Antonelli leads Mercedes 1-2 in Bahrain test
Mercedes closed out the final day of the opening 2026 Bahrain pre-season test with a one-two, Kimi Antonelli setting the fastest lap of the day and the test. Antonelli took over from George Russell in the afternoon and posted a 1:33.669, eclipsing Russell’s morning benchmark of 1:33.918 by 0.249 seconds; Russell finished second after a 78-lap morning run.
Ferrari’s Lewis Hamilton was the highest-placed runner behind the Mercedes pair, finishing third after heavy mileage during the day. Hamilton completed roughly 150 laps but stopped on track with just over 10 minutes remaining in the final session, bringing running to an early halt. McLaren’s Oscar Piastri logged in excess of 150 laps and finished fourth, with Red Bull’s Max Verstappen and team-mate Isack Hadjar lining up behind him.
The final day — and the three-day test overall — produced strong single-lap showings for Mercedes but a confused pecking order, as teams ran differing programs and on-track disruptions (including earlier Cadillac stoppages and the late Hamilton stoppage) curtailed some running. The closing sessions delivered mileage and reliability data across the grid while underlining Mercedes’ apparent one-lap pace advantage heading into the season.
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