Bahrain Testing 2 - Day 3: Ferrari leads the morning session as Mercedes faces issues

The sun beat down on the Bahrain International Circuit for the final morning of pre-season testing, providing a grueling backdrop for the ten teams as they scrambled to finalize their 2026 preparations. With the season opener in Melbourne looming just two weeks away, the pressure was palpable in the paddock. This wasn't just about lap times; it was about survival, reliability, and understanding the radical new "nimble car" regulations. By the time the clock hit zero for the lunch break, Charles Leclerc and Ferrari sat atop the timing sheets, but the narrative of the morning was defined as much by mechanical heartbreak and technical intrigue as it was by outright pace.

Leclerc sets the benchmark as Ferrari flexes its muscles

“A little more on Ferrari's experimental 'upside down' rear wing... The team have reiterated that it is very much a test item, with several steps to go through before confirming the design as race-ready,” noted Mike Seymour from the paddock. While the FIA has communicated that the system is currently legal, rival teams like Williams are already crunching the numbers to see if they need to fast-track their own versions. James Vowles admitted that his engineers were working through the night to evaluate the cost-benefit analysis of such a complex mechanism.

Mercedes: blistering pace interrupted by pneumatic gremlins

For Kimi Antonelli and Mercedes, the morning was a tale of two halves. The young Italian sensation looked incredibly comfortable in the W17, at one point sitting just two-tenths behind Leclerc with a 1m 33.916s. His consistency during longer runs was equally impressive, lapping regularly in the 1m 37s bracket, suggesting that the Mercedes power unit and chassis are well-integrated for the new era.

However, the "lost time club" gained a high-profile member at 12:16 PM when the red flags flew. Antonelli’s Mercedes ground to a halt out on track, forcing the teenager to hitch a ride back to the pits while his car was shrouded in black drapes. Lawrence Barretto later confirmed the cause: “It was a loss of pneumatic pressure for Kimi Antonelli earlier, which forced him to stop out on track earlier. The team are switching the PU, which means running is over for Antonelli.”

This is a significant blow for Mercedes’ data collection. While George Russell is expected to take over in the afternoon, the loss of the final hour of running meant Antonelli missed out on the crucial practice starts at the end of the session. Despite the stoppage, the mood at Mercedes remains cautiously optimistic. They have shown genuine top-four pace, but the reliability of the new 2026 power units remains a lingering shadow over their championship aspirations.

The reliability crisis for Aston Martin and Cadillac

While Ferrari and Mercedes traded fast laps, the garages of Aston Martin and Cadillac told a much bleaker story. Aston Martin, in particular, appears to be in a race against time. Lance Stroll spent the vast majority of the morning "suited and booted" but sitting on the sidelines as mechanics worked feverishly behind a wall of screens. The team recorded the fewest laps of any outfit yesterday, and that trend continued today with Stroll only managing a single installation lap toward the very end of the session.

Team Ambassador Pedro de la Rosa was candid about the team’s struggles: “Yesterday we had some battery issues on Fernando's car, and Honda are carrying out some tests. Due to that, and to the fact we have a shortage of parts, we will do some limited running today... We are not where we wanted to be.” With Adrian Newey working behind the scenes, there is no shortage of intellectual firepower at Aston Martin, but the lack of track mileage is a massive disadvantage heading into Australia.

Cadillac is facing similar hurdles. Sergio Perez, returning to the grid after a year away, managed only a handful of laps as the team battled persistent reliability woes. They have recorded the second-lowest mileage of the week, leaving Perez and teammate Valtteri Bottas with a mountain to climb. In a season where the cars are brand new for everyone, every missed lap is a missed opportunity to understand the complex interaction between the new narrower Pirelli tyres and the Active Aero systems.

McLaren and Haas: cracking the code of the 2026 race launch

One of the most intriguing developments of the morning was the progress made by McLaren and Haas regarding their race starts. In the 2026 era, with reduced downforce and different torque curves from the hybrid systems, getting off the line has proven to be a headache for many.

Oscar Piastri, who finished the session third fastest, looked particularly sharp during the practice start simulations. McLaren had a brief scare mid-session with mechanics working on the rear of the MCL40, but they cleared the issue quickly, allowing Piastri to complete 67 laps. “McLaren seem to have cracked the code,” was the observation from the pit wall as Piastri nailed a launch alongside Esteban Ocon.

Ocon himself was the marathon man of the morning. The Haas driver racked up a staggering 82 laps, the highest of any driver in the session. Haas has looked consistently strong in the opening meters of their runs, and Ocon’s reliability run included a fascinating data-gathering exercise where he headed out on intermediate tyres despite the track temperature soaring above 40 Degrees Celsius. This was purely to test the Active Aero logic in "wet" configurations, where front wing flaps are adjusted differently than the rear to maintain balance in low-grip conditions.

Lindblad and Hadjar under the microscope

With the 2026 regulations resetting the playing field, the rookies on the grid have a unique opportunity. Arvid Lindblad, the only true rookie this season, had a productive morning for Racing Bulls. Despite an early lock-up that saw him run wide, the youngster recovered to post 78 laps. His best time of 1:35.238 placed him seventh, just ahead of the veteran Carlos Sainz. Lindblad’s focus was clearly on long-run durability, and his ability to keep the car on track in the gusty, hot conditions will please the Red Bull hierarchy.

Speaking of Red Bull, Isack Hadjar had the daunting task of sharing the track with Max Verstappen’s shadow. Hadjar finished fifth fastest with a 1:34.511. The Frenchman is under immense pressure to prove he can be the consistent points-scorer Red Bull needs to secure the Teams' Championship. “How Hadjar gets on against Verstappen this season will be fascinating,” the commentary noted. “Red Bull want a driver who consistently contributes points... scoring points in Melbourne has to be seen as a solid start.”

Looking ahead to the final afternoon

As the teams broke for lunch, the hierarchy for 2026 began to take a hazy sort of shape. Ferrari, Mercedes, Red Bull, and McLaren appear to be the "Big Four," though the order within that group is anyone's guess. The midfield remains a chaotic scramble, with Alpine and Williams showing flashes of speed but struggling for consistency.

The afternoon session will be the final chance for drivers like Max Verstappen, Lewis Hamilton, and George Russell to refine their setups before the freight is packed for Melbourne. For teams like Aston Martin and Cadillac, the afternoon isn't about performance; it's about basic functionality. If they cannot get their cars to run reliably for more than a few laps at a time, the Australian Grand Prix could be a very short weekend for them.

The morning ended with a series of practice starts, a final rehearsal of the choreographed chaos that will define the start of the season. Leclerc, Ocon, and Piastri all looked confident, but as Kimi Antonelli’s empty garage stall proved, in this new era of Formula 1, speed is nothing without the reliability to back it up. The desert sun is setting on testing, and the real racing is about to begin.