Ferrari set the pace: Leclerc shines on final day of F1 testing

Formula One’s pre-season programme concluded on a high-intensity note on Day 3 of Week 2 testing at the Bahrain International Circuit, with Charles Leclerc setting the fastest lap to give Ferrari a confidence-boosting finish ahead of the 2026 campaign.

Leclerc topped the timesheets with a best effort of 1:31.991 , emerging as the quickest driver on the final day of running. The lap capped a productive session for Ferrari , which focused on a blend of short performance runs and longer race simulations to assess tyre degradation and energy management under the new regulations.

McLaren’s Lando Norris finished second, 0.880 seconds behind Leclerc. Norris completed a steady programme that prioritised balance and consistency over outright speed, reflecting McLaren’s emphasis on gathering data rather than chasing lap times. The team appeared comfortable with its baseline setup as it prepares for the opening race of the season.

World champion Max Verstappen placed third for Red Bull , ending the day 1.118 seconds adrift of the Ferrari benchmark. Red Bull ran a varied schedule that included heavier fuel loads and experimental aerodynamic configurations, suggesting its true pace may not yet be fully revealed.

Elsewhere in the paddock, several teams concentrated on reliability checks and fine-tuning operational procedures such as pit stops and race starts. While lap times provided a snapshot of potential performance, drivers and engineers cautioned that different fuel loads and testing plans made direct comparisons difficult.

The final day also underlined how narrow the margins appear at the front of the grid, with Ferrari, McLaren and Red Bull all showing competitive speed in different phases of the session. Teams will now return to their factories to analyse thousands of kilometres of data collected over the two-week test.

Attention now turns to Melbourne , where the season begins at the Australian Grand Prix . While pre-season testing rarely tells the full story, Ferrari’s position at the top of the final timing chart offers a timely morale lift. The true competitive order, however, will only become clear when the lights go out for the first race of the new Formula One season.