Henry Eccles is a freelance Formula 1 journalist for GPblog, covering breaking news, live race blogs, and features across the F1 calendar. Since joining in 2026, he has produced high-volume reporting on the sport’s biggest stories, alongside feature pieces including analysis and historical content.
Good morning, this is the live blog for day 2 of the winter test in Bahrain on Thursday, 12 February 2026. Read everything about what happened on and around the track, with GPblog reporter Nicole Mulder present on site in Bahrain.
Second day of testing in Sakhir gets underway
On Day 1 of the winter test, Lando Norris topped the timing chart after replacing teammate Oscar Piastri in the afternoon with a 1:34.669 - just 0.13 seconds ahead of Max Verstappen in P2. The Dutchman racked up 136 laps in total, more than anyone else on the grid. Williams also impressed on the mileage front, with drivers Carlos Sainz and Alex Albon combining across both sessions for a total of 145 laps between them, a big boost in confidence for the Grove-based team after they missed the Barcelona shakedown.
Elsewhere, Toto Wolff claimed that Red Bull were up to a second quicker on the straights than Mercedes in Bahrain, adding that he feels they are "very much" the benchmark early in 2026. The quickest Mercedes driver on Day 1 was George Russell in sixth, with a time of 1:36.108 in the morning session.
On Day 2, most driver teams opt for switching drivers confirmed between morning and afternoon sessions. Running all day will be Red Bull's Isack Hadjar, Ferrari's Charles Leclerc, Aston Martin's Fernando Alonso, Haas' Ollie Bearman and Alpine's Pierre Gasly.
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