Kimi Antonelli Fastest as Hamilton Triggers Red Flag

Formula 1, Sportrik Media – Kimi Antonelli set the fastest overall time for Mercedes AMG Petronas on the final day of 2026 pre-season testing in Bahrain, while Lewis Hamilton triggered a late red flag during the closing minutes of the session.

Antonelli had been restricted to just three laps on Day 2 due to a power unit change and was originally scheduled to run only in Friday afternoon’s session. Earlier in the day, George Russell set the pace with a 1:33.918 lap across 78 tours, finishing ahead of Hamilton and Max Verstappen. Verstappen did not return for the afternoon session, handing the Red Bull over to Isack Hadjar.

When Antonelli eventually took to the track in the second hour of the afternoon block, he immediately displayed strong pace, suggesting a low-fuel programme. He first posted a 1:33.900 to edge Russell by 0.018s, before lowering his benchmark to a test-best 1:33.669, finishing a quarter of a second clear of his team-mate.

Hamilton held third position, half a second adrift of Antonelli’s time. However, despite completing 138 laps, the Ferrari came to a halt at Turn 8 in the final 10 minutes, prompting a red flag. It is possible the stoppage was part of a routine ‘run dry’ procedure, as running resumed shortly afterwards under Virtual Safety Car conditions while the FIA conducted system checks.

Oscar Piastri logged the highest mileage of the day with 153 laps for McLaren, nearly completing three race distances. Hadjar placed sixth behind Verstappen, with Esteban Ocon, Franco Colapinto, Oliver Bearman and Nico Hulkenberg completing the top 10.

Below are the Day 3 lap counts:

Mercedes leaves Bahrain having demonstrated competitive one-lap pace and solid mileage accumulation, positioning itself strongly ahead of the 2026 season opener in Melbourne.