{"id":464317,"date":"2026-02-12T14:19:44","date_gmt":"2026-02-12T14:19:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/464317\/"},"modified":"2026-02-12T14:19:44","modified_gmt":"2026-02-12T14:19:44","slug":"charles-leclerc-fastest-as-unreliability-hits-mercedes-red-bull","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/464317\/","title":{"rendered":"Charles Leclerc fastest as unreliability hits Mercedes, Red Bull"},"content":{"rendered":"

Charles Leclerc<\/a> topped the second morning of Formula 1\u2019s opening Bahrain pre-season test, as Mercedes<\/a> and Red Bull<\/a> were hit by reliability trouble alongside Cadillac.<\/p>\n

About an hour and 15 minutes into the session, Leclerc drove Ferrari<\/a>\u2019s SF-26 to a 1m34.273s, which is four tenths faster than McLaren<\/a>\u2019s Lando Norris<\/a> achieved on Wednesday.<\/p>\n

Norris\u2019 own 1m34.669s benchmark was set on medium tyres, however, while Leclerc turned to softs throughout this morning\u2019s session. The Briton came second \u2013 again on mediums \u2013 with a 1m34.784s.<\/p>\n

Every other car was at least 2.4s off the pace, which obviously isn\u2019t representative of the pecking order but isn\u2019t unrelated to the gremlins encountered by two favourites.<\/p>\n

Read Also:<\/p>\n

Red Bull completed a single lap at the very end of the morning session, with the team understood to have found a hydraulic leak on the chassis during the car build yesterday. Isack Hadjar<\/a> was supposed to run through the whole day, so the French sophomore will hope for a chance to catch up later.<\/p>\n

At Mercedes, Andrea Kimi Antonelli<\/a> managed just three laps before encountering a power unit issue that ruled him out of the remainder of the morning session. George Russell<\/a>\u00a0was supposed to take over for the afternoon.<\/p>\n

\"Sergio <\/p>\n

Sergio Perez, Cadillac Racing<\/p>\n

Photo by: Joe Portlock \/ LAT Images via Getty Images<\/p>\n

Meanwhile, Cadillac\u2019s Sergio Perez<\/a> caused a red flag on his first out-lap for an unspecified reason, but after the car was retrieved it swiftly joined the fray again.<\/p>\n

Perez went on to complete 42 laps, with a personal reference of 1m38.653s, which was slower than anyone but Aston Martin\u2019s Fernando Alonso<\/a> in 1m38.960s.<\/p>\n

Alpine<\/a> was best of the rest with Pierre Gasly<\/a> lapping in 1m36.723s, leading Oliver Bearman<\/a> (Haas), Alexander Albon<\/a> (Williams<\/a>), Nico Hulkenberg<\/a> (Audi<\/a>) and Liam Lawson<\/a> (Racing Bulls<\/a>).<\/p>\n

A Virtual Safety Car and red flag simulation was performed at the end of the session.<\/p>\n

