Antonelli keeps Mercedes on top as Aston Martin stop again on penultimate test day.
Andrea Kimi Antonelli lowered the best time seen so far in testing to 1’32.803, getting within three seconds of last year’s pole position time at the Bahrain International Circuit.
19th Feb 2026
Keith Collantine
RaceFans

Max Verstappen was the first driver to improve on the quickest time from the first part of the day’s test. He went on to cover the highest mileage of any driver on the penultimate day. Oscar Piastri eventually returned McLaren to the top of the times with a best lap of 1’32.861. However with less than an hour remaining Antonelli narrowly beat that in his Mercedes.

Having done only five laps in the morning, Lewis Hamilton was quick to rejoin the track when the session resumed. Ferrari switched back to their conventional rear wing design having tested an unusual new model which rotated its main flap 180 degrees when activated. With around 20 minutes left, Hamilton moved up to fourth place in the times. The Ferrari arguably looked best when teams performed their practice starts at the end of the session, Hamilton pulling off the line noticeably more smoothly than his rivals and arriving at the first corner before them.

Only nine cars participated in the race start test at the end of the day. It briefly looked like there would only be eight, as Piastri had trouble changing up from first gear as he left the pits and temporarily parked in the turn one bypass before rejoining.

‘Antonelli keeps Mercedes on top’;

https://www.racefans.net/2026/02/19/...mate-test-day/


Test Times: Bahrain 19-02
19/02/2026
Pitpass

Today's Times - All Times Unofficial
Name Team Tyres Laps Time Gap
Antonelli Mercedes C3 79 1:32.803 129.548 mph
Piastri McLaren C3 86 1:32.861 0.058
Verstappen Red Bull C3 139 1:33.162 0.359
Hamilton Ferrari C3 78 1:33.408 0.605
Norris McLaren C4 72 1:33.453 0.650
Colapinto Alpine C5 120 1:33.818 1.015
Hulkenberg Audi C4 73 1:33.987 1.184
Russell Mercedes C3 77 1:34.111 1.308
Ocon Haas C4 58 1:34.201 1.398
Lawson Racing Bulls C4 106 1:34.532 1.729

Best Times To Date
Date Driver Team Tyres Time Gap
19-Feb Antonelli Mercedes C3 1:32.803 129.548 mph
19-Feb Piastri McLaren C3 1:32.861 0.058
19-Feb Verstappen Red Bull C3 1:33.162 0.359
19-Feb Hamilton Ferrari C3 1:33.408 0.605
19-Feb Norris McLaren C4 1:33.453 0.650
18-Feb Russell Mercedes C3 1:33.459 0.656
18-Feb Leclerc Ferrari C3 1:33.739 0.936
19-Feb Colapinto Alpine C5 1:33.818 1.015
19-Feb Hulkenberg Audi C4 1:33.987 1.184
18-Feb Norris McLaren C3 1:34.052 1.249

‘Test Times’;

https://www.pitpass.com/82071/Test-Times-Bahrain-19-02


Max Verstappen leads the way on laps, while Ferrari hit problems on Day 2 in Bahrain
19 Feb
Henry Eccles
GPblog.com

Max Verstappen led the way on laps completed on Day 2 of the final week of winter testing in Bahrain, the four-time world champion was the sole Red Bull driver on track on Thursday, completing 138 laps in total.

Bahrain Test 2, Day 2: lap count per driver
1 Verstappen 139
2 Colapinto 120
3 Albon 117
4 Lawson 106
5 Piastri 86
6 Antonelli 79
7 Hamilton 78
8 Russell 77
9 Hulkenberg 73
10 Norris 72

‘Lap count’;

https://www.gpblog.com/en/news/max-v...y-2-in-bahrain


Antonelli quickest on Day 2
19/02/2026
Pitpass

It's been said that the upgrades will come thick and fast this season, and Red Bull has already introduced a new floor, engine cover and sidepods, with other teams also adding new bits here and there as the data is analysed.

Yesterday, Lawrence Stroll was spotted in conversation with Adrian Newey and Enrico Cardile. Nothing strange about that you might say, but the discussion was outside the team's motor home on the veranda, which allowed at least one enterprising soul to use AI to try and lipread their conversation.

"Red Bull looked really good until we started talking about their power unit and they turned it down, which is amusing," said James Vowles. "Of course, it is never that simple," he admitted, "but it is true the moment one team appears to be cranking up the pace, they immediately reverse into the pack to try to hide again.”

‘Upgrades will come thick and fast this season’;

https://www.pitpass.com/82072/Antone...ckest-on-Day-2


Seven things we learned from day two of F1 2026's final pre-season test
19 Feb 2026
The Race

Ferrari's taken everyone by surprise
Two lessons from race start practice
Aston Martin is only fighting Cadillac right now
Mercedes angry but still ominous
F1's 'big four' have a big margin
Trials for energy management fixes
Overtake mode isn't worth much

‘Seven’;

https://www.the-race.com/formula-1/s...e-season-test/


Mercedes too strong for Verstappen and Red Bull in bizarrely fast long runs
19 Feb 2026
Shanna Lutgert
GPblog.com

Max Verstappen set the benchmark during the first test week in Bahrain, but it was shattered on day five by George Russell. On Thursday, Mercedes appeared to be a step ahead, while Ferrari also joined the party. George Russell also chose three stints and ran slightly longer runs than Verstappen. Norris completed one longer long run on the medium tire. What immediately stands out is that Mercedes is significantly faster than Verstappen this time around.

Does Wolff have nothing to fear anymore? Last week, the four-time world champion was over a second quicker than the German team, but now it’s the other way around. At the start of test week one, Toto Wolff still feared that Red Bull Racing would pull far ahead of Mercedes. For now, that doesn’t seem to be the case. Wolff sounded much more positive on Thursday in Bahrain.

‘Wolff positive’;

https://www.gpblog.com/en/analysis/m...fast-long-runs


David Croft calls Lewis Hamilton’s Ferrari a ‘rocket launcher’ after F1 testing practice start
19 Feb 2026
David Comerford
F1 Oversteer

David Croft raves about Ferrari launches in F1 testing. Hamilton cleared Racing Bulls’ Liam Lawson, Mercedes’ Kimi Antonelli, Haas’ Esteban Ocon and Red Bull’s Max Verstappen at the second simulated start. World feed commentator Croft couldn’t help but get excited. “Lewis Hamilton, as he did at lunchtime, getting the best start of all and takes the lead into the first corner from Kimi Antonelli and Esteban Ocon,” he said. “That Ferrari, for the second practice start in a row, has been the rocket launcher, as it were, on the grid.”

‘Ferrari a rocket launcher’;

https://www.f1oversteer.com/news/dav...ractice-start/


Adrian Newey is ‘convinced’ Aston Martin will emerge with the best chassis despite Bahrain test woes
19 Feb 2026
Ashley Hambly
F1 Oversteer

Adrian Newey is ‘convinced’ that the AMR26 will have the best chassis on the grid by round eight. David Croft has full faith in Adrian Newey turning Aston Martin’s issues around, and the man himself already has a plan to do exactly that.

According to a report by DAZN commentator Antonio Lobato from inside the pit-lane at pre-season testing in Bahrain, Newey has now set a timeline for when he expects Aston Martin to emerge with the “best chassis on the grid”. Despite the Silverstone-based team looking like the weakest outfit among their rivals, the team principal is reportedly “convinced” that Aston Martin will be a step ahead of the competition in “six, seven or eight” races’ time.

‘Round eight’;

https://www.f1oversteer.com/news/adr...ain-test-woes/