© Sebastian Kawka for Mercedes-Benz Grand Prix ltd.
After topping the first 2026 Pre-Season Test in Bahrain, Kimi Antonelli says “the car is quite nice to drive”.
Mercedes finished the first three days of pre-season testing with a strong 1-2 at the top of the timesheets.
After the session, the man who finished on top – Kimi Antonelli – gave his thoughts on the new 2026 cars.
“The car is lighter, it’s a bit shorter, it’s more agile,” the Italian said.
“Low speed, the feeling is quite nice because you really feel the car being more agile. It’s also the change of direction in Turns 6 and 7, the car is a lot quicker than last year.
“The speed is a bit less. But the car is quite nice to drive.”
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However, Kimi says there’s a lot of work still to be done next week in the final three days of testing.
“On the power unit, it’s a lot different. Next week, I’m going to try to work on the long runs, because today on the C1 [tyre], I didn’t do a great job on tyre management.
“I will try to work 360 degrees as well, and try to work on single lap. Because today were my first three single laps, my first three qualifying [laps].
“We couldn’t try before. But I’m going to try to work 360 degrees and trying to experiment all the possible scenarios.
“Melbourne is behind the door and it’s going to be important,” Antonelli concluded.
