What we learned from Day 3 of the first 2026 pre-season test in Bahrain

The third and final day of pre-season testing saw some very high lap counts, as teams cracked on trying out different car set-ups and learning more about their power units and chassis. It's still too soon to suggest a true pecking order, but there were plenty more signs to help us build a picture ahead of next week's final test, and before the season opener in Australia on March 6-8...

Aston Martin look set for tricky start to 2026

Aston Martin have experienced a troubled pre-season and that continued into Bahrain where they faced a series of niggles and struggled for performance across the opening two days.

That pain rolled into Friday. While Lance Stroll clocked 72 laps for Aston Martin on the third and final day of testing, which is around a third of their total for the test, that was still less than half of what was achieved by McLaren's Oscar Piastri on the same day.

Team Representative Pedro de la Rosa admitted on Friday evening that the team are "behind schedule" and not where we want to be, while trackside chief Mike Krack added: "We are realistic in knowing that there is a lot of performance still to unlock in this package."

It's going to be a busy four days for the Silverstone-based squad as they analyse the 202 laps they did complete before the second and final test begins at the same venue in the desert.

Ferrari have another strong day with Hamilton

Ferrari kicked off the year with a baseline 'Spec-A' car that they ran at their demonstration day and then the Barcelona Shakedown. They brought that machine to Bahrain and added a few new pieces on Thursday before putting that car through its paces again on Friday as Lewis Hamilton clocked up 150 laps.

The seven-time World Champion spent the morning running the C3 Pirelli tyre, as he focused on comparing different car configurations and assessing tyre behaviour. He then moved onto the C1 and C2 in the afternoon – and ultimately seemed very encouraged by the progress the team has made.

"The SF-26 has felt generally good, but this generation of car is quite complex and finding the right operating window, especially with the tyres, is key," he said. "We’ve made some good discoveries and also identified areas where we can improve."

They are expected to bring a hefty upgrade package, which will be their race one spec, to next week's Bahrain test, as they start to push the car more and learn more about their new machine ahead of the season-opener in Melbourne next month.

Mercedes bounce back after difficult days

Mercedes had a much more productive day on Friday, following two reliability-hit days in Bahrain. The Silver Arrows focused on single lap and high-fuel running, with George Russell completing his test with a race distance to end the morning.

Kimi Antonelli finally got a decent run in the car as he completed double the number of laps he had managed on the first two days combined, though he just fell short of having enough time to finish a race simulation, and set the fastest time of the day.

It wasn't all smooth sailing, with trackside chief Andrew Shovlin admitting the team spent "far longer in the garage than we would have liked" while adding it has been harder to keep the car in a "happy window" in the warmth of Bahrain compared to the cool Barcelona.

But all that said, Mercedes remain one of the most impressive outfits at the moment, even if Russell reckons his team have "work to do" to catch their competitors.

Red Bull progress impresses rivals

Mercedes and Ferrari have marked out Red Bull and their very impressive inaugural powertrain as the class-leaders, and while the energy drinks firm are encouraged by their efforts in Bahrain, they are keeping their feet firmly on the ground.

"It's been a positive week," said Red Bull Technical Director Pierre Wache. "[But] there were a few teams which were clearly very quick today and it looks like we are behind, so there is still a lot to improve. Mercedes, McLaren and Ferrari are there at the top."

Wache said the team found a good direction with the set-up work both Max Verstappen and Isack Hadjar completed on the final day, but admitted they still have plenty of work to do to improve the balance.

He did hail the power unit, which only entered development three-and-a-half years ago with a newly-created department, as it ran reliably once again to clock 120 laps on the final day.