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Max Verstappen’s prediction has already come true after Racing Bulls’ first lap with Red Bull engine.
Verstappen predicted at the Red Bull launch in Detroit just last week, suggesting that testing will be about spending more time in the garage than on track.
20 January 2026
Shay Rogers
F1 Oversteer
Max Verstappen’s ‘more time in the garages’ prediction has already come true at Racing Bulls. “I think that during the first tests in Barcelona starting on 26 January, we’ll be spending more time in the garages than out on the track,” Max Verstappen said. “None of us have any idea about the new car or the engine. Hopefully, we’ll all be a bit wiser after the two tests in Bahrain in February.”
Racing Bulls’ very first day of running with the new engine hasn’t quite been as successful as it could have been. After completing just one lap, they were stuck in the garage for a while, trying to fix gremlins with their car before completing the rest of their 15km shakedown.
‘Max Verstappen’s prediction has already come true’;
https://www.f1oversteer.com/news/max...d-bull-engine/
Racing Bulls immediately hit problems with Red Bull’s 2026 engine at Liam Lawson’s Imola shakedown
20 January 2026
Kyle Archer
F1 Oversteer
Racing Bulls immediately hit problems with Red Bull’s 2026 F1 regulations engine amid their shakedown with Lawson at Imola. According to Motorsport.com, Racing Bulls’ faced a delayed start to the track action as they had ‘some start-up problems’ with the RBPT DMO1.
Racing Bulls hired Imola for the day to put the VCARB 03 through its initial paces ahead of a filming day at the now-former home of the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix on Wednesday. The session eventually started at 12:26 in Italy, with Lawson completing three installation laps.
‘Delayed start’;
https://www.f1oversteer.com/news/rac...ola-shakedown/
Round-up: Racing Bulls’ new F1 car for 2026 runs at Imola, and more
21st January 2026
Keith Collantine
RaceFans
Racing Bulls 03 first shakedown with Lawson and Lindblad (YouTube)
‘Racing Bulls’ new F1 car’;
https://www.racefans.net/2026/01/21/...-january-2026/
Gary Anderson's verdict on the real 2026 Racing Bulls
Jan 20, 2026
Gary Anderson
The Race
Tuesday’s running at Imola is the first time the DM01 power unit, designed and built in-house by Red Bull Powertrains, has run on track. We can see a very small Ford logo (red ellipse) on the nose and the sidepod just above the body stay. I’m pretty sure that is, in reality, about the size of Ford’s technical involvement in this project!
Starting with a look at the front suspension, it’s pushrod operated (red highlight above). The top wishbone (forward leg dark blue, rearward leg light blue) has a lot less anti-dive than used last year.
The rear suspension is also pushrod-operated (red highlight) inboard suspension. The rear top wishbone (front leg highlighted in dark blue, rearward leg in light blue) and lower wishbone (rear leg highlighted in dark green, rearward leg highlighted in light green) have retained a reasonable if not increased amount of rear anti-lift.
Around the middle of the car, we can see a fair amount of change with a body stay (highlighted in red below) supporting that large flat area of underfloor. I expect this flat floor area will be one of the first areas where we will see developments flooding in. The final question is whether, as Racing Bulls is the junior team, this car we’ve now seen for real is close to what Red Bull Racing will actually hit the track with?
‘Gary Anderson's verdict’;
https://www.the-race.com/formula-1/g...-racing-bulls/
First images of 2026 Racing Bulls revealed from Imola shakedown
Jan 20, 2026
Jack Cozens
The Race
The Race can reveal images from Racing Bulls' 2026 Formula 1 car's first on-track running during a shakedown at Imola. Alongside sister team Red Bull, Racing Bulls took part in the first launch of 2026 last week when its livery was revealed at an event with Red Bull Powertrains' new partner Ford in Detroit.
But as this was displayed on a showcar - different from the FIA and F1's models, and the one used by Red Bull - Tuesday's shakedown images offer the first representative sight of the 2026 Racing Bulls car, which has a particularly distinctive airbox.
What will be known as the VCARB 03 - the chassis name derived from its Visa Cash App sponsorship - completed its first laps just before lunchtime local time on Tuesday at a cold and wet Imola. It's understood Racing Bulls plans to do just its 15km 'demonstration' day running allowance today then the longer 'promotional' running on Wednesday. Liam Lawson was at the wheel for the car's track debut.
‘Distinctive airbox’;
https://www.the-race.com/formula-1/r...ola-shakedown/
Rookie Lindblad spins during Racing Bulls shakedown
Racing Bulls gave its 2026 Formula 1 car a first taste of the track at Imola, with a brief shakedown interrupted by a spin for rookie Arvid Lindblad.
21 Jan 2026
Ben Waterworth
Speedcafe
During his run, the F1 newcomer lost control at the Villeneuve chicane and slid into the gravel, bringing the shakedown to an early halt.
#ArvidLindblad’s car after he spun at Variante Villeneuve earlier today.#F1 #VCARB #test #Imola pic.twitter.com/RBpD78r5VH
— Jacopo Rava (@JacopoRava04) January 20, 2026
The car appeared to avoid significant damage and was recovered back to the garage, with Racing Bulls still able to complete its remaining laps from the demo allowance. The VCARB 03 was sporting the livery unveiled last week and featured several design elements in line with the new regulations, including a distinctive airbox, narrow sidepod inlets and pushrod suspension at both ends.
lo lindo que suena el motor del racing bulls pic.twitter.com/hJffaFv4e1
— Tino (@TinoCLeclerc) January 20, 2026
Racing Bulls will remain at Imola on Wednesday for a 200km filming day, where Lawson and Lindblad are set to complete up to 40 laps on demonstration rubber. The running will allow the team to gather further data and mileage before the car heads to Barcelona for the private pre-season test from January 26–30.
