Kimi Antonelli topped the timesheets as Ferrari continued Mercedes’ impressive form in Formula 1’s final 2026 pre-season test as Ferrari faced further chaos on Lewis Hamilton’s final day on track before the Australian Grand Prix.
After his Mercedes team-mate George Russell went 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 time of 1:32.803 in the evening session at the Bahrain International Circuit.
This put him in second place, 0.058 seconds ahead of McLaren’s Oscar Piastri, with Red Bull’s Max Verstappen in third place, three tenths behind. The pair set their best times early in the afternoon session before focusing on race simulations in the later stages.
Hamilton finished in the top three in cooler, faster evening weather, but finished fourth, six tenths off the pace, after making repeated errors while attempting qualifying simulations in the final hours of the day.
Before that, Hamilton’s run was halted by technical problems for the second day in a row, limiting him to just five laps in the morning session.
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A red flag has been issued on the second day of testing in Bahrain after Fernando Alonso’s Aston Martin stalled on the track.
The seven-time world champion drove a solid 73 laps in the afternoon, but with his team-mate Charles Leclerc due to drive all day on Friday, Hamilton’s pre-season ended in messy fashion after the Ferrari enjoyed perfect reliability in the first two events.
Ferrari lost mileage to the other members of the ‘big four’ with Mercedes, McLaren and Red Bull all operating throughout the day without any major issues.
Antonelli and Russell recorded a total of 156 laps in their Mercedes, Piatri and Lando Norris recorded 164 laps in their McLaren and Verstappen recorded 139 laps while running in both sessions in his Red Bull.
Ferrari was also in the spotlight on the morning after its rear wing flipped 180 degrees when Hamilton used active aero on the main straight. In theory it would reduce drag before returning to its normal position in a corner, but Ferrari is understood to have only tested this item rather than making it a permanent feature.
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Ferrari’s Lewis Hamilton had an incredible start to practice on the second day of testing in Bahrain.
There was some encouragement for Ferrari as Hamilton pulled off a stunning run from the actual start at the end of each session, and 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 kept Fernando Alonso off track and out for the final three hours of the day.
Sky Sports F1 Bahrain Test Schedule
Friday February 20th
- 6:50 AM – 11:05 AM: Morning Session Live
- 11:55 AM – 4:10 PM: Live Afternoon Session
- 8 PM: Test Lab
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 NOW – No Commitment, Cancel Anytime