F1 Bahrain pre-season test Day 2 morning results<\/p>\n

P
\nDRIVER
\nTEAM
\ntime
\nGAP
\nLAPS<\/p>\n

1
\n\"Monaco\" Leclerc
\nFerrari
\n1:34.273
\n\u00a0
\n62<\/p>\n

2
\n\"United Norris
\nMcLaren<\/p>\n

1:34.784<\/p>\n

+0.511<\/p>\n

64<\/p>\n

3
\n\"France\" Gasly
\nAlpine<\/p>\n

1:36.723<\/p>\n

+2.450<\/p>\n

61<\/p>\n

4
\n\"United Bearman
\nHaas<\/p>\n

1:37.025<\/p>\n

+2.752<\/p>\n

55<\/p>\n

5
\n\"Thailand\" Albon
\nWilliams<\/p>\n

1:37.229<\/p>\n

+2.956
\n62<\/p>\n

6
\n\"Germany\" Hulkenberg
\nAudi
\n1:37.266
\n+2.993<\/p>\n

47<\/p>\n

7
\n\"New Lawson
\nRacing Bulls
\n1:38.017
\n+3.744
\n50<\/p>\n

8
\n\"Mexico\" Perez
\nCadillac
\n1:38.653
\n+4.380<\/p>\n

42<\/p>\n

9
\n\"Spain\" Alonso
\nAston Martin
\n1:38.960
\n+4.687<\/p>\n

55<\/p>\n

10
\n\"Italy\" Antonelli
\nMercedes
\n–
\n–<\/p>\n

3<\/p>\n

11
\n\"France\" Hadjar
\nRed Bull
\n–
\n–<\/p>\n

1<\/p>\n

Photos from Bahrain Pre-Season Testing – Day 2<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

\"Alexander<\/p>\n


\n
\n Bahrain Pre-Season Testing Day 2, in photos
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\n <\/a>
\n <\/p>\n

\"Lando<\/p>\n


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\n Bahrain Pre-Season Testing Day 2, in photos
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\n <\/a>
\n <\/p>\n

\"Charles<\/p>\n


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\n Bahrain Pre-Season Testing Day 2, in photos
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\n <\/a>
\n <\/p>\n

\"Nico<\/p>\n


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\n Bahrain Pre-Season Testing Day 2, in photos
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\"The<\/p>\n


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\n Bahrain Pre-Season Testing Day 2, in photos
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\"Adrian<\/p>\n


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\n Bahrain Pre-Season Testing Day 2, in photos
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\n <\/a>
\n <\/p>\n

\"Charles<\/p>\n


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\n Bahrain Pre-Season Testing Day 2, in photos
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\n <\/a>
\n <\/p>\n

\"Lando<\/p>\n


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\n Bahrain Pre-Season Testing Day 2, in photos
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\n <\/a>
\n <\/p>\n

\"Gabriel<\/p>\n


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\n Bahrain Pre-Season Testing Day 2, in photos
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\n <\/a>
\n <\/p>\n

\"Lando<\/p>\n


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\n Bahrain Pre-Season Testing Day 2, in photos
\n
\n <\/a>
\n <\/p>\n

\"Fernando<\/p>\n


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\n Bahrain Pre-Season Testing Day 2, in photos
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\n <\/a>
\n <\/p>\n

\"Sergio<\/p>\n


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\n Bahrain Pre-Season Testing Day 2, in photos
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\n <\/a>
\n <\/p>\n

\"Oliver<\/p>\n


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\n Bahrain Pre-Season Testing Day 2, in photos
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\n <\/a>
\n <\/p>\n

\"Nico<\/p>\n


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\n Bahrain Pre-Season Testing Day 2, in photos
\n
\n <\/a>
\n <\/p>\n

\"Liam<\/p>\n


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\n Bahrain Pre-Season Testing Day 2, in photos
\n
\n <\/a>
\n <\/p>\n

\"Charles<\/p>\n


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\n Bahrain Pre-Season Testing Day 2, in photos
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\n <\/a>
\n <\/p>\n

\"Alexander<\/p>\n


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\n Bahrain Pre-Season Testing Day 2, in photos
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\n <\/a>
\n <\/p>\n

\"Keanu<\/p>\n


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\n Bahrain Pre-Season Testing Day 2, in photos
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\n <\/a>
\n <\/p>\n

\"Arvid<\/p>\n


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\n Bahrain Pre-Season Testing Day 2, in photos
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\n <\/a>
\n <\/p>\n

\"Pierre<\/p>\n


\n
\n Bahrain Pre-Season Testing Day 2, in photos
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\n <\/a>
\n <\/p>\n

\"Lando<\/p>\n


\n
\n Bahrain Pre-Season Testing Day 2, in photos
\n
\n <\/a>
\n <\/p>\n

\"Charles<\/p>\n


\n
\n Bahrain Pre-Season Testing Day 2, in photos
\n
\n <\/a>
\n <\/p>\n

\"Sergio<\/p>\n


\n
\n Bahrain Pre-Season Testing Day 2, in photos
\n
\n <\/a>
\n <\/p>\n

\"Valtteri<\/p>\n


\n
\n Bahrain Pre-Season Testing Day 2, in photos
\n
\n <\/a>
\n <\/p>\n

\"Liam<\/p>\n


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\n Bahrain Pre-Season Testing Day 2, in photos
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\n <\/a>
\n <\/p>\n

