P1racenews AI automatic summary:
Ferrari begins final day of Bahrain F1 test fastest as Mercedes causes red flag
“Ferrari and Charles Leclerc were the fastest in the opening session of the final day of Bahrain Formula 1 test, with Mercedes facing technical issues causing a red flag.
Despite Mercedes’ strong performance in earlier tests, a breakdown occurred on Friday with Andrea Kimi Antonelli driving, leading to a red flag due to a loss of pneumatic pressure.
Antonelli’s car had to be recovered, and he will not drive again before FP1 in Melbourne on 6th March.
In contrast, Ferrari had a smooth session, with Leclerc topping the timesheets with 80 laps completed.
Other notable performances included Oscar Piastri in third for McLaren and Esteban Ocon showing strong pace for Haas.
Testing will resume at 12pm local time, with Aston Martin facing further challenges with their Honda-powered AMR26.”
