What to look out for in F1's second week of Bahrain testing

If six days of Formula 1 testing wasn't quite enough, don't fret - there's another three left to go.

The Bahrain International Circuit will again play host as the 11 competing teams look to finish off their run plans, tie up any loose ends and, hopefully, show us what these 2026 cars are capable of in qualifying trim.

There's still a lot to do. Most teams have been able to start their years in reliable fashion, and everyone had encouragingly surpassed the 1000km mark across the previous three days in Bahrain. McLaren and Williams logged 422 laps a piece, with Ferrari just behind them on the mileage stakes with 421 tours of the Sakhir venue.

While much of the test will present more of the same as last week, as the constructors continue to explore the boundaries of their new machines, some differences should be present - particularly as the engineers have been able to digest six days' worth of data across the Barcelona and Bahrain test programmes so far. Viewers will also get to watch the full run-time of the test if they're so inclined, as the world feed has been opened up to broadcasters beyond the final hour of running.

So, what do we expect to see? Here's how the second week of the Bahrain test should shape up.

Advances with new powertrain formula

F1's greater focus on energy deployment from the 2026 power unit has received a somewhat-Marmite reception from the drivers: they either tolerate it, or they hate it. That said, the driver-influenced side of energy harvesting and deployment should be a little easier in the second week; with a four-day break to study the data from the opening Bahrain test, the teams and powertrain engineers should glean a much greater understanding of how to operate the new PUs more effectively.

In the first week, the drivers faced the challenge of dropping into first gear for the tighter corners. Lock-ups were prevalent, as was the surprise of carrying extra speed into the corner - particularly Turn 10 - if the team chose to deploy energy in the run-up. Much of the test has been dedicated to figuring out where best to expend energy from the battery pack, and the hundreds of laps accrued across the three days should yield a much clearer picture here.

Ferrari was one of the more quietly impressive manufacturers in the first test week

Photo by: Guido De Bortoli / LAT Images via Getty Images

Thus, the software gurus can begin to automate much of the acquired knowledge and build that into the power unit maps. This is something which will continue through the season; allied to the drivers' own understanding of harvesting energy, it'll all start to feel a bit more natural for the teams across the grid.

Eventually, it'll become second nature. Clever use of the ICE as a generator will be of assistance during moments where the full gamut of power is simply not required, allowing the MGU-K to run at full tilt for longer. That's not to say that the drivers can go hell-for-leather and still recharge, but the driving experience should become increasingly less of a culture shock.

Will there be any updates?

The process of designing an F1 car is long, exhaustive, and comes equipped with myriad considerations beyond simply producing the fastest car possible. In particular, the build timescales are such that teams need to pick a point to 'freeze' the design, build the car at that point in its development, and then feed anything conceived after that point into the manufacturing pipeline.

"I'm encouraged, we have a bold approach to these technical regulations. I think people are looking at us and they can see the ambition in the team" Jonathan Wheatley

Audi, for example, demonstrated that perfectly in its transition from the Barcelona shakedown to the Bahrain tests. After arriving at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya in a "crude" state, per team principal Jonathan Wheatley, it had been able to mix in a set of new sidepods and revised front wing for Bahrain after gathering its initial mileage.

"It makes total sense to be honest," Wheatley said. "We passed the crash test early. We put a car together early. You define an aerodynamic package to run the car in an early state.

Audi turned heads with its new sidepod package in week one

Photo by: Sam Bloxham / LAT Images via Getty Images

"Compared with this sophisticated package we have in the car now, it's quite crude. But we're out there, we ran. We were putting mileage on the car and learning all the time. I'm encouraged, we have a bold approach to these technical regulations. I think people are looking at us and they can see the ambition in the team."

It might make even more sense to try new developments, should the production team be able to keep up, in week two; teams have a baseline for the Bahrain circuit now firmly enshrined in the data, and thus the opening day of the second week presents a perfect case to implement back-to-back trials with any additions slated for the first round of the season.

None of these updates, if any, will have been produced in response to the first week - the lead times are simply too long. If a team had gone into full production by around September/October time last year, then anything new that appears in either testing or in the opening rounds of the season will likely have been conceived prior to New Year's Day. Upgrade plans are usually defined well in advance, unless there's any glaring issues that demand immediate attention.

A final day flurry of flying laps?

We know how it usually goes in a test in Bahrain: teams persist with a sensible approach through the day, logging long runs and attempting to build on their understanding of their own systems and the Pirelli tyres. Once night falls on the last day, however, the drudgery of race simulations is generally superseded by a series of qualifying trials. Naturally, we hope that this will continue to be the case.

Although the usual testing games of sandbagging on high fuel loads will continue as most outfits won't wish to give the game away, even at this late stage of testing, they'll at least be able to exploit the higher power modes just enough to get a view of their cars in qualifying trim. This is important in preparation for the Australian Grand Prix, as they'll want to have the peace of mind that they can hit the ground running during free practice and qualifying with minimal tinkering.

Can Sainz headline pre-season testing for the third year in a row?

Photo by: Zak Mauger / LAT Images via Getty Images

This is not always the case, of course; last year's fastest time in testing was set on the second of the three days by Carlos Sainz, as was the quickest lap in 2024 - set by, um, Carlos Sainz. If we're being optimistic, perhaps outright pace will also be explored on the evening of day two.

As we're considering the early signs of the 2026 pecking order, having some hot laps to fall back on also helps. Of course, qualifying is not the be-all-and-end-all, but it's nice to know which cars we can expect to see competing for Q3 when the season begins in March.

Will any teams show genuine improvement over week one?

This is, in effect, the Aston Martin section. Excitement over the team's Adrian Newey-conceived car had swiftly evaporated when the AMR26 proved to be a tricky customer in the opening three days. A lack of grip and power had left the team concerned, to the point that Lance Stroll suggested that the team could be as much as four seconds behind the front runners.

Mercedes, McLaren, Ferrari, and Red Bull appear to have preserved their positions at the tip of the order - with a pack of Alpine, Haas, Williams, Racing Bulls, and perhaps even Audi sitting a little way behind them

It likely won't be that bad, certainly not later into the season as the more underbaked elements get a little bit more time in the oven with running and further development. It has however, across the six days of testing/shakedown-ing so far, done the least laps of anyone. Thus, the team will need to get on top of the more difficult elements of the AMR26, and hope that Honda can continue to make gains with a power unit that is - according to paddock whispers - overweight.

Furthermore, can anyone break out of the midfield and close the gap to the top four teams? Mercedes, McLaren, Ferrari, and Red Bull appear to have preserved their positions at the tip of the order - with a pack of Alpine, Haas, Williams, Racing Bulls, and perhaps even Audi sitting a little way behind them. A four way scrap for a title would certainly be great fun - but a fifth contender in the mix would really spice things up...

Watch: Autosport Explains: F1 Testing Update