F1: Antonelli Leads the Charge for Mercedes on Day 2; Aston Martin Face Setback

Kimi Antonelli put Mercedes-AMG on top of the leaderboard on Day 2 of the final F1 2026 pre-season test at the Bahrain International Circuit. The rookie sensation clocked a 1m 32.803s lap on the C3 compound tyre during the final hour of the afternoon session to finish the day fastest overall. As track temperatures dropped under the floodlights, the Italian focused on qualifying-style single-lap pace. Antonelli completed 79 laps, ultimately eclipsing the benchmark set earlier by teammate George Russell. This time stands as the fastest lap recorded so far from the new-spec 2026 Formula 1 cars at Sakhir. With Mercedes looking comfortable across long runs, Antonelli’s late push provided a massive confidence boost before the final day of F1 testing on Friday.

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Oscar Piastri ensured McLaren remained a frontrunner, posting a 1m 32.861s lap, just 0.058s adrift of the leading Mercedes. The Australian logged 86 laps in the afternoon, though his session was briefly interrupted by a technical scare that forced a stop on track. After returning to the pits, he participated in the official FIA start procedure tests. McLaren secured the highest combined mileage of the day, as Lando Norris added 72 laps during the morning session. The Woking-based team concluded Day 2 with a total of 158 laps, showing impressive reliability for the new 2026 power unit.

Max Verstappen secured third for Red Bull Racing with a best time of 1m 33.162s. The reigning champion was the most productive driver on track, completing a mammoth 139 laps. Red Bull’s testing program focused on high-fuel long runs using the C3 and C2 Pirelli tyres rather than chasing a headline-grabbing low-fuel lap. The team continued to evaluate the performance of their aggressive new aerodynamic package. Verstappen remained roughly three-tenths off the top spot while gathering crucial data for the RB22’s race trim.

Lewis Hamilton ended the day fourth for Ferrari following a morning hampered by reliability issues. The seven-time champion was limited to just five laps in the early session due to a technical check but recovered in the afternoon to complete 78 laps. Ferrari utilized the session to debut a sophisticated rotating rear wing assembly designed to optimize straight-line speed by stalling airflow. Hamilton’s fastest lap of 1m 33.408s was set on the C3 tyre, leaving him 0.6s behind the pace-setting Mercedes.

Aston Martin faced significant setbacks when Fernando Alonso brought out the red flag. The stoppage was caused by a drivetrain issue and repeated the reliability problem Lance Stroll faced earlier in the week. Consequently, Aston Martin holds the lowest mileage of any manufacturer in the Bahrain test so far. Alonso managed 68 laps before the car was retired to the garage for the final two hours of track time.

Franco Colapinto impressed by finishing sixth for Alpine with a 1m 33.818s on the softest C5 tyre. Nico Hulkenberg followed in seventh for the Audi F1 Team, while George Russell, Esteban Ocon, and Liam Lawson rounded out the top ten.

Notably, Audi recorded the highest top speed of the day at 341km/h. F1 teams now prepare for the final day of 2026 pre-season testing on Friday, the last chance to find performance before the season-opening Australian Grand Prix in March.