Bahrain Test: George Russell fastest for Mercedes, Mick Schumacher sixth in the Alfa Romeo

Russell ensures Mercedes finish test on top, time 3s quicker than Williams quali effort; Schumacher completes second day with Alfa

By Matt Morlidge

Image: George Russell topped the timesheets for Mercedes on Day Two

George Russell finished the Bahrain test on top of the timesheets for Mercedes, with Mick Schumacher sixth in the Alfa Romeo.

Russell set the pace with a 1:29.029, the quickest time of the two-day in-season test and one that was almost three seconds faster than his best effort in qualifying in an ailing Williams at the Bahrain GP.

The British rookie also went past the 100-lap mark in the W10.

Sergio Perez was only six hundredths of a second slower for Racing Point, who also struggled in last weekend's race.

But all eyes were once again on Schumacher on Wednesday, with the German taking on his second day of F1 Testing.

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Image: Mick Schumacher was in the Alfa Romeo a day after testing Ferrari
Image: Schumacher finished the day in sixth

After making his F1 debut with Ferrari on Day One, Schumacher was in the Alfa Romeo to close off the test and completed 70 laps, finishing sixth and 0.969s off Russell's leading benchmark.

Schumacher's time, albeit on softer tyres, was quicker than Antonio Giovinazzi's in Bahrain qualifying.

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Sebastian Vettel, replacing Schumacher in the Ferrari, was third and also racked up over a century of laps as the Scuderia enjoyed a reliable test after Charles Leclerc's engine issues in Sunday's race.

Carlos Sainz only completed 21 laps in the McLaren but finished fourth, while Toro Rosso's Daniil Kvyat was fifth.

Image: Sebastian Vettel finished third for Ferrari

Alex Albon, the London-born Thai and Kvyat's team-mate, was just behind Schumacher in seventh and topped the mileage count with 135 laps on the board.

Including Russell, there were four British drivers in action on Wednesday.

Dan Ticktum was the next highest placed in ninth, with the Red Bull protege making his F1 Testing debut. Lando Norris was 13th but only ran in the morning session, and finished just ahead of Renault youngster Jack Aitken who, as well as Ticktum, completed more than 100 laps.

Image: Dan Ticktum made his F1 Testing debut for Red Bull

Fernando Alonso was back in action, too, with the two-time world champion once again completing a Pirelli tyre test for McLaren. He finished 11th, splitting the two Haas drivers - Romain Grosjean and Pietro Fittipaldi.

Apart from Sainz, who split his day with McLaren and Pirelli tests, Williams' Nicholas Latifi propped up the timesheets with the team facing a three-second deficit to the leaders - similar to their early F1 2019 form.

An enthralling F1 2019 season resumes in China on April 12-14, live only on Sky Sports F1, while the next in-season test takes place following May's Spanish GP in Barcelona.

Bahrain Test Day Two Morning Timesheet

Driver Team Total laps Fastest lap
1) George Russell Mercedes 101 1:29.029
2) Sergio Perez Racing Point 61 1:29.095
3) Sebastian Vettel Ferrari 103 1:29.319
4) Carlos Sainz McLaren 23 1:29.715
5) Daniil Kvyat Toro Rosso (Pirelli Test) 111 1:29.911
6) Mick Schumacher Alfa Romeo 70 1:29.998
7) Alex Albon Toro Rosso 143 1:30.037
8) Lance Stroll Racing Point 35 1:30.049
9) Dan Ticktum Red Bull 135 1:30.856
10) Romain Grosjean Haas 87 1:30.993
11) Fernando Alonso McLaren 69 1:31.006
12) Pietro Fittipaldi Haas 48 1:31.209
13) Lando Norris McLaren 72 1:31.303
14) Jack Aitken Renault 103 1:31.500
15) Nicholas Latifi Williams 100 1:32.198
16) Carlos Sainz McLaren (Pirelli Test) 60 1:32.269

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