.
After Lando Norris ended the opening day on a high, it was the British driver who was the first to venture out onto the track as Thursday's action kicked off. The anticipation was palpable, especially with the reigning World Champion set for a full day at the wheel of the MCL40.
As more cars joined the fray, the session was abruptly halted by a red flag just 10 minutes in. The culprit? Sergio Perez's Cadillac, which had come to a standstill on the track. Thankfully, the car was swiftly removed, and the teams were soon back to their planned programs.
But here's where it gets interesting... Red Bull, a team usually at the forefront of every session, was conspicuously absent during the early stages. Isack Hadjar, taking over from Max Verstappen, was still nowhere to be seen by the halfway point. It turned out the team had discovered an issue with their RB22, keeping them in the garage.
Mercedes also had a rather subdued morning. Kimi Antonelli managed a few laps early on, but then spent most of the session observing from the garage. Meanwhile, the rest of the pack was busy racking up the miles. Drivers like Norris, Alex Albon from Williams, and Leclerc himself were clocking up significant lap counts, even surpassing race distances as the afternoon wore on.
And this is the part most people miss... As the session continued, with Perez back on track after his earlier issue, some drivers seemed to be using the opportunity to practice following each other in the new 2026 generation of cars. We even saw Norris circulating behind Albon before making a move into the first corner – a fascinating glimpse into the evolving racing dynamics.
In the final minutes, Norris's McLaren appeared to have stopped at the end of the pit lane, prompting the World Champion to exit the car. However, the drama wasn't over for Leclerc, whose earlier benchmark lap of 1m 34.273s remained unbeaten when the checkered flag waved.
This impressive lap time put the Ferrari driver a remarkable 0.511s ahead of Norris. Despite his late-session issue, Norris managed to complete the highest number of laps in the morning, a total of 64. Pierre Gasly secured third place, followed by Ollie Bearman of Haas in fourth and Alex Albon in fifth.
Nico Hulkenberg for Audi claimed sixth, with Liam Lawson of Racing Bulls, Sergio Perez, and Fernando Alonso in his Aston Martin rounding out the top nine. Kimi Antonelli and Isack Hadjar finished in 10th and 11th respectively, neither managing to set a timed lap.
A one-hour lunch break will now separate the morning's action from the afternoon session. Get ready for more driver changes! Mercedes, Williams, Racing Bulls, Audi, and Cadillac are all set to swap drivers for the next part of the day.
What do you think about Red Bull's early struggles? Do you believe this is a sign of things to come, or just a minor hiccup? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!
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