In the second practice session at the Bahrain Grand Prix, Mercedes stunned everyone by setting the pace, with Lewis Hamilton leading the way with a lap time of 1m 30.374s. Hamilton's impressive performance put him two tenths ahead of teammate George Russell, highlighting Mercedes' strength on the track.

Despite the strong showing from Mercedes, Aston Martin's Fernando Alonso expressed uncertainty about his team's position, stating that he was "a bit surprised" by the lap times of their rivals. Ferrari drivers acknowledged that Mercedes will be a strong contender in the upcoming races, impressed by the Silver Arrows' pace in Bahrain.

Max Verstappen of Red Bull remained optimistic despite finishing sixth in the practice session, commenting that he was "not too worried" and predicted a competitive qualifying round ahead. McLaren's Oscar Piastri shared a positive outlook, believing that McLaren is in the mix for a competitive performance, while Lando Norris highlighted challenges faced during a "messy" practice day.

As Hamilton acknowledged the unexpected nature of Mercedes' leading performance, he noted that there is still "work to do" to match the long run pace of Red Bull. With Mercedes setting the pace in the second practice session, the competition is heating up as the teams prepare for a closely contested qualifying round at the Bahrain Grand Prix.