Mercedes' Antonelli Tops First 2026 Pre-Season Test in Bahrain

Mercedes rookie Kimi Antonelli set the fastest time of Formula 1's first 2026 pre-season test in Bahrain, leading a Silver Arrows one-two ahead of teammate George Russell. While lap times in testing are notoriously unrepresentative of true competitive order, the session provided the first glimpse of the new grid, with Lewis Hamilton third for Ferrari and reigning world champion Lando Norris sixth for McLaren.

Why it matters:

Pre-season testing offers limited concrete answers but sets the initial narrative. Mercedes appearing strong, a competitive Ferrari debut for Lewis Hamilton, and Red Bull's Max Verstappen down in seventh will fuel speculation and set storylines for the opening race. The results, while not definitive, provide the first data points for teams to analyze their winter development progress against rivals.

The details:

• Mercedes on top: Kimi Antonelli, recovering from an engine issue that limited his running on Day 2, posted a 1:33.669 in the final session on low fuel to top the timesheets. George Russell was second, 0.249 seconds behind, securing a Mercedes one-two.
• Hamilton's Ferrari debut: Lewis Hamilton, who was fastest at Ferrari's earlier shakedown in Barcelona, ended the test third overall, just over half a second off Antonelli's pace. Teammate Charles Leclerc was close behind in fourth.
• Midfield intrigue: The test suggested a tight battle in the upper midfield, with McLaren's Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris in fifth and sixth, split by just over a tenth of a second.
• Red Bull's quiet test: Max Verstappen's best time was only good enough for seventh, over a second off the ultimate pace. The team, including rookie Isack Hadjar in tenth, is believed to have focused on high-fuel race simulations and data collection rather than low-fuel performance runs.

By the numbers:

The full list of fastest laps shows a spread of nearly five seconds from first to last, highlighting varied run programs. Sergio Perez (Cadillac) set the slowest time of the test. Notable performances include Oliver Bearman placing Haas in eighth and Alpine's test driver Franco Colapinto out-pacing teammate Pierre Gasly.

What's next:

The clock is now ticking until the season-opening Bahrain Grand Prix. Teams will pour over the terabytes of data collected during these three days to finalize their setups and strategies. While the test timesheet provides a talking point, the true competitive picture will only come into focus under the lights of qualifying next week.