Mercedes Dominates as Hamilton Red Flag Ends Bahrain Test
Antonelli and Russell secure Mercedes 1-2 on final day as Ferrari’s Hamilton stops on track with minutes remaining
Mercedes emphatically reasserted its pace on the final day of the first Bahrain pre-season test, securing a 1-2 finish with Kimi Antonelli and George Russell as Lewis Hamilton’s Ferrari caused a late red flag .
The Italian rookie, who had endured a torrid start to the test with just 33 laps across the opening two days due to power unit issues, bounced back spectacularly to set the fastest time of the entire week .
The Mercedes Resurgence
Antonelli’s 1:33.669, set during the afternoon session on C3 compound tires, established a new benchmark for the 2026 pre-season. Russell had earlier topped the morning session with 1:33.918, giving Mercedes a commanding lockout of the top two positions .
The performance represented a dramatic turnaround for Antonelli, whose test had appeared compromised after Thursday’s power unit failure restricted him to just three laps. The 18-year-old completed 61 laps on Friday, including a full race distance and a simulated race start during a chaotic end-of-session test .
« We’re still behind on the set-up work, » admitted trackside engineering director Andrew Shovlin, « but at least got the car into a reasonable window by the end of the day » .
Hamilton’s Late Stoppage
While Mercedes celebrated, Ferrari’s running ended prematurely when Hamilton stopped his SF-26 at Turn 8 with just over 10 minutes remaining on the clock. The seven-time champion, who had completed an impressive 150 laps during his sole day of running, pulled off between Turns 4 and 5 before coasting down the hill to a halt .
The incident brought out the final red flag of the three-day test. Despite the stoppage, Hamilton’s best time of 1:34.209 was good enough for third fastest, just over half a second adrift of Antonelli’s benchmark .
The Bigger Picture
The Mercedes 1-2 capped a test that had seen the competitive order fluctuate dramatically. While Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc set the pace on Day 2 and Red Bull impressed with consistent energy deployment, Mercedes’ final day performance suggested the Brackley squad has pace in reserve .
Oscar Piastri underlined McLaren’s reliability with a mammoth 161 laps on Friday — the highest individual total of the week — though his best time was 0.880s off Antonelli’s pace .
Max Verstappen and Isack Hadjar completed the top six for Red Bull, with the team focusing on long-run programs rather than headline lap times .
Aston Martin’s Struggles Continue
At the other end of the spectrum, Aston Martin’s difficult test concluded with Lance Stroll managing just 72 laps — the lowest of any team on Friday. The Silverstone squad completed only 206 laps for the entire week, well adrift of Williams’ benchmark 425 laps .
Looking Ahead
The first Bahrain test has provided more questions than answers about the 2026 pecking order. While Mercedes finished fastest, Ferrari and Red Bull both showed competitive pace at different stages, and McLaren’s relentless mileage suggests the defending champions are well-prepared.
The grid will reconvene for the second Bahrain test on February 18-20, with teams having four days to analyze data before the season-opening Australian Grand Prix on March 8.
Sources
- RACER: « Mercedes back on top but rivals show strength as Bahrain F1 testing concludes » (February 14, 2026)
- The Race: « What happened on final day of F1’s Bahrain test » (February 14, 2026)
- Motorsport.com: « F1 2026 Bahrain pre-season test: Andrea Kimi Antonelli leads Mercedes 1-2 on day three » (February 14, 2026)
- AP News: « Antonelli leads Russell as Mercedes tops the week’s final day of F1 testing in Bahrain » (February 14, 2026)
- Formula1.com: « Antonelli and Mercedes top final day of first Bahrain test » (February 13, 2026)
- Crash.net: « Mercedes fastest as Lewis Hamilton issue brings Bahrain F1 test to end » (February 14, 2026)
- GP Fans: « F1 Testing Results: Bahrain timesheets as Lewis Hamilton causes red flag » (February 14, 2026)
- ESPN: « F1 testing: Mercedes showcase pace as Antonelli, Russell top Day 3 at Bahrain » (February 14, 2026)