Mercedes finished the opening three-day 2026 Formula 1 test in Bahrain in commanding fashion, with Kimi Antonelli setting the fastest lap of the week and George Russell completing a one-two for the team.

Russell led the way in the morning session and ended the day second overall, while Antonelli took over the car in the afternoon and improved on his team-mate’s benchmark with a 1:33.669. The Italian’s performance marked a strong recovery after an engine issue on Thursday had limited his running. Despite not matching Russell’s mileage, Antonelli completed a productive programme and underlined Mercedes’ early-season potential.

There was an early red flag at 10:50 local time after Valtteri Bottas stopped on track. Running resumed shortly afterwards without significant disruption, and teams continued to focus on long-run simulations and performance programmes.

Ferrari maintained its consistent run of reliability, completing more than 130 laps for the third consecutive day, this time with Lewis Hamilton behind the wheel. The seven-time world champion ended third fastest but caused a late red flag when he stopped on track in the closing minutes of the session.

McLaren’s Oscar Piastri was fourth quickest and set the record for most laps completed in a single day during this week’s test, surpassing 150 laps.

Red Bull split driving duties between Max Verstappen and Isack Hadjar, finishing fifth and sixth respectively after completing nearly 120 laps. Aston Martin, meanwhile, endured another challenging day, with Lance Stroll spending much of the afternoon in the garage before returning to the track late in the session. Although he managed to cover more than a race distance, he was over four seconds off the pace.

Stroll finished ahead only of the Cadillac pairing of Valtteri Bottas and Sergio Perez, who shared driving responsibilities across the day.

Pre-season testing resumes in Bahrain next Wednesday for the final three-day session ahead of the 2026 season opener in Australia.

Results: Bahrain test day 3

1. Kimi Antonelli (Mercedes) – 1:33.669, 49 laps
2. George Russell (Mercedes) – +0.249, 78 laps
3. Lewis Hamilton (Ferrari) – +0.540, 138 laps
4. Oscar Piastri (McLaren) – +0.880, 153 laps
5. Max Verstappen (Red Bull) – +1.672, 61 laps
6. Isack Hadjar (Red Bull) – +1.941, 53 laps
7. Esteban Ocon (Haas) – +2.084, 68 laps
8. Franco Colapinto (Alpine) – +2.137, 137 laps
9. Oliver Bearman (Haas) – +2.303, 70 laps
10. Nico Hulkenberg (Audi) – +2.622, 49 laps
11. Alex Albon (Williams) – +3.124, 71 laps
12. Liam Lawson (Racing Bulls) – +3.139, 119 laps
13. Carlos Sainz (Williams) – +3.517, 68 laps
14. Gabriel Bortoleto (Audi) – +3.867, 60 laps
15. Lance Stroll (Aston Martin) – +4.496, 69 laps
16. Valtteri Bottas (Cadillac) – +5.103, 37 laps
17. Sergio Perez (Cadillac) – +5.582, 62 laps