Antonelli leads Mercedes 1-2 in final day of 2026 Bahrain testing

Kimi Antonelli topped the timesheets for Mercedes on the final day of the first 2026 pre-season test in Bahrain, leading a team one-two ahead of George Russell. Lewis Hamilton, in his first official test for Ferrari, finished third, half a second off the pace, as teams concluded their initial on-track evaluation of the new-generation cars.

Why it matters:

The first collective test of the 2026 season offers the initial, albeit incomplete, glimpse into the competitive order under radically new technical regulations. Mercedes' strong showing, particularly with its new lineup, signals early promise, while all eyes were on Hamilton's integration at Ferrari and the mileage logged by each team to understand their car's reliability and baseline performance.

The details:

• Antonelli's best time of 1:33.669 came during a shorter 49-lap run, while teammate Russell completed 78 laps and was just 0.249 seconds behind.
• Lewis Hamilton was the busiest driver on track, logging 138 laps for Ferrari and setting the third-fastest time, 0.540s off the ultimate pace.
• McLaren's Oscar Piastri recorded the highest lap count of the day with 153 laps, ending up fourth fastest.
• Reigning champion Max Verstappen was fifth for Red Bull, over 1.6 seconds adrift, focusing on longer runs and data collection rather than outright lap time.
• The session was interrupted by a late red flag triggered by Hamilton stopping at the end of the pit lane.

What's next:

The data from these three days in Bahrain will be analyzed exhaustively as teams head back to their factories for final preparations. The true competitive picture will only start to emerge at the season-opening Bahrain Grand Prix next week, where qualifying and race fuel loads will provide a much clearer hierarchy. The early signs suggest a tight battle at the front, with Mercedes, Ferrari, and McLaren appearing strong, but Red Bull's testing program remains a known unknown.