Leclerc Tops Midday Times in Bahrain on Final Testing Day

Ferrari led Bahrain’s final test as Charles Leclerc posted a 1:33.689 lap and ran 80 laps in four hours. Mercedes saw Andrea Kimi Antonelli stop after a pneumatic pressure loss, and Aston Martin’s battery fault limited Lance Stroll to two laps.

Why it matters:

• Leclerc’s speed shows Ferrari’s 2026 power unit and aero package are already competitive, giving the team a confidence boost before the season opener.
• Mercedes’ pneumatic failure flags a reliability risk for the new power unit as the team battles to retain its championship.
• Aston Martin’s battery issue, mirroring earlier Honda problems, cuts track time and could delay finalising their package; Haas’ Ocon topped the lap count, signalling improved midfield reliability.

The details:

• Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) – 1:33.689, 80 laps (fastest overall).
• Antonelli (Mercedes) – 1:33.916, 49 laps (P2) before red‑flag; stopped by pneumatic loss.
• Piastri (McLaren) – 1:34.352, 66 laps (P3).
• Ocon (Haas) – 1:34.494, 82 laps (most laps).
• Hadjar (Red Bull) – 1:34.511, 59 laps (P5).
• Gasly (Alpine) – 1:34.846, 57 laps (P6).
• Other drivers: Lindblad (77 laps), Sainz (66 laps), Hulkenberg (64 laps), Pérez (61 laps) and Stroll (2 laps) rounded out the top‑10.

What's next:

• Antonelli returns for FP1 in Melbourne on March 6 after Mercedes fixes the pneumatic issue.
• Russell will drive Mercedes in the afternoon session, hunting extra data before the break.
• All teams have one final chance to lock in set‑up and component choices before the season‑opening Bahrain GP next week.