F1 TEST BAHRAIN, DAY 5: ANTONELLI AND MERCEDES ON TOP AMID EXPERIMENTS FROM THE LEADING TEAMS

The second day of the final official test window in Bahrain ends with one name at the top of the list: Andrea Kimi Antonelli. The young Italian talent from Mercedes set the fastest time of the entire pre-season at the Sakhir circuit, stopping the clock at 1:32.803 on C3 tires after an extremely clean and effective time attack.

The new benchmark of the tests carries the signature of a nineteen-year-old. And that is no small detail. The driver from Casalecchio di Reno completed 79 laps in the afternoon session alone behind the wheel of the W17 — after George Russell had driven in the morning — showing remarkable sharpness over a single lap. Speed, precision, and maturity: signs of potential that already feels tangible, not merely promising.

Behind him, the reigning world champions McLaren once again confirmed their strength. Oscar Piastri finished second, just 0.058 seconds off the lead, combining his single-lap performance with a particularly meaningful race simulation in terms of long-run pace. McLaren continues to blend performance and method, without any obvious missteps.

It was also an intense day for Ferrari, which completed 78 laps overall, 75 of them in the afternoon alone. The Scuderia worked consistently, though it gave up some ground to the other top teams—especially in the middle sector of the Bahrain circuit during time-attack runs. Race pace appears solid, but there is still something to refine over a single lap. Also noteworthy was the test of an innovative rear wing that rotates 270 degrees when the overtake mode is activated, a solution currently under analysis and pending homologation.

As the hours went by, the gap between the top four teams and the rest of the field narrowed slightly, suggesting a tighter midfield compared to the opening days. However, technical issues were not absent.

In particular, problems related to the Honda power unit forced Aston Martin to end its program early, especially with Fernando Alonso. Reliability remains a crucial variable: in testing, lap times matter — but completed mileage matters even more.

The fifth day of testing therefore closes with one certainty and several open questions. The certainty is that Antonelli has stepped into the spotlight. The questions concern the true competitive balance among the leading teams. Because in testing, more than headlines, it’s the details that speak loudest.

© Cavalieri Garage & Co.