Bahrain F1 Test: Antonelli Leads Mercedes 1-2, Hamilton 3rd – Day 3 Results

Bahrain International Circuit played host to the final day of the first Formula 1 pre-season test on Friday, February 13th, 2026, with Mercedes concluding the session at the top of the timesheets. Kimi Antonelli, driving for the Silver Arrows, set the fastest lap of the test with a time of 1:33.669, edging out teammate George Russell by a mere 0.249 seconds. The performance marks a strong start to the season for the Mercedes team and introduces Antonelli as a potential frontrunner in the upcoming championship.

Lewis Hamilton, now racing for Ferrari, secured the third-fastest time of the day with a 1:34.209, demonstrating the Italian team’s competitive edge. All three drivers achieved their best times using the C3 tire compound, also setting the fastest overall times across the three days of testing in Sakhir. This suggests a clear performance advantage for those utilizing the C3 tire during the test.

While lap times are a key indicator, teams were also heavily focused on longer runs and race simulations. Oscar Piastri of McLaren finished fourth achieving his best times on the harder C2 and C1 tire compounds – 1:36.234 on C2 and 1:36.899 on C1. Notably, Lando Norris (McLaren) and Max Verstappen (Red Bull) previously set the best times on those respective compounds earlier in the week, with 1:34.669 and 1:35.631 respectively. This highlights the strategic choices teams are making regarding tire management and race pace.

Piastri himself completed a significant amount of running, logging 24 laps on the C1 tire and 22 laps on the C2, indicating McLaren’s commitment to understanding tire durability and performance over extended periods. Mercedes drivers Antonelli and Russell mirrored this focus, completing the longest runs on the C3 compound with 18 laps each. Several other drivers, including Lando Norris, Pierre Gasly (Alpine), Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin), Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) and Arvid Lindblad (Racing Bulls) did not participate in track action on Friday.

Pirelli Motorsport Director Mario Isola offered a positive assessment of the testing so far. “After the shakedown week in Barcelona, ​​the first three days of testing in Bahrain have confirmed that the results of last year’s development tests with prototypes are sufficiently representative,” Isola stated. “The properties of the tire compounds correspond to expectations and the feedback from the drivers was positive. The new compounds show good mechanical resistance, reduce graining, as we have noticed in the last few days, and seem to keep overheating under control.” This feedback is crucial as teams prepare for the opening race of the season, also held in Bahrain.

The teams will enjoy a brief respite before returning to the Bahrain International Circuit next Wednesday for the second and final pre-season test. This next session will provide teams with a wider range of tire options, allowing them to experiment with the full Pirelli range from C1 to C5. Teams will also be permitted to reuse tire sets from the first week of testing, with a maximum of nine laps driven on each set, adding another layer of strategic complexity to the final preparations.

Results F1 test day 3