Pace, prudence and patience – Mercedes comes out tops in F1's Bahrain testing

There’s a little under a month left before the lights drop in Melbourne for the first race of the season and there’s already a bit of drama in the paddock.

From allegations of sandbagging to new drivers joining the grid, Bahrain’s pre season testing has delivered for F1 fans and left plenty to unpack for the teams themselves.

At the sharp end of the timesheets, it was Mercedes AMG F1 that ended the first Bahrain test on a high note, wrapping up a one two on the final day. Rookie Kimi Antonelli claimed the fastest time of the test with a lap of 1:33.669s, ahead of teammate George Russell a statement of intent if ever there was one.

But even Mercedes weren’t entirely sure what to make of their own performance. Russell admitted the team had “taken a step back” when it came to reliability and outright pace compared to expectations, while still pointing the spotlight at Red Bull Racing as the benchmark.

Red Bull's own test was a blend of promise and caution. Four time world champion Max Verstappen posted competitive times and showcased the strength of the new Red Bull power unit, with teammate Isack Hadjar describing the engine as “reliable” and “powerful.” Its the first time in Red Bull's F1 racing history without Honda after starting a new venture with Ford. 

The Milton Keynes outfit didn’t quite top the sheets, but they certainly gave their rivals plenty to think about and dismissals of sandbagging claims have added another layer of intrigue.

Scuderia Ferrari also looked strong in Bahrain. Despite a late red flag on the final day when Lewis Hamilton stopped on track, Ferrari logged consistent mileage across the three days and ended up with lap times firmly among the quickest.

That kind of reliability can be priceless when so much of Bahrain testing is about gathering data on tyres, fuel loads and setup rather than just chasing headline figures.

Reigning Champions McLaren F1 Team struck a similar chord. With Oscar Piastri posting the third highest mileage of the week and strong times, McLaren demonstrated why they’re considered one of the main challengers this season.

Plenty of running under the belt means less guesswork when the lights go green in Australia. In contrast, there was one team whose on track story was less about flashes of speed and more about finding their feet Aston Martin F1 Team.

Despite having arguably one of the most eye catching cars of the new era the Adrian Newey designed AMR26 the Silverstone outfit struggled in Bahrain.

A struggling Lance Stroll didn’t sugarcoat their position, saying “We have a lot of work to do we look like we’re four seconds off the top teams, four and a half seconds.”

His teammate Fernando Alonso echoed the sentiment, admitting Aston Martin were “a little bit on the back foot.”

It’s not for lack of effort. The car hasn’t seen its performance pushed flat out yet as the team focused heavily on groundwork and setup.

Aston Martin clocked the fewest laps of any team in Bahrain just 206 over three days which hardly set the world alight compared to others. But there’s a feeling within the camp that this is merely the start of the story, that patience and development will pay dividends as the season unfolds.

Recent comments from their trackside chief underscored that every lap counts, and the team will continue gathering data to improve.

Meanwhile, an interesting subplot emerged with Cadillac F1 Team making their Formula 1 debut. For a new outfit, they performed relatively smoothly, finishing ahead of Aston Martin in the times with Valtteri Bottas’s best lap of 1:36.824s and Sergio Perez not far behind on pace.

Their total lap count was also respectable, and team principal Graeme Lowdon labelled the test “very productive”, suggesting a solid foundation from which to build. Another team to catch attention was Haas F1 Team.

Often overshadowed in past seasons, Haas showed themselves to be the de facto leader of the midfield pack in Bahrain. With consistent performance from drivers Ollie Bearman and Esteban Ocon, the team logged near top mileage and credible times that placed them ahead of several rivals.

Their performance has quickly sparked talk that Haas could be one of the surprise packages this year. Last season, Haas struggled to get consistent performance out of their car but if the pre-season was an indicator into what's to come - then Williams may have their hands full this season, defending their centre position. 

With testing done and dusted, the picture heading into Melbourne is one of cautious optimism at the front, long odds but undeniable potential in the mid section, and plenty of work to do for those still finding their rhythm.

Patience will be key both for the established giants and the hopeful underdogs alike.