Antonelli leads Mercedes one-two on final Bahrain test day as Hamilton's marathon run ends with red flag

Kimi Antonelli set the fastest time of the Bahrain pre-season test, leading a Mercedes one-two on the timesheets, while Lewis Hamilton's mammoth 150-lap day for Ferrari concluded with a late red flag after he stopped on track.

Why it matters:

The final day of testing often provides the clearest, most representative picture of a team's raw pace before the season begins. Mercedes topping the times with both drivers, while publicly talking down their own chances, adds a significant layer of intrigue to the pre-season narrative. Hamilton's high mileage for Ferrari indicates a focus on reliability data, though the late stoppage will be a minor concern.

The details:

• Mercedes on top: Kimi Antonelli set the overall test benchmark with a 1:33.669 in the afternoon, after teammate George Russell led the morning session. This secured a one-two for the team on the final day.
• Hamilton's marathon: The Ferrari driver completed a hefty 150 laps in a critical data-gathering exercise. His day ended when he parked the SF-24 at the side of the track after Turn 4, triggering a red flag in the final minutes.
• Mixed messages: Despite their pace, Mercedes continues to point to Red Bull as the benchmark, with George Russell stating Red Bull had given everyone a "reality check." Max Verstappen, in turn, suggested rivals might be "hiding" their true performance.
• Productive running elsewhere: McLaren's Oscar Piastri logged a staggering 153 laps, the most of any driver on the day, showing strong reliability. Racing Bulls' Liam Lawson also had a productive day despite a spin.

What's next:

The talking stops and the stopwatch truly starts at the Bahrain Grand Prix next week. The mixed signals from testing will be resolved under the pressure of qualifying and race conditions, revealing which teams genuinely have an early advantage and which have been sandbagging.