The new F1 season is bearing down fast! The countdown is on to the opening weekend in Melbourne. Before the fight for the world championship actually kicks off, Max Verstappen and the rest of the field get two weeks of running at the Bahrain International Circuit. After the closed shakedown in Barcelona and the first test week in Bahrain, the second test week will be available live for fans.
The second three-day winter test in Bahrain runs from 18 to 20 February. It’s customary for every driver to get one and a half days of running. The teams decide the internal allocation themselves. Isack Hadjar ran the opening sessions for Red Bull on Wednesday, but today it’s Max Verstappen’s turn again.
The Dutchman clocked the second-fastest time in the morning session, only just over a tenth off Lando Norris. The Brit had already put in a 1:33.453 early on Thursday morning. George Russell enjoyed the most productive morning — the driver crossed the start-finish line no fewer than 77 times. Lewis Hamilton could only look on; with problems on his SF-26 the world champion, after five laps, spent almost the remainder of the morning in the garage.
Line-up for Thursday afternoon
| Team | Driver |
| McLaren | Oscar Piastri |
| Mercedes | Andrea Kimi Antonelli |
| Red Bull | Max Verstappen |
| Ferrari | Lewis Hamilton |
| Williams | Alex Albon |
| Racing Bulls | Liam Lawson |
| Aston Martin | Fernando Alonso |
| Haas | Esteban Ocon |
| Audi | Nico Hülkenberg |
| Alpine | Franco Colapinto |
| Cadillac | Sergio Pérez |
