P1racenews AI automatic summary:
The first of F1’s two 2026 Bahrain pre-season tests is over. Here’s what happened on the final day
Mercedes dominated the first Formula 1 test of 2026 in Bahrain with a 1-2 finish overall, despite Lewis Hamilton causing the final red flag by stopping on track with 10 minutes left on the clock. Hamilton’s Ferrari came to a halt at Turn 8, following a coasting moment between Turn 4 and Turn 5. Despite the issue, Hamilton managed 150 laps with the third-fastest time, trailing Kimi Antonelli by half a second. George Russell trailed Hamilton by a quarter of a second, posting the second-fastest time of the day for Mercedes. Oscar Piastri secured the fourth-fastest time after completing an impressive 156 laps, with Max Verstappen and Isack Hadjar rounding out the top six. Lance Stroll had a strong day in the Aston Martin AMR26 in terms of mileage but finished 16th on the timing screens behind Sergio Perez, who improved to 14th late in the session amidst technical issues.
