F1 Bahrain pre-season check: Charles Leclerc quickest, simply two laps for Aston Martin

Charles Leclerc considerably impressed by topping the ultimate morning of pre-season testing for the 2026 Method 1 marketing campaign, whereas additional issues struck Aston Martin in Bahrain.

The Ferrari driver set a 1m33.689s lap on the C3 tyre contained in the opening hour, and that’s the third session Leclerc has topped throughout the final two weeks.

Alongside going quickest, the Monegasque accomplished the second-most mileage on Friday morning with 80 laps of the Sakhir venue, which included a full race simulation halfway by means of.

Through the race sim, he used each the medium and laborious tyres on what was the second day of Ferrari working its distinctive rear wing, which has a 180-degree rotating higher flap.

It’s honest to say that that’s been the discuss of testing this week, however when it comes to the precise leaderboard, Leclerc was 0.227s faster than Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli in second.

The 19-year-old additionally set his quickest lap on the C3, however he accomplished a lowly 49 excursions after inflicting the one crimson flag as he pulled off between Turns 10 and 11 halfway by means of.

Motorsport.com understands that Antonelli suffered a lack of pneumatic stress, inflicting the Silver Arrows to vary its energy unit, so he didn’t return for the remaining 100 minutes.

Andrea Kimi Antonelli, Mercedes

Photograph by: Mark Sutton / Method 1 through Getty Photos

The highest three was then rounded out by Oscar Piastri, who was 0.663s off Leclerc after setting his lap on the C4 whereas finishing 66 laps within the McLaren – the joint fourth-most of the morning.

Subsequent was Esteban Ocon, who impressed for Haas by finishing probably the most mileage with 82 laps whereas being slightly below two tenths shy of Piastri on the prototype tyre.

Isack Hadjar accomplished the highest 5 for Crimson Bull, 0.822s behind Leclerc, whereas Pierre Gasly, Arvid Lindblad, Carlos Sainz, Nico Hulkenberg and Sergio Perez all respectively rounded out the highest 10.

Rock-bottom was Lance Stroll for Aston Martin, which continued its horror pre-season check by solely finishing two laps this morning because of a elements scarcity with its Honda energy unit.

It got here after Stroll suffered an engine downside on Wednesday, earlier than quickly spinning out with what additionally regarded like a technical fault. Fernando Alonso suffered an analogous energy unit situation on Thursday, so Stroll didn’t hit the observe till the ultimate 15-20 minutes on Friday morning.

The session then ended with the routine system checks that the FIA launched on Wednesday. Lando Norris, George Russell, Max Verstappen, Leclerc, Sainz, Lindblad, Stroll, Oliver Bearman, Gabriel Bortoleto, Gasly and Valtteri Bottas will all contest this afternoon’s session, the place extra efficiency runs and glory laps are anticipated.

F1 Bahrain pre-season testing – Day 6 morning outcomes

Pos

Driver

Crew

Finest Lap

Hole

Laps

1
Charles Leclerc
Ferrari
1:33.689
—
80

2
Kimi Antonelli
Mercedes
1:33.916
+0.227
49

3
Oscar Piastri
McLaren
1:34.352
+0.663
66

4
Esteban Ocon
Haas
1:34.494
+0.805
82

5
Isack Hadjar
Crimson Bull
1:34.511
+0.822
59