Leclerc Tops Bahrain Test Norris Logs Most Laps

The second test day in Bahrain has already come to an end! After missing the morning running with a hydraulic leak, Red Bull still managed to bank valuable mileage in the afternoon. Isack Hadjar finished with 87 laps. Unlike many of his Formula 1 colleagues, the Frenchman did not reach the 100-lap mark. That honour went to the likes of Lando Norris — with 149 laps he logged the most kilometres — and Charles Leclerc. The Monegasque also set the fastest time of the day.

The Thursday afternoon session in Bahrain got off to a quiet start. Haas driver Oliver Bearman opened the running, closely followed by Isack Hadjar. That was sorely needed for Red Bull, who had only been able to give the Frenchman one lap in the morning because of the hydraulic issue. Also out on track in the first hour were Arvid Lindblad — who relieved team-mate Liam Lawson — Pierre Gasly, Lando Norris and Fernando Alonso.

As the second hour of the afternoon session began, the moment finally arrived for Mercedes: George Russell headed out. The Brit completed four laps after the W17 had sat in the garage for six hours. Following a brief return to the pits, Russell went back out and was soon joined by ten of the eleven teams. Pre-season running earlier this year hadn’t seen the Bahrain International Circuit this busy. Russell posted the third-fastest time of the day: 1:36.458, some two seconds off Charles Leclerc’s best from the morning session.

Red flags and race action

Where the morning session was only interrupted once by a red flag — Sergio Pérez stopped the Cadillac in Bahrain but was able to rejoin shortly — the afternoon saw two stoppages. Once again the Cadillac stable caused a halt when several parts from the car ended up on the circuit. Valtteri Bottas was in the American outfit’s car at the time. Not long after, Pierre Gasly also stopped at the Bahrain International Circuit. The Frenchman parked his Alpine at the side of the track in Turn 1, allowing the session to be resumed quickly.

Oliver Bearman became the first driver to complete more than a hundred laps on Thursday, with Lando Norris chipping in closely behind. Hadjar also tried to claw back lost running and ultimately put in 87 laps in the afternoon session. The Frenchman moved up the timesheets to fifth, but his RB22 remained 2.2 seconds off Charles Leclerc’s best time of the day.

The Monegasque supplied the first on-track racing action in the final hour when he swept past his former team‑mate Carlos Sainz. George Russell was meanwhile fighting to keep his W17 flat on the Bahrain International Circuit amid persistent gusts. The Mercedes driver was almost doubly unlucky, as not long after a lock‑up forced Lando Norris to take evasive action to avoid Russell in Turn Ten. Leclerc still held the fastest time after the four‑hour afternoon session — a 1:34.273 — while Norris turned the most laps, crossing the start‑finish line a hefty 149 times.