The Bahrain pre-season test wrapped up with Mercedes and Kimi Antonelli topping the charts, but the teams still have more questions than answers.

Antonelli and George Russell looked fast, finishing one-two for Mercedes-AMG Petronas Formula One Team. But everyone's wondering if they were really pushing it or holding back.

Throughout the week, teams kept an eye on each other, and the final day only added to the mystery.

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Mercedes is already a favourite to win the title, but now they have to deal with both fast laps and the suspicion that they're hiding even more speed.

Antonelli's Fast Lap

Russell was quickest at first, holding the top spot until late in the day. Antonelli didn't have a great lap time, which made people wonder if there was a problem.

But Mercedes said everything was fine. When Antonelli finally got going, he proved them right.

He quickly moved up the ranks, breaking into the top three and then setting the fastest time of the entire test.

Red Flags, Practice Starts, and a Late Stop

The end of the session went from fast laps to drama when Lewis Hamilton stopped his Ferrari on the track with about ten minutes left.

The car was removed quickly, but officials decided to check the systems instead of restarting the session, which ended the day early.

Earlier, the practice started caused some excitement. Several drivers had trouble getting going, with cars stalling and failing to launch, turning the pit straight into a mess.

Franco Colapinto almost crashed before the anti-stall systems saved him.

Behind Mercedes and Ferrari, Oscar Piastri drove many laps for the McLaren Formula 1 Team, focusing on being consistent rather than going for all-out speed.

Max Verstappen kept Red Bull Racing in the mix, finishing fifth. The midfield teams were close together, showing how tight the competition could be.

As the sun set in Bahrain, the only sure thing was that nothing was certain.

Mercedes might have the fastest time, but we won't know the real order until qualifying in Melbourne. That's when they'll show their true colours. For now, the times tell a story, but not the whole story.

Lando Norris, the current champ, fired back at Max Verstappen's complaints about Formula 1's new rules. Norris thinks Verstappen is overreacting and can leave if he hates the cars so much; from a driver's view, there's nothing to complain about.

Verstappen called the new rules anti-racing after testing in Bahrain, saying the cars aren't as fun as the old ones.

Verstappen gripes that energy management is now a major thing under the new rules. Drivers can't just go all-out without wrecking the battery and hurting lap times.

Last year, the four-time champ even said he might quit F1 if the new cars weren't fun. When asked the same thing this Thursday, he just said, We'll see.

But Norris thinks the cars are still a blast. He says anyone not enjoying it can find something else to do.

I had a lot of fun. 'I really enjoyed it,' he said. So yeah, if he wants to retire, he can retire.

F1 always changes. Sometimes it's better; sometimes not. But we get paid a ton to drive, so no one can really complain.

Any driver can go do something else. It's not like anyone has to be here.

It's a challenge, but it's a good one for the engineers and drivers. It's different. You have to drive differently, understand things in a new way, and handle things differently. But you still get to drive cars, travel, and have fun. So, there is nothing to complain about.

Norris added that Verstappen will always be a top driver, no matter the rules.

'I'm sure Max is still going to try to win,' he said.

He's just not going to smile as much, maybe.

It doesn't feel as fast or handle as well as in the past, but if he'd started with these cars, he'd probably think they were amazing.

Compared to the old cars, they don't feel as nice to drive, but they're still good. And it's early days. The rules are meant to make the cars a bit slower at first.

But by the end of the year, and even next year, we'll be going a lot faster. Everyone can have their own opinion and decide what they want to do.

No one should complain about that. Every driver has their own feelings. He didn't like it, and I do.

F1 Testing: Leclerc Sets the Pace in Bahrain

Charles Leclerc was fastest on the second day of Formula 1's Bahrain preseason test. It's still hard to know who's really ahead.

Leclerc's time of 1:34.273 was set in the day and stayed on top until the end. It's tough to read too much into the times, but Ferrari had a very productive day, running 139 laps. People are curious where the Italian team stands against its rivals under the new rules.

Lando Norris finished second, 0.5 seconds behind Leclerc. He also ran a huge 149 laps, showing McLaren's strong preseason. Oliver Bearman was third, 1.121 seconds behind Norris, with 130 laps in the Ferrari-powered Haas.

But the other two teams, who have been top contenders in recent years, struggled this time.

Mercedes had a rough start, with a power unit issue that kept Kimi Antonelli to just four laps before lunch.

George Russell managed 55 laps and was fourth fastest, but people are starting to doubt whether Mercedes will be untouchable at the top -- as many believed before the new rules.

Mercedes boss Toto Wolff had said Red Bull was the team to beat after the first day, but they also had a tough day. A morning issue limited their running, and Isack Hadjar wasn't as impressive as Max Verstappen the day before.

Hadjar, 2.2s behind Leclerc, ran 87 laps after the delay. Verstappen will be back in the car for Friday's final day.

Many are wondering if Aston Martin will finally become title contenders as promised. But it looks like it will take time, as they were still near the back of the timing screens.

Fernando Alonso ran a solid 98 laps, but his teammate, Lance Stroll, made the headlines.

As Alonso drove, Stroll said the team was multiple seconds off the pace and probably won't be winning right away. Alonso ended the day 4.6 seconds behind Leclerc.

Team boss Adrian Newey has said they'll be developing the car and working with their new engine partner, Honda. But it's clear this week that the team has a big job ahead.

There were a few stoppages. Norris' McLaren stopped briefly in the pit lane, and Pierre Gasly's Alpine broke down at Turn 1 in the evening. Gasly still managed 97 laps, while Williams drivers Alex Albon and Carlos Sainz ran 131 laps. Williams is having a good start to testing, after skipping the Barcelona Shakedown.

Cadillac caused two delays. First, Sergio Perez stopped on track, and then Valtteri Bottas had debris fly off his car. But Cadillac still ran 107 laps between its drivers. The new team Audi also ran 114 laps.