Formula 1, Sportrik Media - The final week of 2026 F1 pre-season testing takes place in Bahrain from 18–20 February, with teams locking in their driver rotations for three decisive days before the season-opening Australian Grand Prix on 8 March.
With entirely new aerodynamic concepts and revised power unit regulations in effect, testing has carried heightened significance this year. Following the opening running in Sakhir last week, attention now shifts from initial reliability checks to performance extraction, including qualifying simulations and extended long-run evaluations under representative fuel loads.
Driver allocation across morning (AM) and afternoon (PM) sessions provides insight into each team’s operational priorities. Some squads have opted for balanced split days to maximise correlation between both drivers, while others have assigned full-day runs to accelerate feedback loops and development direction.
Below is the official driver line-up for the second week of F1 2026 Bahrain testing:
With limited running remaining before freight departs for Melbourne, these three days will be decisive in defining early-season competitiveness. Qualifying simulations, hybrid deployment mapping and tyre degradation studies are expected to dominate programmes as teams seek clarity on the emerging competitive order ahead of the 2026 Australian Grand Prix.
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