While heated debates continue in the paddock over the Mercedes Power Unit, the three-pointed star completed a productive first week of testing in Bahrain despite technical setbacks in the first two days. On Day 3, George Russell kicked off the morning session before handing over the W17 to Kimi Antonelli, who completed 49 laps in the afternoon. At the end of the day, the Italian driver summed up the three-day test, highlighting positive sensations while noting the work still to be done next week, especially considering the limited mileage he had before today.
Antonelli: “Certainly not the luckiest test, but nice to regain the Barcelona feel”
Mercedes’ Day 3 focused on long runs, with Russell and Antonelli completing their respective simulations in the morning and afternoon. The Briton completed a total of 78 laps before handing the W17 to the Italian, who took to the track more than an hour after the session began. Kimi Antonelli completed 49 laps and even set the fastest time of the three-day test (1’33”669), securing a Mercedes 1-2 in the timing sheets for the third day. Reflecting on the first week of testing in Bahrain, Kimi highlighted that the session was not entirely straightforward due to intermittent technical issues. “Certainly not the luckiest test, because I lost the first two days in the end,” he told Sky Sport. “On the first day, I only did 45 minutes, and then I didn’t run at all on the second day, so today was really the first time I went out on track. But the car gave me good sensations, and it was nice to regain some of the feel I had in Barcelona.”
Three-day assessment: “Not perfect due to problems, but today was positive”
Kimi Antonelli also emphasized the importance of today for familiarizing himself with the new Brackley car. “Certainly here we noticed more of the car’s problems and where we might need to improve, because obviously conditions in Barcelona were very specific and different. Here, the conditions were much more representative, also considering what we might face during a race weekend.” Although paddock rumors continue to place Mercedes among the front-runners, Kimi Antonelli did not comment on comparisons with rivals, instead focusing on the positives of the work completed. “It wasn’t perfect,” he said regarding the week as a whole, “but I’m happy with today, happy to have done some laps, and happy that the team got me on track, so I’d say it was a positive day. Now we focus on next week.”
On the rivals: “We have work to do to catch up”
The limited mileage is the main issue Mercedes takes away from this week; the goal for next Wednesday’s session is to increase track time. The team hopes for a smoother three-day test, as explained by Andrew Shovlin, Mercedes Trackside Engineering Director. “We didn’t achieve what we wanted during this first test, and now a significant part of the work will shift to the second and final test next week.”
Regarding the simulations run today, Antonelli expressed a balance of optimism and the need for improvements: “In terms of pace, we made good progress today, but the W17 was harder to keep in an optimal window here compared to Barcelona. We have a solid base to take into next week, but it’s clear that some of our competitors, who had a smoother first test, are in a better position than we are, and we have work to do to catch up.”
The struggles Mercedes faced in Bahrain suggest that while the W17 possesses undeniable raw speed—as evidenced by Kimi Antonelli’s chart-topping lap—the car’s operational window remains frustratingly narrow. The transition from the cooler, unique conditions of Barcelona to the representative heat of Sakhir has exposed cooling and setup vulnerabilities that the Brackley engineers must solve rapidly. With only three days of testing remaining before the season opener, the pressure is on to prove that the Silver Arrows’ 2026 pace is as reliable as it is fast, or they risk starting the new era on the back foot.
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