Kimi Antonelli set the fastest time as Mercedes locked out the top two spots on the final day of 2026 pre-season testing in Bahrain. Lewis Hamilton was third for Ferrari on a high-mileage day, while reigning champion Max Verstappen finished fifth for Red Bull.
Ferrari will not protest Mercedes' engine but is demanding urgent clarity from the FIA on compression ratio rules. Mercedes is accused of exploiting a loophole, with Ferrari, Audi, Honda, and Red Bull seeking a revised testing procedure. The issue heads to the F1 Commission for a decisive ruling.
Mercedes junior Kimi Antonelli topped the overall timesheets on the final day of F1 pre-season testing in Bahrain, as Lewis Hamilton's session with Ferrari ended early with a red flag. While test times are unreliable, the pace offers hope for a Mercedes rebound, with all teams now looking ahead to the season-opening race next week.
Lewis Hamilton's last pre-season test session in Bahrain was red-flagged and ended early due to an unspecified car issue, costing Mercedes and the departing driver valuable track time just days before the season-opening grand prix.
Charles Leclerc says Red Bull and Mercedes look fastest after Bahrain testing, but suspects Mercedes is deliberately hiding its car's true potential. He notes the new regulations make it exceptionally hard to judge real performance, but is satisfied with Ferrari's reliable start to its 2026 program.
George Russell topped the timesheets for Mercedes on the final morning of F1 pre-season testing in Bahrain, setting a blistering lap time that signals a potential turnaround for the team. While testing times are deceptive, the performance provides a crucial confidence boost ahead of next week's season opener, where the true competitive order will be revealed.
Alpine MD Steve Nielsen challenges Red Bull, Ferrari, Audi and Honda to file a protest over Mercedes' 2026 power unit, which temporarily raises its compression ratio from 16:1 to 18:1—a gain that could shave tenths of a second per lap.
Rivals like Ferrari and Red Bull suspect Mercedes is sandbagging and hiding its true pace during F1 pre-season testing, despite the team's own warnings about Red Bull's speed. The skepticism sets up a high-stakes reveal for the season opener in Melbourne.
Red Bull's Pierre Wache says his focus is on building a winning car, not catering to Max Verstappen's happiness, after the champion driver threatened that F1's 2026 regulations could make him leave the sport. Verstappen criticized the prototype cars as unenjoyable to drive, a sentiment shared by Lewis Hamilton, putting pressure on F1's rulemakers.
Mercedes' George Russell calls for patience in evaluating F1's new 2026 cars, contrasting Max Verstappen's harsh criticism. While acknowledging complex energy management challenges, Russell praises the cars' lighter weight and agility and predicts massive development is still to come as teams adapt to the radical new regulations.
Mercedes' Toto Wolff claims rival F1 engine makers are secretly lobbying the FIA to close a 2026 engine loophole, motivated by fear of being embarrassed by Mercedes' performance. The dispute over compression ratio measurement must be resolved before March 1 homologation.
Tennis champion Carlos Alcaraz visited the F1 paddock in Bahrain, meeting Spanish drivers Fernando Alonso and Carlos Sainz. The world No. 1, a self-professed F1 fan converted by Alonso, toured team garages during pre-season testing, highlighting the sport's crossover appeal.
