Kimi Antonelli delivered the standout performance of Day 2 at the second 2026 Bahrain pre‑season test, topping the classification with a lap of 1:32.803 after completing 79 laps in the Mercedes.
The Italian rookie set his benchmark in the final hour of running, taking advantage of the cooler evening conditions to edge out McLaren’s Oscar Piastri by just 0.058 seconds.
Piastri, who took over the McLaren for the afternoon session, logged 86 laps in total and briefly held the fastest time before Antonelli reclaimed the top spot. Max Verstappen finished the day in third place with a lap 0.359 seconds slower than Antonelli’s, but the Dutchman dominated the mileage charts by completing a remarkable 139 laps, the highest total of the day.
Lewis Hamilton opened the afternoon segment by heading out immediately at 15:00 local time, eager to make up for a morning in which he completed only five laps. By the end of the day, the Ferrari driver had accumulated 78 laps, placing him fourth on the timesheets with a lap 0.605 seconds off Antonelli’s benchmark.
Lando Norris, who had led the morning session with a 1:33.453, ended the day fifth overall. His earlier effort remained competitive despite the improving track conditions, and he completed 72 laps across the day.
Further down the order, Alpine’s Franco Colapinto impressed with 120 laps, the second‑highest total of the day, finishing sixth with a time 1.015 seconds off the pace.
Nico Hülkenberg put in 73 laps for Audi to secure seventh, while George Russell added 77 laps for Mercedes on his way to eighth place. Esteban Ocon completed 58 laps for Haas and finished ninth, with Liam Lawson rounding out the top ten after completing 106 laps for Racing Bulls.
Williams’ Alex Albon took advantage of soft‑tyre runs late in the session, completing 117 laps and finishing 11th. Behind him, Audi’s Gabriel Bortoleto managed 29 laps, while Haas rookie Ollie Bearman logged 69 laps after taking over in the afternoon.
Cadillac drivers Sergio Pérez and Fernando Alonso ended the day 14th and 15th respectively, with Pérez completing 50 laps and Alonso 68 laps before his earlier stoppage prevented him from rejoining the session.
Valtteri Bottas was the final classified runner for Cadillac, completing 58 laps and finishing 16th. Six drivers—Isack Hadjar, Pierre Gasly, Charles Leclerc, Lance Stroll, Arvid Lindblad, and Carlos Sainz—did not participate in Thursday’s running as their teammates took over driving duties.
The day concluded with practice race‑start procedures, though Oscar Piastri experienced a brief scare when he pulled over to the side of the track before managing to get going again. Despite the late drama, the Australian’s strong lap and solid mileage kept him firmly among the day’s standout performers.
