Antonelli tops timesheets ahead of Russell as Mercedes dominates Barcelona test

Kimi Antonelli set the fastest time of the 2026 pre-season test so far, edging out Mercedes teammate George Russell on the third and final day in Barcelona. The Italian rookie's performance capped a dominant showing for the Silver Arrows, while McLaren's new MCL40 finally made its track debut with Lando Norris.

Why it matters:

Antonelli's headline-grabbing lap time, set after taking over from Russell in the afternoon, provides the first concrete evidence of Mercedes' potential resurgence under the new regulations. With both cars at the top of the timesheets, the team appears to have built a strong foundation for the 2026 campaign, putting immediate pressure on rivals to respond.

The details:

• Antonelli's unofficial best time of 1:17.382 was just under two-tenths quicker than Russell's morning benchmark of 1:17.580, securing a Mercedes one-two for the day.
• McLaren's long-awaited MCL40 completed its first laps with Lando Norris at the wheel, the car now sporting the #1 following his 2025 championship victory. Norris finished third, over a second behind the Mercedes pair.
• The session was interrupted by a red flag when the Racing Bulls car, driven by rookie Arvid Lindblad, stopped on track. The car was recovered and returned to the garage, with the team investigating the cause.
• Alpine split duties between Franco Colapinto in the morning and Pierre Gasly in the afternoon, while Oliver Bearman (Haas) and Nico Hulkenberg (Audi) also completed their programs.

What's next:

With pre-season testing concluded, teams will now analyze the vast amounts of data collected over the three days in Barcelona. The focus shifts to the final preparations for the season-opening Bahrain Grand Prix, where the true competitive order will begin to reveal itself. Mercedes' strong test pace makes them an early favorite, but the reliability and performance seen in Bahrain will provide the definitive answer.