Issues for Hadjar on the morning of Bahrain's final three-day test

Published on 18 February 2026 by Misha van der Kroon

Charles Leclerc set the fastest time during the morning session of the final three-day pre-season test in Bahrain. The Ferrari driver posted a 1:33.739, just a fraction slower than last week’s quickest lap. Isack Hadjar took to the track in the Oracle Red Bull Racing RB22, but due to technical issues, the Frenchman was only able to do thirteen laps, leaving him sixth on the timesheets.

The final three days of winter testing are taking place at the Bahrain International Circuit, ahead of the season-opening race in Australia. Max Verstappen has the day off, with team-mate Hadjar running the RB22 for the entire day. He is the only driver to stay in the car all day, as the other ten teams split their running between two drivers over the lunch break.

At 10:00 local time, the green flag is waved, and many drivers head out with aero rakes fitted to their cars to gather aerodynamic data.

After just under an hour, Leclerc sets a lap of 1:33.739 on Pirelli’s C3 prototype tyres. That time is only marginally slower than the benchmark set last week by Kimi Antonelli, who clocked a 1:33.669.

Red Bull Racing runs into some issues. During the first hour of the session, Hadjar completes thirteen laps, but the RB22 does not return to the track. The team is reportedly dealing with a coolant circulation problem.

Following an opening phase with several quick lap times, many teams shift their focus to longer runs at race pace. As a result, Leclerc’s time remains unbeaten. Lando Norris finishes the morning in second place, more than three tenths behind Leclerc, with Antonelli third, four tenths off the pace. Rookie Arvid Lindblad is the most productive driver of the session, completing an impressive 75 laps for Racing Bulls.