What we learned from Day 3 of the second 2026 pre-season test in Bahrain

Formula 1 • February 20, 2026 • sports

Key Points:

The 2026 Formula 1 pre-season testing in Bahrain showed a tight competition among the top four teams: Mercedes, Ferrari, McLaren, and Red Bull, with no clear leader emerging ahead of the season opener in Melbourne.
Mercedes displayed strong pace but faced reliability issues, while Ferrari showed impressive speed and consistency, Red Bull maintained solid performance especially with Max Verstappen, and McLaren showed significant improvement on the final day.
Haas had one of their best pre-seasons ever, demonstrating excellent reliability and competitiveness, positioning themselves near the top of the midfield ahead of Alpine and Red Bull.
Williams focused on recovering lost time after missing earlier testing, completing their planned program but entering the season with lower expectations due to starting "