Hadjar P6 on first test day in Bahrain, Russell fastest
Published on 18 February 2026 by Misha van der Kroon
Isack Hadjar set the sixth-fastest time on the first of the three final test days in Bahrain. After completing just thirteen laps in the morning session due to technical issues, the Oracle Red Bull Racing driver was able to significantly increase his mileage in the afternoon, finishing the day with 66 laps and P6. George Russell topped the timesheets in his Mercedes with a 1:33.459, the fastest time of the test so far. Oscar Piastri was just one hundredth of a second slower in his McLaren and ended the day in second place.
The afternoon session of the first of Bahrain’s final three winter test days starts at 15:00 local time. Earlier in the day, issues with the coolant system limited Hadjar to just thirteen laps in the morning. The Red Bull mechanics managed to resolve the problem and, twenty minutes into the afternoon session, Isack Hadjar heads out on track. The Frenchman is the only driver to be in the car for the entire day, as all other teams switched drivers during the lunch break. This means that Max Verstappen is the only driver not in action today.
After one hour, Lance Stroll ends up in the gravel at Turn 11. The Canadian locks his rear wheels under braking and spins in his Aston Martin at high speed into the gravel trap. The session is stopped temporarily so the car can be removed from the gravel.
At the halfway point of the session, Oscar Piastri sets the fastest lap of the winter test so far with a time of 1:33.469. His time is 0.27 seconds quicker than Charles Leclerc’s best time from the morning session. Meanwhile, the Aston Martin mechanics have repaired Stroll’s AMR26, and Stroll returns to the track.
With half an hour remaining, George Russell sets a 1:33.459 on the C3 tyres, going one hundredth of a second faster than Piastri. The final phase of the day features the usual system checks, including a brief Virtual Safety Car and a red flag. With five minutes left on the clock, the green flag is waved, and the drivers head out for practice starts, bringing the day to a close.
No one beats Russell’s time, leaving the Mercedes driver fastest at the end of the day. Mercedes also completed the most mileage, with Russell covering 77 laps and teammate Kimi Antonelli completing 69 laps during the morning session. Oscar Piastri finishes P2, while Charles Leclerc secures third place with his morning time. Isack Hadjar ultimately ends the day in sixth. With a lap of 1:34.260, the Frenchman is eight tenths of a second slower than Piastri, but with 66 laps completed, he still managed to cover more than a full Grand Prix distance.
On Thursday, during the penultimate day of winter testing, Max Verstappen will be driving the RB22 all day.
