Oscar Piastri in the #81 McLaren MCL40 during the first F1 test at Bahrain.
The season began with a “shakedown” behind closed doors in Spain at Barcelona before the first official test in Bahrain at the Sakhir circuit.
Here’s how you can follow the third F1 test at Bahrain and the state of play.
How to watch F1 pre-season testing
Australian fans can watch all the action on Fox Sports – either on Foxtel or streaming services Kayo Sports and Foxtel Go.
All three days of on-track testing will be broadcast, with two sessions a day from the Bahrain International Circuit.
Track action kicks off in the early evening on Wednesday for Australian fans, with running set to continue well into the night.
Each ‘morning’ and ‘afternoon’ session is four hours long with a one-hour break between. Teams can split their drivers across the two sessions per day or elect to use them for the entire day.
Live timing is available via the official F1 website.
F1 testing TV broadcast start times (AEDT)
Wednesday, February 18
Session 1 – 5:50pm – Fox Sports 506
Session 2 – 10:55pm – Fox Sports 506
Thursday, February 19
Session 1 – 5:50pm – Fox Sports 506
Session 2 – 10:55pm – Fox Sports 506
Friday, February 20
Session 1 – 5:50pm – Fox Sports 505
Session 2 – 10:55pm – Fox Sports 506
F1 testing driver line-ups
Team
Wednesday AM
Wednesday PM
Thursday AM
Thursday PM
Friday AM
Friday PM
McLaren
Lando Norris
Oscar Piastri
Lando Norris
Oscar Piastri
Oscar Piastri
Lando Norris
Mercedes
Kimi Antonelli
George Russell
George Russell
Kimi Antonelli
Kimi Antonelli
George Russell
Red Bull
Isack Hadjar
Isack Hadjar
Max Verstappen
Max Verstappen
Isack Hadjar
Max Verstappen
Ferrari
Charles Leclerc
Lewis Hamilton
TBC
TBC
TBC
TBC
Williams
Alex Albon
Carlos Sainz
Alex Albon
Alex Albon
Carlos Sainz
Carlos Sainz
Racing Bulls
Arvid Lindblad
Liam Lawson
Liam Lawson
Liam Lawson
Arvid Lindblad
Arvid Lindblad
Aston Martin
Lance Stroll
Fernando Alonso
Fernando Alonso
Fernando Alonso
Lance Stroll
Lance Stroll
Haas
Esteban Ocon
Oliver Bearman
Oliver Bearman
Esteban Ocon
Esteban Ocon
Oliver Bearman
Audi
Nico Hulkenberg
Gabriel Bortoleto
Gabriel Bortoleto
Nico Hulkenberg
Nico Hulkenberg
Gabriel Bortoleto
Alpine
Pierre Gasly
Franco Colapinto
Franco Colapinto
Franco Colapinto
Pierre Gasly
Pierre Gasly
Cadillac
Sergio Perez
Valtteri Bottas
Valtteri Bottas
Sergio Perez
Sergio Perez
Valtteri Bottas
Who are the favourites for F1 2026?
McLaren won the constructors’ championship and drivers’ championship in 2025, but come into the 2026 season as something of an unknown quantity.
Mercedes and Red Bull have been tipped as the early favourites with George Russell and Max Verstappen respectively.
The Mercedes W17 and Red Bull RB22 have both found a compression ratio loophole in the regulations that no other team has enacted, causing some concerns among their rivals.
Who was fastest in the first Bahrain test?
Kimi Antonelli set the fastest time on Day 3 of the first test in Bahrain with a 1:33.669 in his Mercedes W17, followed by his teammate George Russell on a 1:33.918s.
Ferrari drivers Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc were third and fourth respectively ahead of the two McLarens of Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris.
Red Bull are something of a dark horse, with many believing Max Verstappen hasn’t shown his hand. He was seventh at the end of the first test ahead of Haas duo Ollie Bearman and Esteban Ocon. The top 10 was completed by Alpine’s Franco Colapinto.
Norris was the only driver inside the top 10 to set his quickest time on the C2 medium compound, while the others were all on the C2 soft.
