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Italian Formula One driver Andrea Kimi Antonelli of team Mercedes drives during day three of Formula One Aramco Pre-Season Testing at Bahrain International Circuit. Bradley Collyer/PA Wire/dpa
Kimi Antonelli of Mercedes was fastest on the final day of a first round of Formula One pre-season testing in Bahrain on Friday.
The Italian set the pace with 1 minute 33.669 seconds, 0.249 seconds ahead of team-mate George Russell. Seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton of Ferrari was third.
Russell, however, described this week's testing as "a bit of a reality check" for Mercedes and believes that the team have "taken a step back" in terms of reliability and performance since the Barcelona shakedown at the end of January.
"Barcelona was very smooth, and probably smoother than we actually anticipated, in terms of reliability, in terms of performance. We’ve got to Bahrain and in both regards we’ve taken a step back," he said.
Four-time world champion Max Verstappen of Red Bull was fifth on Friday and Russell believes the Austrian team are one step ahead of others.
"They're very much the team to beat. Based on what we’ve seen in Barcelona and Bahrain, Red Bull are going to be ahead, so we’ve got work to do," he said.
Drivers are still getting used to brand new cars as massive regulation changes, including overhauled aerodynamics and revised power units, came into force for the 2026 season.
Pre-season testing in Bahrain resumes next week. The season starts with the Australian Grand Prix on March 8.
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