Kimi Antonelli has focused on the positives of the second week of the 2026 F1 Bahrain test, despite having a final-day issue on track with his Mercedes W17.
The Italian driver completed three sessions across the three-day test, with his most memorable one arriving on Day 2 when he topped the times with a 1:34.158. On Day 1, Antonelli completed 68 laps and settled for the fifth-fastest time of the day, while teammate George Russell claimed P1.
However, on Day 3, a reliability issue surfaced when his Mercedes car came to a halt on track between Turns 10 and 11, triggering a red flag. Antonelli only completed 49 laps that day, securing P8 on the final timesheets.
Antonelli confident despite Day 3 setback at 2026 Bahrain F1 test
Speaking in a press conference on the final day of the 2026 F1 Bahrain test, Antonelli shared that he feels comfortable with the car despite the issue, noting that the team has already identified the problem.
“Yeah, it hasn’t been the smoothest of testing for me here in Bahrain, but, you know, that’s what is testing, you know?,” he said. “It’s all about testing, and it’s really important to fix it now and to experience these issues now, to then be fine for the rest of the season. So I think, yeah, I mean, the team has been looking into it and already found the issue and also the way to fix it. So hopefully we’ll be fine for Australia.
“But other than that, the car has felt pretty good. To be fair, we’ve done a lot of work, set up work, and, you know, the car is giving good feelings,” he explained.
“And, of course, the other top teams look pretty good as well. Ferrari looked very strong this morning, but also McLaren yesterday looked strong, and Red Bull as well. So I think the top four are pretty close together, and, you know, it’s going to be a tight fight.”
Heading to Melbourne with optimism
Two weeks remain until the start of the 2025 Formula 1 season, marking Antonelli’s second campaign with Mercedes-AMG Petronas F1 Team. This year, however, Mercedes enters the season with heightened expectations after showing promising early signs during the 2026 F1 Barcelona Shakedown, where teams revealed their first glimpse of speed under the new regulations.
When asked how different it feels for him and the team compared to last year, when Antonelli was a rookie who was still learning the ropes, he said:
“Yeah, I mean, I feel good going into the season. Much more prepared compared to last year. Of course, there’s a lot of expectation around us, but I think the other top teams are very strong as well. You know, Ferrari looked very competitive this morning,” with Charles Leclerc setting the fastest time of the Bahrain test with a 1:33.992.
“Red Bull looks in a good place as well, and McLaren yesterday, they looked very, very strong. So, I think we just need to keep focusing on ourselves and trying to squeeze as much performance as possible. But, of course, you know, Melbourne is behind the door. Testing is almost done. And, yeah, in Melbourne, it’s going to be time to really show the performance,” he concluded.