\"Marc<\/p>\n


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\n Bahrain Pre-Season Testing Day 2, in photos
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\n <\/a>
\n <\/p>\n

\"Pierre<\/p>\n


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\n Bahrain Pre-Season Testing Day 2, in photos
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\n <\/a>
\n <\/p>\n

\"Nico<\/p>\n


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\n Bahrain Pre-Season Testing Day 2, in photos
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\n <\/a>
\n <\/p>\n

\"Lando<\/p>\n


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\n Bahrain Pre-Season Testing Day 2, in photos
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\n <\/a>
\n <\/p>\n

\"Frederic<\/p>\n


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\n Bahrain Pre-Season Testing Day 2, in photos
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\n <\/a>
\n <\/p>\n

\"Charles<\/p>\n


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\n Bahrain Pre-Season Testing Day 2, in photos
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\n <\/a>
\n <\/p>\n

\"Pierre<\/p>\n


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\n Bahrain Pre-Season Testing Day 2, in photos
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\n <\/a>
\n <\/p>\n

\"Lando<\/p>\n


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\n Bahrain Pre-Season Testing Day 2, in photos
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\n <\/a>
\n <\/p>\n

\"Fernando<\/p>\n


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\n Bahrain Pre-Season Testing Day 2, in photos
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\n <\/a>
\n <\/p>\n

\"Andrea<\/p>\n


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\n Bahrain Pre-Season Testing Day 2, in photos
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\n <\/a>
\n <\/p>\n

\"Sergio<\/p>\n


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\n Bahrain Pre-Season Testing Day 2, in photos
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\n <\/a>
\n <\/p>\n

\"Oliver<\/p>\n


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\n Bahrain Pre-Season Testing Day 2, in photos
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\n <\/a>
\n <\/p>\n

\"Andrea<\/p>\n


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\n Bahrain Pre-Season Testing Day 2, in photos
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\n <\/a>
\n <\/p>\n

\"Lando<\/p>\n


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\n Bahrain Pre-Season Testing Day 2, in photos
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\n <\/a>
\n <\/p>\n

\"Fernando<\/p>\n


\n
\n Bahrain Pre-Season Testing Day 2, in photos
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\n <\/a>
\n <\/p>\n

\"Lando<\/p>\n


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\n Bahrain Pre-Season Testing Day 2, in photos
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\n <\/a>
\n <\/p>\n

\"Oliver<\/p>\n


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\n Bahrain Pre-Season Testing Day 2, in photos
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\n <\/a>
\n <\/p>\n

\"Nico<\/p>\n


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\n Bahrain Pre-Season Testing Day 2, in photos
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\n <\/a>
\n <\/p>\n

\"Lando<\/p>\n


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\n Bahrain Pre-Season Testing Day 2, in photos
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\n <\/a>
\n <\/p>\n

\"Pierre<\/p>\n


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\n Bahrain Pre-Season Testing Day 2, in photos
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\n <\/a>
\n <\/p>\n

\"Gabriel<\/p>\n


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\n Bahrain Pre-Season Testing Day 2, in photos
\n
\n <\/a><\/p>\n

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– The Motorsport.com Team<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Charles Leclerc topped the second morning of Formula 1\u2019s opening Bahrain pre-season test, as Mercedes and Red Bull…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":464318,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[35],"tags":[215549,215548,216243,1080,30716,99],"class_list":{"0":"post-464317","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-sports","8":"tag-bahrain-international-circuit","9":"tag-bahrain-pre-season-testing","10":"tag-f1-2026-bahrain-pre-season-test-charles-leclerc-fastest-as-unreliability-hits-mercedes","11":"tag-formula-1","12":"tag-red-bull","13":"tag-sports"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/464317","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=464317"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/464317\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/464318"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=464317"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=464317"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=464317"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}