What we learned from Day 2 of the second Bahrain test

The second 2026 pre-season test in Bahrain saw teams beginning to push for performance, with the top four from last year – McLaren, Mercedes, Red Bull, and Ferrari – maintaining their strong positions, though a clear favorite remains elusive. Ferrari particularly impressed with innovative aerodynamic developments, including a radical flip rear wing, and strong starts, hinting at a competitive start in Australia. Conversely, Aston Martin faced persistent technical issues, limiting Fernando Alonso's crucial mileage and ending his pre-season prematurely due to a power unit fault. Mercedes enjoyed a productive day, completing 157 trouble-free laps, with Andrea Kimi Antonelli topping the timesheets, albeit cautiously acknowledging the incredibly tight gaps among the leaders.