F1 | McLaren and Williams on track in Bahrain: filming day action
The reigning world champion McLaren team put the MCL40 on track today at Sakhir, featuring its definitive 2026 livery, taking advantage of the 200 kilometres allowed for a filming day. Williams carried out a similar programme, with the FW48 finally hitting the asphalt after skipping the Barcelona Shakedown.
Fans had to wait until the third day of the closed-door Shakedown in Barcelona to see the McLaren in action. Then, to admire it in its new 2026 livery, we had to wait until yesterday, the day before the first official pre-season test with spectators. Today, the McLaren MCL40 finally ran in its final design.
The team used the first of the two annual filming days that all Formula 1 teams are permitted. These 200 kilometres served multiple purposes: capturing commercial footage with the new livery and verifying that all systems on the MCL40 were fully operational ahead of the first official test day scheduled for tomorrow.
At the wheel of the car designed by Rob Marshall’s engineering group, the two race drivers, Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri, alternated. The reigning world champion Lando Norris ran in the morning, while the Australian Oscar Piastri took over in the afternoon. Each driver completed 100 kilometres to ensure parity, as will be the case throughout the 2026 season.
McLaren confirmed that Norris and Piastri will be treated equally this year, despite Lando Norris having won the 2025 world championship. Tomorrow, only Oscar Piastri will be in the car, followed by a day dedicated solely to Lando Norris. On the third day, both drivers will share the MCL40 again, with Lando Norris running in the morning and Oscar Piastri in the afternoon.
It wasn’t just McLaren on track today in Bahrain. Another car, wearing its definitive livery, also made its first appearance: the Williams FW48. After missing the closed-door Barcelona Shakedown at the end of January and completing a Shakedown at Silverstone, the team utilised its first filming day today.
Just like McLaren, the Grove-based team alternated their two main drivers. Carlos Sainz ran in the morning, while Alexander Albon took over in the afternoon for his 100 kilometres. Each driver shared track time evenly to match the pre-season structure.
It is worth noting that both teams used Pirelli “demo” tyres during the filming day sessions. These are special compounds that are not used in competitive races throughout the season.
Today’s filming day in Bahrain therefore served as a crucial warm-up for McLaren and Williams, allowing both teams to shake off the final cobwebs before the high-stakes 2026 testing begins. For McLaren, it was an opportunity to showcase their championship-defending colors, while for Williams, the mileage was even more critical following their absence from the Barcelona shakedown. By splitting the 200km allowance between their drivers, both teams have ensured that Lando Norris, Oscar Piastri, Carlos Sainz, and Alex Albon have had a vital first taste of the Sakhir circuit’s characteristics before the official stopwatches start running tomorrow.
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