Nevertheless, here’s what we’ve learned from F1’s second preseason test in Bahrain…F1’s ‘big four’ remains, but in what order? But it was Mercedes that, despite the caution it urged over its performance, still ended the test fastest. Kimi Antonelli set a fastest time of 1m33.669s in the final session of the test, beating Russell by two-tenths of a second. No other driver dipped below the 1m34s barrier throughout the test, and given Russell set his time in the hotter morning session, that lap was especially impressive. Red Bull driver Isack Hadjar admitted the engine was “way beyond” his expectations, given the team was even downplaying its hopes internally.

Source: International New York Times February 15, 2026 04:35 UTC