Antonelli Dominates Day 2 of Bahrain Test: A Look at His Record-Breaking Performance

Kimi Antonelli stole the spotlight on Day 2 of the 2026 pre-season tests in Bahrain. The young Mercedes driver topped the timesheets, outpacing Oscar Piastri from McLaren and Red Bull’s Max Verstappen.

In the morning session, Lando Norris led with a time of 1:33.453. However, the afternoon saw Antonelli shaving off significant time, finishing with a best of 1:32.803.

Lewis Hamilton kicked off the second segment as the first on the track, eager to make up for a slow start after only completing five laps earlier. Drivers rotated into the afternoon session, allowing teammates like Piastri and Antonelli to clock more laps.

Notably, less than an hour in, Max Verstappen beat Norris’s time. But shortly after, Fernando Alonso stopped his Aston Martin, bringing out the red flags. Once cleared, the teams resumed testing, making the most of the remaining hours. Hamilton worked hard to gather more data, while Antonelli kept adding laps.

As the sun began to set, conditions shifted. Drivers like Hamilton and Alpine’s Franco Colapinto faced challenges, including lock-ups. Others switched to soft tires, with Alex Albon from Williams and Sergio Perez in a Cadillac gearing up for quicker runs in the waning light.

The leaderboard kept changing. Piastri briefly took the lead before Antonelli set his final impressive time in the last hour. The day ended with a practice for new race starts, although Piastri encountered issues towards the close.

By the end of the day, Antonelli’s time of 1:32.803 held strong. Piastri was just 0.058 seconds behind, while Verstappen clocked the highest laps at 139, finishing third. Hamilton secured fourth place, and Norris maintained his morning session effort for fifth.

Interestingly, it’s worth noting that Antonelli is part of a wave of talented young drivers entering Formula 1. According to a recent survey by Motorsport Network, nearly 65% of fans are excited about this new generation of racers, eager to see how they change the landscape of the sport.

As the teams plan for the final testing day, they are anxious to refine their setups before the season-launch at the Australian Grand Prix on March 6-8. With just one day left, it’s all about fine-tuning and strategy as teams prepare for what promises to be a thrilling season ahead.



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