F1 testing LIVE: Charles Leclerc sets early pace from Lando Norris as crucial final week begins

Mercedes, McLaren, Ferrari and Red Bull will all battle for supremacy in the final week of 2026 Formula 1 pre-season testing, and you can follow it all live here with ESPN.

The first week of F1 pre-season testing in Bahrain was marked by driver complaints about the new cars, red flags and proposed rule changes.

As always in testing, it’s almost impossible to analyze form and pace from lap times as the all-new cars rack up the miles in the first few days, but the drivers’ comments made their thoughts on the new technology and regulations quite clear.

Lewis Hamilton said fans would need a university degree to understand the new regulations. In a similar vein, McLaren boss Andrea Stella said testing had revealed three areas where rule changes were needed to improve safety and made proposals.

Max Verstappen complained that the cars look like “Formula E on steroids”, a comment which sparked reactions from Formula E boss Jeff Dodds, who was also in the Middle East, traveling to Jeddah and testing a Formula E car.

Lando Norris countered Verstappen’s comment by saying that he really had a lot of fun, and to Verstappen, “he can retire” if he wants.

And ultimately, after all the anticipation surrounding Adrian Newey’s Aston Martin team, their week turned out to be somewhat of a disappointment. However, two-time world champion Fernando Alonso warned that “it’s only a matter of time” before the team begins to dominate.

Follow all the latest updates and analysis from week two of testing below.

– F1 tests: Who achieved the best times, the most laps?
– F1 Tests: When and how to watch the full Bahrain pre-season schedule live
– Who is the fastest in 2026? New rules disrupt hierarchy – and drivers