Mercedes endured a mixed and at times frustrating opening day of 2026 Formula 1 pre-season testing at the Bahrain International Circuit, as the W17 returned to action following its initial shakedown in Barcelona. With six total test days scheduled across two weeks in Sakhir, the Brackley-based team began its program with contrasting fortunes between the morning and afternoon sessions.
George Russell took charge of the W17 during the morning stint, completing 56 laps without major reliability dramas and gathering valuable data on the car’s behavior in the hotter Bahrain conditions. The British driver finished the session sixth fastest overall, focusing primarily on evaluating overall balance and understanding how the car responded after some early delays in the garage.
The afternoon, however, proved more complicated. Andrea Kimi Antonelli stepped into the cockpit but saw his track time significantly reduced due to a suspension issue that forced Mercedes to halt running while investigations were carried out. The 19-year-old Italian completed only 30 laps before the chequered flag and ended the day in 11th position on the timesheets.
Despite the setbacks, Mercedes maintains a cautiously optimistic outlook, aiming to execute a more comprehensive and productive testing program in the coming days. The team confirmed that Antonelli will run in the morning session next, with George Russell returning in the afternoon to continue refining the W17 setup and performance window.
George Russell and Andrea Kimi Antonelli reflect on a challenging day
Speaking after the session, George Russell admitted that the Bahrain test had been more difficult compared to the smooth three-day run in Barcelona.
“We had a tough first day here in Bahrain. In Barcelona, we completed three solid days on track, but here in the Middle East we didn’t get off on the right foot,” George Russell said.
The Mercedes driver explained that the team had been experimenting with the car’s overall balance during the morning, but the W17 did not feel as responsive as it had in Spain.
“This morning we were experimenting with the overall balance of the car, but it wasn’t as reactive as it was in Spain. That’s partly due to the higher track temperatures, but there’s still work to do to bring the W17 into a better operating window.”
George Russell also highlighted the time lost in the afternoon because of the suspension issue that kept Andrea Kimi Antonelli in the garage for several hours.
“Unfortunately, in the afternoon we lost many laps due to a suspension problem that forced Kimi to stay in the pits for a few hours.”
The British driver acknowledged that Mercedes’ main rivals appeared strong once again, singling out Red Bull Racing and McLaren as particularly impressive.
“Our rivals, especially Red Bull Racing and McLaren, looked impressive again, just as they did in Barcelona. It’s clear we need to close the gap, and we’re already working hard to do that.”
Andrea Kimi Antonelli echoed his teammate’s sentiments, expressing both frustration and determination after a disrupted afternoon.
“It was great to be back behind the wheel after the Barcelona shakedown. Unfortunately, we had a suspension issue in the afternoon that interrupted our program and limited my time on track,” Andrea Kimi Antonelli said.
The young Italian revealed that nearly two hours of running had been lost, significantly affecting the team’s planned schedule.
“We lost almost two hours of running, which slowed down our work plan. However, the team in the garage did a great job fixing the issue as quickly as possible, and we were still able to complete 30 laps before the end of the day. It’s not the ideal start to this first test, so we’re looking forward to getting back out there tomorrow.”
Andrea Kimi Antonelli also acknowledged the apparent competitiveness of several rival teams and emphasized Mercedes’ determination to improve.
“Several of our competitors looked very competitive today, so we’re trying to recover ground. Our goal is to have a smoother day tomorrow and continue building data and experience with the W17.”
Andrew Shovlin analyzes Mercedes’ first Bahrain test day
Mercedes Trackside Engineering Director Andrew Shovlin provided further insight into the challenges faced by the team, explaining that although the day had been difficult, it also served as a useful learning opportunity for understanding the W17.
“Today was a challenging day, especially compared to the almost flawless running we had in Barcelona. But in many ways it helped highlight areas where we need to improve,” Andrew Shovlin stated.
Shovlin revealed that George Russell’s morning session had also been affected by various minor issues and procedural delays in the garage.
“George had an interrupted morning. We encountered several issues that delayed our first runs. Some changes were made in the garage that we hadn’t previously executed during a session, and they took longer than expected,” he explained.
He also pointed to balance-related problems that compromised performance.
“The car balance wasn’t good, which led to brake locking, poor traction and a general lack of consistency.”
Regarding Andrea Kimi Antonelli’s afternoon, Andrew Shovlin detailed how the suspension problem was identified and resolved, though it cost valuable track time.
“Kimi took over after lunch and during our checks we identified a suspension issue that required further inspection. That cost us a couple of hours, and once we were back on track we only had time for two sets of the hardest compound tyre to establish a baseline and work on long-run simulations.”
Shovlin concluded by stressing that Mercedes is still learning how the W17 behaves under the new 2026 Formula 1 regulations and acknowledged that more development work is needed to bring the car into its ideal performance window.
“We’re still learning about the W17 and clearly we have more work to do to bring it into the right operating window. Fortunately, we still have two more days of testing this week, and we have plenty of ideas. We’re hopeful we can make a good step forward as early as tomorrow.”
With intense competition expected in the 2026 Formula 1 season, Mercedes will be aiming to turn this uneven first day in Bahrain into valuable groundwork for further improvements to the W17’s balance, suspension setup and overall performance.
Leave a Reply