Bahrain Pre-Season Testing – Day 3
Bahrain International Circuit, Sakhir
Circuit
Bahrain International Circuit, Sakhir
Event
2026 Formula 1 Pre-Season Testing (First Test Week)
Status
The final day of the first 2026 Bahrain pre-season test saw Mercedes at the top of the timesheets, with Kimi Antonelli setting the fastest lap of the entire test.
Fastest on Day 3
Kimi Antonelli (Mercedes) – 1:33.669
Mercedes 1-2
Antonelli fastest, Russell second
High Mileage
Oscar Piastri – 161 laps
| Pos | Driver | Team | Best Lap Time | Total Laps |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kimi Antonelli | Mercedes AMG Petronas F1 Team | 1:33.669 | 61 |
| 2 | George Russell | Mercedes AMG Petronas F1 Team | 1:33.918 | 78 |
| 3 | Lewis Hamilton | Scuderia Ferrari | 1:34.209 | 150 |
| 4 | Oscar Piastri | McLaren Mastercard F1 Team | 1:34.549 | 161 |
| 5 | Max Verstappen | Oracle Red Bull Racing | 1:35.341 | 61 |
| 6 | Isack Hadjar | Oracle Red Bull Racing | 1:35.610 | 59 |
| 7 | Esteban Ocon | TGR Haas F1 Team | 1:35.753 | 75 |
| 8 | Franco Colapinto | BWT Alpine F1 Team | 1:35.806 | 144 |
| 9 | Ollie Bearman | TGR Haas F1 Team | 1:35.972 | 70 |
| 10 | Nico Hülkenberg | Audi Revolut F1 Team | 1:36.291 | 58 |
| 11 | Alex Albon | Atlassian Williams F1 Team | 1:36.665 | 78 |
| 12 | Liam Lawson | Visa Cash App Racing Bulls F1 Team | 1:36.808 | 119 |
| 13 | Carlos Sainz | Atlassian Williams F1 Team | 1:37.186 | 68 |
| 14 | Sergio Pérez | Cadillac F1 Team | 1:37.365 | 67 |
| 15 | Gabriel Bortoleto | Audi Revolut F1 Team | 1:37.536 | 60 |
| 16 | Lance Stroll | Aston Martin Aramco F1 Team | 1:38.165 | 72 |
| 17 | Valtteri Bottas | Cadillac F1 Team | 1:38.772 | 37 |
Mercedes showed strong pace and consistency
Ferrari used long runs to simulate race conditions
McLaren logged the most laps and key data
Red Bull remained competitive but kept strategic focus
Aston Martin & Cadillac faced more challenges
Midfield teams like Alpine, Haas, and Audi collected significant programme data
This paints a picture of development focus and reliability trends, not pure speed order.
Day 3 gives the most structured data so far: tyre degradation curves, consistency across long stints, and cross-team comparisons that hint at readiness for race weekend conditions.
However, confidence remains moderate, and final race simulations in later tests will provide deeper insight.
If you're new to F1:
- Day 3 is when teams finally push the cars closer to performance mode, but it still isn't a race simulation
- Teams focus on tyre behaviour, fuel strategy, engine modes, and long runs — not just outright fastest laps
- A fastest lap in testing is an indication of potential, not a prediction
What Comes Next
The first Bahrain test completes here, but teams have another three-day block later (Feb 18–20) to fine-tune and gather data before the 2026 season opener in Australia (March 6–8).
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