Antonelli Tops Final Day of Bahrain Test as Hamilton Stops Early

Mercedes rookie Kimi Antonelli set the fastest time on the final day of the first 2026 pre-season test in Bahrain, while teammate Lewis Hamilton's running ended prematurely with a stoppage on track. The session concluded with a Mercedes one-two on the timesheets, though the red flag caused by Hamilton's issue provided a late disruption.

Why it matters:

Pre-season testing times are notoriously difficult to interpret, but the pecking order and reliability provide crucial early clues. Antonelli's strong pace in his first official test outing for the works team signals Mercedes's potential, while Hamilton's stoppage—however minor—highlights the ever-present challenge of ensuring bulletproof reliability before the competitive season begins.

The details:

• Kimi Antonelli, driving the Mercedes W17, set the benchmark time of 1:33.669 during the afternoon session after taking over from George Russell.
• The session ended with a Mercedes one-two, as Russell's morning time was good enough for second overall.
• Lewis Hamilton completed the top three, but his day ended early when he stopped on track with just 10 minutes remaining, causing a red flag.
• Oscar Piastri (McLaren) and Max Verstappen (Red Bull) rounded out the top five on the final timesheet.
• The incident for Hamilton is reported as a minor issue, with the session resuming after a brief stoppage.

What's next:

Teams will now analyze the terabytes of data collected over these three days in Bahrain. The focus shifts to understanding car balance, tire degradation, and, most importantly, reliability. The second and final pre-season test offers a last chance to refine setups and confirm solutions before the lights go out for the first Grand Prix of the 2026 season in two weeks' time.