Mercedes Dominates Final Bahrain Test Day as Antonelli Tops Times, Hamilton Causes Red Flag

Mercedes concluded the first pre-season test in Bahrain with a commanding one-two finish, as rookie Kimi Antonelli set the overall fastest time of the three days ahead of teammate George Russell. The session ended dramatically when Lewis Hamilton, now driving for Ferrari, brought out a late red flag after his SF-26 stopped on track.

Why it matters:

Mercedes' strong showing sends an early signal of intent for the 2026 season, with their new driver pairing immediately setting the pace. Meanwhile, Lewis Hamilton's first significant running for Ferrari was cut short by a reliability issue, offering a stark reminder of the challenges in his historic team switch and providing an early narrative for the year ahead.

The details:

• Kimi Antonelli's best lap of 1:33.669 was the fastest of the entire test, edging out George Russell by nearly two and a half tenths.
• Lewis Hamilton, in the sole Ferrari on track today, managed the third-fastest time (1:34.209) before his car stopped on circuit in the final minutes, causing a red flag.
• Reigning champion Max Verstappen's running was done by midday; Red Bull junior Isack Hadjar took over and finished sixth, albeit with a minor pit lane error.
• The timesheet showed a mix of race drivers and rookies, with McLaren's Oscar Piastri fourth and Haas' Esteban Ocon seventh.
• Several drivers, including Lando Norris and Charles Leclerc, did not set a representative lap time during this session.

What's next:

The data from Bahrain will be pored over by every team, but lap times in testing are notoriously unreliable indicators of true performance. All eyes now turn to the season-opening Bahrain Grand Prix next week, where the competitive order will finally become clear. Mercedes will look to convert this testing promise into real points, while Ferrari will urgently need to understand the issue that halted Hamilton's car.