During the second day of the final FIA collective testing session in Bahrain, Ferrari encountered an unexpected issue that halted the development of their SF-26. After only five laps, Lewis Hamilton's car returned to the pits and remained stationary for over three hours. While Ferrari engineers remained tight-lipped about the specifics, it appears that the issue was not related to the power unit. Despite this setback, Ferrari managed to resolve the problem and return to the track in the afternoon, showcasing a new innovative rear wing that garnered considerable interest in the paddock.

In the morning session, Lando Norris managed to outpace Max Verstappen, but the standout performance came from Andrea Kimi Antonelli, who clocked the fastest time of the day, outperforming McLaren's Oscar Piastri. This indicates a competitive atmosphere as teams are fine-tuning their vehicles ahead of the highly anticipated season opener. With teams eager to refine their setups, all eyes will be on the upcoming final day of testing, which will take place Friday morning in Sakhir, as drivers and teams prepare for the Formula 1 season debut on March 8 in Australia.

The testing periods are critical for teams to evaluate their cars and employ new technologies, which is even more essential this year as teams aim to optimize their performance before the competitive racing begins. The drama of technical difficulties and the race against time to implement upgrades reflects the pressures and high stakes involved as the teams gear up for the new season. It will be intriguing to see how these developments will translate into the race performance as the season unfolds.