Kimi Antonelli showcased Mercedes' dominance at the final pre-season Formula 1 test of 2026, leading the timesheets while Ferrari faced challenges on Lewis Hamilton's last day on track before the Australian Grand Prix.
Antonelli, following his teammate George Russell's impressive pace on the first day, pushed the benchmark lower by six-tenths, clocking a 1:32.803 in the evening session at the Bahrain International Circuit. This performance put him just 0.058 seconds ahead of McLaren's Oscar Piastri, with Red Bull's Max Verstappen trailing by three-tenths in third. Both Piastri and Verstappen set their top times earlier in the afternoon before shifting focus to race simulations.
Hamilton, running with the top contenders in the cooler evening conditions, ended up six-tenths off the lead in fourth. His session was marred by errors during qualifying simulations in the final hour. Earlier, a technical glitch limited him to just five laps in the morning session, echoing issues from the previous day.
Despite these setbacks, Hamilton managed 73 laps in the afternoon. With Charles Leclerc taking over Ferrari's testing duties on Friday, Hamilton's pre-season wrapped up on a challenging note, especially after Ferrari's earlier flawless reliability.
Reflecting on the day, Hamilton remarked, "It wasn't perfect for us, but the team's effort in getting the car back on track was incredible. I'm grateful for the laps we completed and the data we gathered, which will be crucial as we gear up for the season."
Ferrari lagged behind the other 'big four' teams-Mercedes, McLaren, and Red Bull-all of whom enjoyed uninterrupted running. Antonelli and Russell combined for 156 laps for Mercedes, while Piastri and Lando Norris racked up 164 for McLaren. Verstappen completed 139 laps for Red Bull across both sessions.
Ferrari's morning was also eventful as their rear wing flipped during Hamilton's use of Active Aero on the main straight. This system is designed to reduce drag temporarily, but Ferrari was reportedly only testing the feature, not planning its permanent use.
On a brighter note for Ferrari, Hamilton executed impressive practice starts, benefiting from the FIA's extended start procedure, aimed at giving drivers more prep time for engine launches.
Elsewhere, Aston Martin's struggles continued with Fernando Alonso sidelined by a power unit issue, cutting short his session by three hours.
Bahrain Test 2 - Day 2 Timesheet
- Kimi Antonelli - Mercedes - 1:32.803 - 79 laps
- Oscar Piastri - McLaren - +0.058 - 86 laps
- Max Verstappen - Red Bull - +0.359 - 139 laps
- Lewis Hamilton - Ferrari - +0.605 - 78 laps
- Lando Norris - McLaren - +0.650 - 72 laps
- Franco Colapinto - Alpine - +1.015 - 120 laps
- Nico Hulkenberg - Audi - +1.184 - 73 laps
- George Russell - Mercedes - +1.308 - 77 laps
- Esteban Ocon - Haas - +1.398 - 58 laps
- Liam Lawson - Racing Bulls - +1.729 - 106 laps
- Alex Albon - Williams - +1.752 - 117 laps
- Gabriel Bortoleto - Audi - +2.460 - 29 laps
- Oliver Bearman - Haas - +2.476 - 69 laps
- Sergio Perez - Cadillac - +2.566 - 50 laps
- Fernando Alonso - Aston Martin - +4.669 - 68 laps
- Valtteri Bottas - Cadillac - +7.390 - 58 laps
Note: Drivers marked with an asterisk participated in both sessions.