Bahrain F1 test: Russell puts Mercedes on top on Day 4

George Russell stamped his authority on Wednesday’s action in Bahrain, powering Mercedes to the top of the timesheets as the final week of Formula 1 pre-season testing burst into life under the desert sun – and immediately raised the temperature in the 2026 title conversation.

From the first laps of the day to the final hour shootout, the competitive picture remained hazy, but Mercedes did little to quiet whispers that it may already hold the upper hand.

Russell’s late-session strike, set after logging more than 75 laps, proved decisive and underlined the team’s growing aura of confidence heading toward the season opener.

The morning began with Ferrari dictating the rhythm, as Charles Leclerc fired in an early benchmark that held firm through the opening phase of the afternoon. But as the circuit evolved and grip levels improved, the balance of power subtly shifted.

Teams increasingly pivoted toward low-fuel performance runs, turning the closing stages into a flurry of qualifying simulations. That was Russell’s cue. The Briton extracted a 1m33.459s lap in the final hour – a time that went unanswered through to the chequered flag and placed Mercedes firmly in the spotlight.

McLaren Surge, Ferrari Stumble

Momentum briefly swung toward McLaren, where Oscar Piastri produced a sharp lap to vault into provisional first, injecting intrigue into the leaderboard. Yet the advantage proved fleeting once Russell delivered his final blow.

Ferrari’s afternoon was more complicated. Lewis Hamilton, taking over driving duties from Leclerc, endured the team’s first meaningful technical interruption of the Bahrain tests.

A lengthy garage stay limited his running before he eventually returned to accumulate over 40 laps, finishing seventh – solid mileage, but hardly ideal momentum.

Elsewhere, Lando Norris secured fourth from his morning stint, while Kimi Antonelli impressed with heavy mileage en route to fifth. Isack Hadjar recovered from an early water-system issue on his Red Bull to end sixth, salvaging valuable data despite the disruption.

Further down the order, Carlos Sainz placed eighth for Williams, followed by Franco Colapinto in the Alpine and Gabriel Bortoleto representing Audi’s forthcoming F1 project.

Red Flags and Reliability Questions

Two red flags punctuated the day. One late stoppage allowed teams to rehearse starting procedures after last week’s chaotic attempt, trimming ten minutes from the schedule.

The only incident-related interruption came when Lance Stroll spun his Aston Martin into the Turn 11 gravel – a frustrating chapter in a session already hampered by earlier engine concerns that hampered Fernando Alonso’s mileage in the morning.

Conspicuously absent was Max Verstappen, who is slated to take over driving duties on Thursday, leaving Red Bull Racing’s true pace an open question.

Day one of the final Bahrain test delivered speed, setbacks, and subtle statements of intent – and with Russell already striking first, the psychological race may have begun well before the championship lights ever switch to green.

Bahrain Test - Day4: Session classification

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