P1racenews AI automatic summary:
George Russell ended day one of the final Formula 1 2026 pre-season test on top with a new fastest time of the Bahrain testing fortnight
George Russell topped the first day of the final Formula 1 2026 pre-season test with a new fastest time in Bahrain.
He set the time of 1m33.459s, beating Oscar Piastri’s previous best by 0.010 seconds during the second session of the day.
Russell’s impressive performance included a nine-lap run on the C2 tyre and a total of 76 laps, the highest of the day.
The top seven times were set by drivers from F1’s ‘big four’ teams, covered by 0.840s, with Charles Leclerc, Lando Norris, and Kimi Antonelli following Russell.
Red Bull’s Isack Hadjar and Ferrari’s Lewis Hamilton secured the sixth and seventh spots, respectively.
The day also saw Lance Stroll causing the only red flag, while the session ended with procedural checks and a new start procedure experiment conducted by the FIA.
