Mercedes’ Kimi Antonelli Sets Overall Fastest Time on Day Five of F1 Pre-Season Testing in Bahrain

Sakhir, Bahrain, February 19, 2026: Pre-season testing ahead of the new Formula 1 campaign intensified at the Bahrain Grand Prix venue as a Mercedes driver once again topped the overall timesheets. On day five of running at the Bahrain International Circuit, rookie sensation Kimi Antonelli delivered a blistering lap of 1:32.803s to set the fastest time of the test so far.

The young Italian edged out teammate George Russell, who had previously set the benchmark for the grid. The performance underlined Mercedes’ strong pace heading into the 2026 Formula 1 season.

Multiple Drivers Break Previous Benchmark

Antonelli’s time was not the only standout performance of the day. Four additional drivers bettered Russell’s earlier benchmark, highlighting rapid development gains across the paddock.

Oscar Piastri clocked an impressive 1:32.861s for McLaren, while reigning world champion Max Verstappen posted a 1:33.162s for Red Bull Racing. Seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton recorded a 1:33.408s for Ferrari, and teammate Lando Norris rounded out the top group with a 1:33.453s.

Notably, Norris was the only driver among the front-runners to set his time on the C4 compound tyre, while the others relied on the C3.

Full Tyre Range in Action, Including C5

For the first time during this year’s test, every tyre compound in the Pirelli range was used, including the softest C5, requested by just four teams. In the final hour, Alpine, Cadillac, and Williams evaluated the C5.

Franco Colapinto extracted the most from the softest compound, setting a 1:33.818s for Alpine. Meanwhile, Piastri proved versatile across compounds, posting the fastest laps on both the C1 (1:36.576s) and C2 (1:33.624s).

Teams are increasingly simulating race scenarios and qualifying runs, experimenting with aerodynamic updates and setup refinements. Several outfits conducted consecutive performance runs to identify performance deltas between compounds, progressively stepping down tyre hardness.

Long Runs and Strategy Insights

Long-run data collection remained a priority. Audi completed 23 laps on the C1, while Red Bull matched that distance on the C2. Earlier in the day, Alexander Albon pushed the C4 for 17 laps on a set that had already seen six laps of use — valuable insight into potential race durability.

A total of 1,311 laps were completed under peak track temperatures of 45°C. The C3 compound once again dominated usage, accounting for 729 laps (55%). It was followed by the C2, C1, C4, and finally the C5, which logged just 12 laps.

Drivers Absent on Day Five

Six drivers did not participate in the day’s running: Isack Hadjar (Red Bull), Pierre Gasly (Alpine), Charles Leclerc(Ferrari), Lance Stroll (Aston Martin), Arvid Lindblad (Racing Bulls), and Carlos Sainz Jr. (Williams).

With teams now aligning their run programmes more closely to race conditions, the competitive picture ahead of the season opener is beginning to take shape. If testing pace is any indicator, Mercedes appear firmly in the fight — but the margins at the top remain razor thin.