Lando Norris set the fastest lap of F1 testing thus far in the morning of Day 2 as Lewis Hamilton only completed five laps.
Norris and Max Verstappen, in the Red Bull for the first time in the test, initially traded fastest laps before the reigning world champion posted a 1:33.453 within the first hour of the four-hour session.
That eclipsed George Russell's attempt on the opening day of a 1:33.469 to stand as the fastest lap of testing as Verstappen slotted his Red Bull into second place, 0.131s behind, before the pair attempted longer runs throughout the remainder of the session. Norris is set to hand over to Oscar Piastri for the afternoon, whilst Verstappen enjoys the full day.
Russell himself placed third for Mercedes with a session-high XX laps, as the W17 also completed pit-stop practice towards the close of the session, and was the last driver within one second of Norris's benchmark.
Alex Albon (Williams), Gabriel Bortoleto (Audi), Oliver Bearman (Haas), Franco Colapinto (Alpine), Liam Lawson (Racing Bulls), and Fernando Alonso also all got good running in, as did Cadillac's Valtteri Bottas after a slow start due to sensor issues.
However, Hamilton was limited to just five laps, all in the first few minutes, before a problem developed on the Ferrari.
RacingNews365 understands that the issue affecting the Ferrari is not power unit-related, but the SF-26 did not emerge again for over three hours, limiting Hamilton to a handful of laps.
He did come out again in the final minutes to be on track for the FIA's race start simulation tests.
Also interesting:
Join RacingNews365’s Ian Parkes, Sam Coop and Nick Golding as they look back on last week’s first test in Bahrain and this week’s second test at the same venue. The trio debate Max Verstappen’s criticism of the regulations and whether Formula 1 is facing an identity crisis.
Rather watch the podcast? Then click here!
Get the latest F1 news from RacingNews365 directly in your Google feed! Click on the link below and you’ll see your favourite F1 website appearing even more often. That way, you’ll never miss any news, analyses, interviews, or exclusives.
Follow RacingNews365 on GoogleMost read
In this article
Never miss a thing from the Formula 1 season! Add the 2026 F1 schedule to your calendar at the touch of a button. Subscribe below and put the dates and times of every race directly on your PC or smartphone, so you don't miss a second from the new season.
Download the F1 calendar Download the F1 calendar
A variant with just the race and qualifying is also available.
Click here to download it..











Join the conversation!