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Mercedes will come into the 2026 Australian Grand Prix as the favourites after pre-season testing, but there is a serious question mark hanging over them.
Before development had even started for the 2026 F1 regulations, the Silver Arrows were expected to have the fastest power unit. Now that cars have hit the track, many believe that Mercedes have exactly that.
In Bahrain, ‘everyone’ picked Mercedes over Ferrari as the fastest engine in the F1 paddock. The factory team, and customer outfits McLaren, Alpine and Williams are believed to have the advantage.
Mercedes completed more than three-times as many laps as Aston Martin during the second week of testing in Bahrain!
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Photo credit: Joe Portlock/Getty Images
Mercedes’ power unit was also the best at starts at Sakhir, despite viral footage on social media suggesting that Ferrari had the best launch off the grid. They were, in fact, behind the Mercedes-powered cars on average, with Red Bull surprisingly last.
Mercedes completed more laps than anyone in Bahrain and look in a good position to fight for victory in Melbourne. However, there is a ‘serious’ issue they need to address after Kimi Antonelli’s run was ruined on Friday.
Kimi Antonelli suffered a ‘serious’ failure with Mercedes’ power unit in Bahrain
While Mercedes look to have the quickest engine, they may not have the most reliable. As journalist Roberto Chinchero notes, they wrote off two power units in Bahrain, which is being described as a ‘serious’ issue.
He said via Motorsportcom Italia: “I saw a team, we talked about it last time too, that started off strong right away with the basis of the programme.
“Perhaps they did a lot of static testing before putting the car on the track. It really gave the impression of a team that was already ready.
“This also allowed them to cover a lot of kilometres, even if there is a question mark that I will mention later, and to focus on getting the setup right, perhaps even a little earlier than their direct rivals.
Are Mercedes’ rivals hiding behind 2026 ‘excuses’?
“It is a potential, excellent potential, the reference we saw in certain circumstances where their rivals managed to somewhat remove what are the presumed values masked by the weight, at the top of the table, all indicate that Mercedes is going to Melbourne as the favourite.
“There is a question mark, however, because in the two tests, they put two power units out of use, so this is an issue that, at the moment, only they know the reason for the failures.
“From what I understand, yesterday’s failure of the internal combustion unit was a serious one, so it’s not something minor, so much so that they had to remove the engine and put in a new one to get Russell on the track in the afternoon, because the problem happened again to Antonelli.”
READ MORE: Everything you need to know about Mercedes F1 driver Andrea Kimi Antonelli
Could Kimi Antonelli challenge for the title in 2026?
If Mercedes do indeed have the fastest car heading into the 2026 season, Antonelli will be in a position to fight for the championship. But whether he can do that in his sophomore year in F1 is to be seen.
The Italian had an inconsistent rookie season, struggling for points in the European leg of 2025. He did score two podiums and finished P7 in the standings, but he was largely outperformed by teammate George Russell.
Guenther Steiner says Antonelli is ‘too young’ to fight Russell for the championship, with many seeing the Brit as the favourite in 2026. The 19-year-old will have his work cut out to fight for race wins, let alone the ultimate crown.
David Coulthard pointed out Antonelli’s physical evolution since joining F1. He is clearly putting in the hard work behind the scenes, but that needs to translate to outright performance on the track.
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