Antonelli tops Day 2 of F1 testing as Mercedes shows pace

Mercedes rookie Kimi Antonelli set the fastest time of Formula 1's 2026 pre-season testing so far on Thursday, edging out McLaren's Oscar Piastri in a session dominated by the top teams. While Mercedes and McLaren traded blows at the front, Ferrari endured a troubled day with Lewis Hamilton, and Aston Martin's reliability woes continued with another on-track stoppage.

Why it matters:

Pre-season testing times are always treated with caution, but the pecking order on the second day provides crucial early data points. Antonelli's pace in the Mercedes suggests the team has a strong baseline package for the new regulations, while McLaren and Red Bull confirmed their expected competitiveness. The significant reliability issues for Ferrari and, especially, Aston Martin could put them on the back foot before the season even begins if not resolved quickly.

The details:

• Top of the Timesheets: Kimi Antonelli's best lap of 1m32.803s on C3 tires was over six-tenths quicker than anyone had managed prior to Thursday and just 0.058s faster than Oscar Piastri's late effort for McLaren.
• Front-Runner Battle: The day featured a constant exchange of fastest laps between McLaren, Red Bull, and Mercedes. Max Verstappen led for a period with a 1m33.162s before the late flurry from Piastri and Antonelli.
• Ferrari's Troubles: Lewis Hamilton's running was disrupted by an unspecified issue that kept the car in the garage for much of the morning. He completed 78 laps but had moments of struggle, running wide on several occasions.
• Midfield Standouts: Alpine's Franco Colapinto set a competitive 1m33.818s on the softest C5 tire, while Nico Hulkenberg put Audi into the 1m33s on C4s, despite the team losing over two hours to a hydraulics investigation.
• Reliability Contrast: McLaren (158 laps) and Mercedes (156 laps) were the most productive teams. In contrast, Aston Martin's Fernando Alonso caused a red flag when he stopped on track, completing only 68 laps and ending the day nearly five seconds off the pace.
• Race Start Practice: Two simulated race starts were conducted. In both, Ferrari's Lewis Hamilton appeared to have the strongest launch off the line, while Lando Norris in the McLaren struggled in the first session.

What's next:

The final day of pre-season testing in Bahrain on Friday offers the last chance for teams to gather data and solve problems before the competitive action begins. All eyes will be on whether Ferrari and Aston Martin can run cleanly and make up for lost track time. The performance in the race start simulations will also be analyzed closely, as perfecting launches is critical under the new 2026 regulations. The true competitive picture will only start to come into focus after qualifying next week, but the early signs point to a tight battle at the front with Mercedes looking strong.