P1racenews AI automatic summary:
George Russell set the fastest time of the first Bahrain Formula 1 2026 test so far in the first hour of the third morning
George Russell set the fastest time in the first hour of the third morning of the Bahrain Formula 1 2026 test. Despite a rocky start to the test for Mercedes, with an engine change limiting Kimi Antonelli’s laps, Russell showcased impressive pace. He set a lap time below 1m34s, followed by Lewis Hamilton setting his personal best time for Ferrari. The first red flag of the day was caused by Cadillac, with Valtteri Bottas experiencing a mechanical failure. Max Verstappen and Ollie Bearman also showed strong performances during the test. Oscar Piastri, in the McLaren, completed his timed laps just before the hour’s end, ranking seventh fastest.
