Pirelli 2026 F1 test in Bahrain: Williams and Alpine already on track. Williams with Sainz and Alpine with Hirakawa returned to the track in Sakhir.

Formula 1 is back in action in Bahrain after three days of collective testing. Two days after the end of the pre-season trials, two teams, Williams and Alpine, returned to the Sakhir circuit, invited by Pirelli to develop the 2026 tires.

The Milan-based sole supplier is thus continuing work on the construction and compounds for next season’s tires, which will maintain an 18-inch diameter but will have a reduced width to meet the requirements of the new agile single-seater regulations.

Williams and Alpine have built a mule car to adapt the cars to the significantly lower aerodynamic loads compared to the current vehicles. As a result, the expected configuration is low downforce, even though the track would typically require a medium downforce setup. Additionally, the DRS, which is normally activated only in designated zones, is being deployed at the start of every straight.

A new aspect that has emerged and was previously unknown is the introduction of a speed limiter to simulate the actual load that the agile F1 cars will have to withstand next year. This indicates that it is not easy to determine the performance threshold of the cars, which will feature a power unit with a 50% split between internal combustion and electric power.

Williams assigned Carlos Sainz to run today, while Alexander Albon will take over tomorrow. Meanwhile, Alpine has not fielded its two regular drivers in the A523 but has instead opted for two test drivers. Ryo Hirakawa, the Japanese driver who won the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 2022 and is a two-time WEC world champion with Toyota, started the session. Hirakawa has been “loaned” to the Enstone team as a third driver.

On Monday, it will be Paul Aron’s turn, the Estonian who raced in F2 with HiTech, the team of Oliver Oakes, the current Alpine team principal. These two testers have little F1 experience, making direct comparisons less reliable, but they will be useful for blind tests: in tire testing, drivers are unaware of the compounds and constructions provided, having to maintain a consistent pace to enable Pirelli’s Bicocca engineers to gather maximum data.