Red Bull favourites in Bahrain GP says Russell and Leclerc

Bahrain GP sees Red Bull as favorites, according to Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc. Despite Red Bull's difficult 2026 season, the team demonstrated pace on the opening day of the race. Max Verstappen and Isaac Hadjar finished second and fourth, setting the pace for their rivals. Ferrari's Charles Leclerc topped the second practice session, just 0.099 seconds ahead of Hadjar, while Verstappen trailed by 0.257 seconds.

Red Bull's Lewis Hamilton was fifth. However, Red Bull may have left more pace on the table during qualifying, as Verstappen did not complete a qualifying-style lap on the soft compound. Leclerc praised Red Bull's performance on the first day, stating "Everybody is very close. It's been a very difficult day overall." He also noted the challenging track conditions, which were dirty and slippery.

Verstappen deliberately skipped a soft-tyre qualifying run due to rain forecast. Red Bull's technical director, Pierre Wache, was encouraged by the team's performance, despite admitting there was uncertainty over how the latest package would perform. Mercedes spent Friday assessing a major upgrade package, with George Russell and Kimi Antolinelli finishing seventh and eighth.

Russell struggled with his car on day one, citing tyre overheating and degradation as major concerns. The closely matched four leading teams will face hot conditions and an abrasive track surface during the remainder of the Bahrain GP weekend.