First Winter Tests: Leclerc fastest on day two

While most new cars have accumulated significant mileage, some anticipated issues have gradually emerged.

On the second day, Aston Martin and Cadillac each lost several hours, while Mercedes and Red Bull were forced to miss the entire morning session.

Kimi Antonelli returned to the garage after completing just three laps in the morning. Following the analysis, Mercedes decided to change the power unit, and he did not return to the track for the rest of the day. The team stuck to its original schedule, with George Russell taking over in the afternoon, while the young Italian effectively missed out on running.

At Red Bull Racing, a hydraulic leak was discovered overnight during the car’s disassembly. Repairs continued throughout the morning session, and Isack Hadjar only headed out in the afternoon, though he still managed to complete a solid number of laps.

The session was red-flagged four times in total. In the morning, Sergio Perez stopped on track due to a Cadillac issue, prompting a recovery. In the afternoon, three further red flags were shown. First, Valtteri Bottas lost a mirror from his Cadillac, which narrowly missed Carlos Sainz’s car. Then Pierre Gasly came to a halt near Turn 1 in his Alpine. Finally, the session was briefly stopped in the closing minutes for an FIA systems check.

Lando Norris completed the most laps of the day with 149, while Charles Leclerc set the fastest time in the morning — 1:34.273. However, outright pace was not the focus for most teams.

After two days, Leclerc’s lap remains the quickest overall. In terms of mileage, Leclerc leads the drivers with 220 laps, Williams tops the teams with 278, and Mercedes power units have covered the greatest combined distance at 857 laps.

The third and final day of testing in Bahrain takes place tomorrow, with several teams planning driver changes.