Mercedes claim top spot as Antonelli leads a 1‑2 in Bahrain 2026 test

The Silver Arrows walked away from the final day of Bahrain’s 2026 pre‑season test with a 1‑2, as 19‑year‑old Andrea Kimi Antonelli clocked a 1:33.669 lap to top the session. His teammate George Russell was 0.249 seconds slower, while Ferrari’s Lewis Hamilton was the quickest driver outside Mercedes.

Why it matters:

• A 1‑2 at the first 2026 test gives Mercedes early confidence that the W17 can extract performance from the new power unit.
• Hamilton’s pace shows Ferrari still has outright speed, but his early off‑track issue raises reliability questions.

The details:

• Antonelli’s 1:33.669 was 0.249 s faster than Russell’s 1:33.918 – the only sub‑1:34 laps this week.
• Hamilton’s 1:34.209 put him third, the fastest non‑Mercedes driver.
• Piastri (McLaren) and Verstappen (Red Bull) were fourth and fifth, 0.880 s and 1.672 s off the lead.
• Piastri logged 161 laps, the most of any driver; Mercedes logged 139 laps after Antonelli missed 90 minutes due to a power‑unit glitch.
• Aston Martin and Cadillac suffered cooling failures, causing red‑flag periods and limiting laps (Aston 72, Cadillac 105).

What's next:

• A second three‑day Bahrain test runs 18‑20 Feb, giving teams a chance to refine set‑up before the Australian Grand Prix.
• Mercedes will aim to turn raw speed into consistent race pace and fix the power‑unit glitch that sidelined Antonelli.
• Ferrari must address Hamilton’s fuel‑delivery issue and improve tyre management to narrow the gap to the Silver Arrows.