Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli set the pace on the penultimate day of F1 2026 pre-season testing in Bahrain, delivering a headline-grabbing performance under the desert sun. The young Italian continued to build momentum ahead of his first full campaign, laying down a benchmark time that put Mercedes firmly at the top of Thursday’s order.
What To Know?
- Day 2 of the second pre-season test comes from Bahrain.
- George Russell was quickest on the first day for Mercedes.
- Lando Norris was the fastest in the morning session on Day 2 for McLaren.
- Ferrari unveiled a rear-wing mechanism that flipped the top of the wing upside down.
- Kimi Antonelli went fastest of the day for Mercedes.
Antonelli clocked a 1:32.803 to lead the timesheets, edging out Oscar Piastri’s McLaren by a razor-thin margin of just 0.0058 seconds. With the field so tightly packed and teams continuing to explore different fuel loads and run plans, the slender gap only added to the intrigue as preparations for the new season gathered pace.
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After George Russell led the way on the opening day of the second 2026 pre-season test in Bahrain, it was his Mercedes team mate Kimi Antonelli who rose to the top of the timesheets on Day 2.
Antonelli delivered a standout performance to finish fastest overall, edging out McLaren’s Oscar Piastri and Red Bull’s Max Verstappen. The Italian’s best lap of 1m 32.803s ultimately proved untouchable as the field continued to trade quickest times throughout a productive afternoon under increasingly representative conditions at the Bahrain International Circuit.
Earlier in the day, Lando Norris had set the benchmark during Thursday morning’s running with a 1m 33.453s. However, as track temperatures eased and grip levels improved later on, lap times steadily fell — culminating in Antonelli’s session-topping effort in the final hour.
When the afternoon segment began at 1500 local time, it was Lewis Hamilton who first ventured out. The Ferrari driver appeared keen to compensate for limited mileage earlier in the day, having completed just five laps in the morning session.
As the session developed, several teams rotated drivers, with Piastri, Antonelli and Haas rookie Ollie Bearman among those taking over from their teammates. The timesheets remained fluid, reflecting both performance runs and longer stints as teams worked through varied test programmes.
Less than an hour into the afternoon, Verstappen eclipsed Norris’ morning benchmark to go fastest. Soon after, two-time World Champion Fernando Alonso triggered a red flag when his Aston Martin came to a halt on track. The interruption briefly paused proceedings while the AMR26 was recovered.
With just under three hours remaining once the session resumed, teams returned to their respective run plans. Hamilton steadily increased his lap count, while Antonelli continued building momentum with a series of consistent tours. As dusk approached and conditions became more aligned with race scenarios, several drivers began pushing harder.
There were visible lock-ups for both Hamilton and Alpine’s Franco Colapinto as they explored braking limits. Meanwhile, Williams’ Alex Albon and Cadillac’s Sergio Perez switched to soft tyres in the latter stages, suggesting qualifying-style simulations as the circuit cooled.
The lead position changed hands several times in the closing phases. Piastri improved to move ahead of Verstappen, only for Antonelli to respond with a decisive lap in the final hour to secure P1.
As on Day 1, the session concluded with a practice new race start light procedure. There was a brief moment of concern late on when Piastri pulled to the side of the track, though the Australian was able to continue without further incident.
Day 2 F1 2026 Pre-Season testing 2: Leaderboard
| Pos | Driver | Team | Gap | TYRES USED |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kimi Antonelli | Mercedes | 1:32.803 | 22 |
| 2 | Oscar Piastri | McLaren | 0.058 | 9 |
| 3 | Max Verstappen | Red Bull Racing | 0.359 | 21 |
| 4 | Lewis Hamilton | Ferrari | 0.605 | 16 |
| 5 | Lando Norris | McLaren | 0.65 | 15 |
| 6 | Franco Colapinto | Alpine | 1.015 | 29 |
| 7 | Nico Hulkenberg | Audi | 1.184 | 15 |
| 8 | George Russell | Mercedes | 1.308 | 21 |
| 9 | Esteban Ocon | Haas F1 Team | 1.398 | 15 |
| 10 | Liam Lawson | Racing Bulls | 1.729 | 24 |
| 11 | Alexander Albon | Williams | 1.752 | 22 |
| 12 | Gabriel Bortoleto | Audi | 2.46 | 6 |
| 13 | Oliver Bearman | Haas F1 Team | 2.476 | 17 |
| 14 | Sergio Perez | Cadillac | 2.566 | 11 |
| 15 | Fernando Alonso | Aston Martin | 4.669 | 13 |
| 16 | Valtteri Bottas | Cadillac | 7.39 | 9 |
| 17 | Isack Hadjar | Red Bull Racing | – – | 0 |
| 18 | Pierre Gasly | Alpine | – – | 0 |
| 19 | Charles Leclerc | Ferrari | – – | 0 |
| 20 | Lance Stroll | Aston Martin | – – | 0 |
| 21 | Arvid Lindblad | Racing Bulls | – – | 0 |
| 22 | Carlos Sainz | Williams | – – | 0 |
Antonelli’s 1m 32.803s stood firm at the top, with Piastri just 0.058s behind in second. Verstappen — who completed the highest lap tally of the day with 139 tours — finished third, a little over three-tenths adrift of the Mercedes driver.
Hamilton claimed fourth position, while Norris’ morning benchmark kept him fifth. Colapinto followed in sixth, ahead of Audi’s Nico Hulkenberg, Russell in the second Mercedes, Haas’ Esteban Ocon and Liam Lawson for Racing Bulls.
Albon placed 11th for Williams, with Gabriel Bortoleto (Audi), Bearman, Perez and Alonso rounding out the order. Alonso managed 68 laps in total and did not return following his earlier stoppage. Cadillac’s Valtteri Bottas was the final classified runner, while six drivers sat out Thursday’s action as teams split driving duties.
With just one day of 2026 pre-season testing remaining in Bahrain, teams now have a final opportunity on Friday to refine their packages and gather crucial data before the season-opening Australian Grand Prix on March 6-8.
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