What we learned from Day 2 of the first Bahrain test

Day two of Bahrain pre-season testing brought mixed fortunes for F1 teams. Red Bull, despite an early technical glitch for Isack Hadjar, impressively recovered to log significant laps, with experts eyeing them as a potential benchmark for the new regulations. Meanwhile, Mercedes faced a challenging day, as a power unit issue severely limited Andrea Kimi Antonelli's track time to just three laps, delaying their setup work. Kick Sauber showed promising progress with a significant upgrade, boosting confidence. In contrast, Aston Martin continued to struggle with pace, with both Lance Stroll and Fernando Alonso finding their new Adrian Newey-designed car a handful, signaling a potentially difficult start to their 2026 campaign as they integrate many new components.