Manama, Feb. 19 (BNA): Italian driver Kimi Antonelli ensured Mercedes remained on top as the second day of the second winter test at Bahrain International Circuit concluded, in preparation for the 2026 FIA Formula One World Championship season.

Antonelli took part in the afternoon session in Sakhir and completed a productive programme of 79 laps, including several quick runs with a relatively low fuel load. His best time of 1:32.803 put him first in the overall classification.

The strong pace of McLaren also continued. Oscar Piastri was Antonelli’s closest challenger at the end of the day, completing 86 laps in the afternoon session. He was just 0.058 seconds shy of the top spot and had to settle for second overall.

As for his team-mate, World Champion Lando Norris took part in the morning session and topped it with a 1:33.453 lap time. His morning effort was enough to see him finish fifth overall for the day.

Max Verstappen completed a full day of testing for Red Bull Racing and was the most prolific driver in terms of laps, with 139 completed without any issues. He set the third-fastest time.

After attracting attention on the opening day of the second test with a distinctive wing near the exhaust pipe, Ferrari once again stole the spotlight on day two with highly innovative solutions to activate the rear wing’s active aerodynamics, allowing it to be inverted in an attempt to reduce drag to the maximum extent possible.

However, it was not a trouble-free day for Ferrari. Lewis Hamilton spent most of the morning session in the garage due to a chassis issue, with the team confirming that the problem was not related to the power unit.

Franco Colapinto completed 120 laps for Alpine across the morning and afternoon sessions, setting the sixth-fastest time ahead of German driver Nico Hulkenberg, who took part in the afternoon for Audi.

After topping the opening day of the second test, George Russell drove for Mercedes in the morning session and his time was enough to secure eighth overall. Esteban Ocon of Haas and Liam Lawson of Racing Bulls completed the top 10.

Alexander Albon represented Williams, completing 117 laps and showing good progress as he finished 11th. Gabriel Bortoleto finished 12th for Audi after completing only 29 laps in the morning session, ahead of Oliver Bearman, who also took part in the morning session for Haas.

Cadillac showed encouraging pace, with Valtteri Bottas driving in the morning and Sergio Perez in the afternoon. The pair completed more than 100 laps between them. Perez finished 14th, while Bottas was 16th.

Problems persisted for Aston Martin, as Fernando Alonso encountered an issue in the morning session which caused his car to stop at Turn Four due to a Honda power unit failure. The Spaniard returned to the track in the afternoon, completing 68 laps and finishing 15th overall.

Bahrain International Circuit invites all ticket holders for the FORMULA 1 – Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix 2026 who purchased their tickets before 8 September 2025 to attend free of charge, along with free practice ticket holders, for the Formula One Pit Lane Walk taking place on Friday 20 February.

The Pit Lane Walk will run from 2.05pm to 2.50pm. The circuit gates will open from 11am until 7pm. All Formula One fans are invited to attend this unique experience, which offers a rare opportunity to get close to the teams and drivers and to see their preparations for testing and the new season. The event enjoyed strong attendance on its opening day yesterday.

Tickets for the testing remain available at BD10 for adults and BD5 for children per day. Fans will be able to follow the pre-season action from the Main Grandstand, located opposite the team garages, allowing them to be close to the teams as they launch their new cars and carry out their preparations.

Bahrain International Circuit is also organising a number of entertainment activities for fans attending the official tests, most notably Formula One simulators and interactive games.

Day Two Classification – Second Bahrain Winter Test

1. Kimi Antonelli (Mercedes) 1:32.803 (79 laps)

2. Oscar Piastri (McLaren) 1:32.861 (86 laps)

3. Max Verstappen (Red Bull) 1:33.162 (139 laps)

4. Lewis Hamilton (Ferrari) 1:33.408 (78 laps)

5. Lando Norris (McLaren) 1:33.453 (72 laps)

6. Franco Colapinto (Alpine) 1:33.818 (120 laps)

7. Nico Hulkenberg (Audi) 1:33.987 (73 laps)

8. George Russell (Mercedes) 1:34.111 (77 laps)

9. Esteban Ocon (Haas) 1:34.201 (58 laps)

10. Liam Lawson (Racing Bulls) 1:34.532 (106 laps)

11. Alexander Albon (Williams) 1:34.555 (117 laps)

12. Gabriel Bortoleto (Audi) 1:35.263 (29 laps)

13. Oliver Bearman (Haas) 1:35.279 (69 laps)

14. Sergio Perez (Cadillac) 1:35.369 (50 laps)

15. Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin) 1:37.472 (68 laps)

16. Valtteri Bottas (Cadillac) 1:40.193 (58 laps)

A.S, Z.I