
The American team impressed during the Barcelona shakedowns, completing the third-highest number of kilometers among all teams.
Ready for Sakhir
With only a few days left until the Bahrain pre-season tests, teams are preparing for their second collective opportunity to run their new cars after the shakedown sessions held in late January in Barcelona.
The first team to announce its line-up for the first of the two three-day sessions – scheduled from February 11 to 13 – is Haas. The American team performed well in Spain, completing a total of 391 laps, the third-highest number on the grid behind only Mercedes and Ferrari.
Haas, led by Ayao Komatsu, will start Wednesday with Esteban Ocon driving for the full day, and he will also close the session on Friday afternoon. Oliver Bearman will take over on Thursday for the full day and Friday morning, running the VF-26 in the middle portion of the session.
The confirmed testing schedule for Haas highlights a strategic balance between the veteran experience of Esteban Ocon and the rising talent of Oliver Bearman. By ensuring both drivers get significant, uninterrupted time in the VF-26, the team is prioritizing a comprehensive feedback loop as they navigate the complexities of the 2026 regulations. Following their high-mileage success in Barcelona, this Bahrain session will be the ultimate litmus test for the team’s reliability and aero correlation before the season begins. The performance of the Ocon-Bearman duo in Sakhir will provide the first real indication of whether Haas can maintain its momentum and challenge at the front of the midfield in the new era. These six days in the desert are not just about laps, but about establishing the technical identity of the American squad for the year ahead.



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