F1 TEST BAHRAIN: FERRARI STEPS INTO THE SPOTLIGHT ON FINAL DAY

A dramatic twist marked the final day of official Formula 1 testing in Bahrain, as Ferrari stepped out of the shadows and delivered the fastest overall performance of the entire pre-season at Sakhir.

After days of working quietly behind the scenes, Ferrari struck when it mattered most.

Charles Leclerc was the standout performer, completing more than 130 laps behind the wheel of the SF-26. His day was built methodically: the morning focused on race pace with fast and consistent long runs in scorching conditions, as track temperatures hovered around 113°F (45°C), providing valuable data on tire degradation and balance.

Ferrari studied first — then pushed.

Late in the afternoon, under the floodlights of the Bahrain International Circuit, the Monegasque driver shifted gears. Multiple qualifying simulations, repeated time attacks, and finally the breakthrough: a 1:31.992 on C4 tires, breaking the 1:32 barrier and putting a significant gap between himself and the rest of the field.

The closest challenger on the timesheets was Lando Norris in the McLaren, 0.879 seconds off the pace. A substantial margin, although achieved with Norris running the harder C3 compound and not chasing outright performance during the most favorable track conditions. Programs and tire choices matter, but the message from Maranello was loud and clear.

Max Verstappen placed third for Red Bull Racing, 1.117 seconds back, while George Russell finished fourth for Mercedes at 1.205, both setting their best laps on prototype tires. It was a mixed day for the Brackley squad: after a technical issue sidelined Kimi Antonelli in the morning, the afternoon session allowed the team to recover part of its schedule.

The midfield remained tightly packed, with small gaps and performance levels still difficult to fully interpret. A tougher situation unfolded at Aston Martin, where Lance Stroll completed just six laps and failed to post a representative time following the Honda power unit issues that had already surfaced the previous day.

The final snapshot of testing shows a blisteringly quick Ferrari — but the real verdict will only come in race conditions. Pre-season concludes in Sakhir with partial certainties and plenty of open questions. Now, it’s time to lower the visor and get serious.

© Cavalieri Garage & Co.