First Winter Tests: Mercedes tops the final day

Taking into account the sweeping regulation changes, the main priority during the first week of testing in Bahrain was mileage. New cars, new engines, and a new approach to energy recovery meant there were plenty of questions ahead of the tests.

No team avoided reliability issues entirely, but almost all managed to complete several race simulations, building a solid foundation for the next phase. Lap times improved on the third day, although the teams have not yet seriously focused on outright performance. Next week, everyone will bring their final upgrades, and only then will it be possible to draw the first real conclusions.

Red flags were shown twice. In the first session, Valtteri Bottas stopped on track due to a cooling system issue but returned to the circuit two hours later. In the closing minutes of the session, Lewis Hamilton’s Ferrari lost power on one of the straights — a problem typical of testing, as the team simply ran out of fuel during calibration work.

In terms of mileage, the third day proved extremely productive. Four drivers completed more than 100 laps, with Oscar Piastri leading the way on 161 laps. Kimi Antonelli set the fastest time, but after losing four hours yesterday and another hour and a half today, he finished the three days with fewer than 100 laps completed.

After the session ended, as the drivers lined up for practice starts, Franco Colapinto’s car jolted several times and unexpectedly veered onto the grass. There was no damage, but the Alpine driver stopped in the run-off area, and the car was recovered.

This week’s testing has now concluded. Next week, the teams will return for three more days of testing from Wednesday to Friday.