Kimi Antonelli continued Mercedes’ impressive showing at Formula 1’s final 2026 pre-season test by topping the timesheet as Ferrari faced further disruption on Lewis Hamilton’s last day on track before the Australian Grand Prix.
After his Mercedes team-mate George Russell had gone fastest on the opening day of the last of F1’s three pre-season events, Antonelli lowered the benchmark by a further six tenths with a 1:32.803 in the evening session at the Bahrain International Circuit.
That put him 0.058s clear of McLaren’s Oscar Piastri in second, while Red Bull’s Max Verstappen was three tenths further back in third, with the pair having set their best times earlier in the afternoon session before focusing on race simulations in the latter stages of the day.
Hamilton was on track with the top three in the cooler and faster evening conditions, but ended six tenths off the pace in fourth after making repeated errors as he attempted qualifying simulations in the final hour of the day.
Before that, Hamilton’s running was interrupted by a technical issue for a second successive day as he was limited to just five laps in the morning session.
The seven-time world champion managed a solid 73 laps in the afternoon, but with his team-mate Charles Leclerc scheduled to drive all day on Friday, Hamilton’s pre-season has ended in scruffy fashion after Ferrari had enjoyed perfect reliability at the first two events.
Ferrari lost out on mileage to the other members of the ‘big four’, with Mercedes, McLaren and Red Bull all running throughout the day without any major issues.
Antonelli and Russell totalled 156 laps for Mercedes, Piastri and Lando Norris amassed 164 for McLaren, while Verstappen got through 139 as he ran in both sessions for Red Bull.
Ferrari were also in the spotlight during the morning after their rear wing flipped 180 degrees when Hamilton used Active Aero on the main straight. In theory, that reduces drag before reverting to its normal position for the corners but it is understood Ferrari were only testing the item, rather than making it a permanent feature.
Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player
Ferrari’s Lewis Hamilton made an incredible practice start during day two of the Bahrain Test.
There was some encouragement for Ferrari though as Hamilton made stunning getaways in practice starts at the end of each session, as the FIA continued to trial an extended start procedure designed to give drivers more time to prepare their engines for launch.
Elsewhere, Aston Martin’s poor start to the year continued as a power unit issue caused Fernando Alonso to stop on track and prevented the Spaniard from featuring in the final three hours of the day.
Sky Sports F1’s Bahrain Testing schedule
Friday February 20
- 6.50am-11.05am: Morning session Live
- 11.55am-4.10pm: Afternoon session Live
- 8pm: Testing Wrap
Watch every race of the 2026 F1 season live on Sky Sports, starting with the Australian Grand Prix from March 6-8. Stream Sky Sports with NOW – no contract, cancel anytime
Disclaimer : This story is auto aggregated by a computer programme and has not been created or edited by DOWNTHENEWS. Publisher: skynews.com