‘Spin for rookie Arvid Lindblad’;
https://speedcafe.com/rookie-lindbla...lls-shakedown/
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Ferrari insiders worried Lewis Hamilton is still ‘chasing’ what he had at Mercedes.
It’s believed that Lewis Hamilton still seeking what made him so successful while racing for the Silver Arrows, rather than trying to adapt to what’s already going on in Maranello.
20 January 2026
Ben Evans
F1 Oversteer
Ralf Schumacher told Lewis Hamilton is not ready to change his driving style at Ferrari. Schumacher was speaking about how the most experienced drivers on the grid will adapt to the upcoming regulation changes on the Backstage Boxengasse Podcast.
Hamilton and Fernando Alonso are going to be two of the most interesting case studies, and Schumacher explained: “It’s impossible to say in general terms, as every driver deals with it differently. “Based on my gut feeling, I would say that Fernando Alonso, even though he is getting on in years, has proven that he can handle the situation quite well. I would trust him more at this point. When I look at Lewis Hamilton, I would say that it has to work out.”
“If not, then he has a bigger problem changing his driving style. You can hear from the team that he is always chasing after things he used to know and is somehow not really ready to change his style. If not, then he has a bigger problem changing his driving style. You hear that from the team, too, that he’s always chasing things he used to know and somehow isn’t really ready to change his style. So I’m curious to see how that plays out.”
‘Lewis Hamilton is not ready to change his driving style at Ferrari’;
https://www.f1oversteer.com/news/fer...d-at-mercedes/
Has Lewis Hamilton spearheaded Riccardo Adami’s demotion at Ferrari?
19 Jan 2026
James Phillips
Motorsport Week
Given its surprise yet complete inevitability, is the demotion of Riccardo Adami at Ferrari the first step towards change at Formula 1‘s most historic team, spearheaded by Lewis Hamilton? An unusual failure for Adami and Ferrari. Demotion from race engineer to one of the most successful drivers in F1 history to manager of both its Driver Academy and Testing Previous Cars programme is similar to switching your car from a Mercedes E Class to a Dacia Sandero. It’s going to get noticed.
Announced just weeks from pre-season testing, Ferrari has, once again, chosen to act and make changes in the face of criticism and adversity. While Adami’s demotion is not as dramatic, it is still significant. It indicates a team that is beginning to listen to a driver it paid a blockbuster sum to secure, vital given Adami’s poor season. Whether Hamilton was involved is debatable, but this decision felt as inevitable as a harsh British winter extending into spring.
Listening to radio exchanges between the two, the issues are laid bare. Hamilton asks a specific question, while Adami either gives the wrong information back or ignores it entirely. One could almost see the script he has to studiously follow on the Ferrari pit wall, unable and or unwilling to deviate from it.
‘An unusual failure for Adami and Ferrari’;
https://www.motorsportweek.com/2026/...on-at-ferrari/
Ferrari have just dealt Lewis Hamilton yet another challenge that could set him up to fail
20 January 2026
Kyle Archer
F1 Oversteer
Ferrari risk setting Lewis Hamilton up to fail by not naming his new race engineer ‘anytime soon’. But while Ferrari will give Hamilton a new race engineer, Corriere della Sera reports that the Scuderia will not name Adami’s replacement ‘anytime soon’. Instead, Ferrari are set to make Bryan Bozzi pull double duty during the first pre-season test in Barcelona on January 26-30.
Corriere della Sera adds that Hamilton and Adami met for dinner before Christmas to try to improve their understanding of one another. FunoAnalisiTecnica also claims Ferrari ‘worked hard’ through the winter in the hope of keeping Adami as Hamilton’s race engineer in 2026. But it became clear that they could not continue working together, so Adami stepped down and he will now manage the Ferrari Driver Academy and their testing of previous cars (TPC) programme. Yet Ferrari are leaving Hamilton even further on the back foot entering 2026.
Hamilton is set to go into the new season facing an additional hurdle compared to his rivals by not having a permanent race engineer in place to replace Adami. Although it is thought that performance engineer Luca Diella is the favourite to be Hamilton’s new race engineer. There have been widespread fears since the 2026 F1 regulations started to take shape that drivers could run out of energy on high-speed tracks or long straights due to the increase in electrical power. F1 has increased the electrical share of power from a 20/80 split to 50/50.
‘Not naming his new race engineer anytime soon’;
https://www.f1oversteer.com/news/fer...im-up-to-fail/
Gary Anderson thinks ‘confused’ Ferrari might already have a ‘problem’ with their 2026 F1 car
20 January 2026
Ben Evans
F1 Oversteer
Gary Anderson has now been speaking about a fundamental part of the car that can often be overlooked by fans: the suspension. According to MARCA, Ferrari are rumoured to have switched from a pull-rod front suspension to a push-rod system. Gary Anderson concerned about Ferrari’s suspension ahead of the 2026 F1 season. Anderson was speaking about the situation on The Race F1 Podcast and explained: “It’s a difficult decision, really, to make.
“I personally, if I were making it, would be going for the pull-rod because I think it’s more complicated to package, being that it’s down in the bottom of the chassis. But you can package it in such a way that it’s sort of forward of the pedals, I suppose you might call it, or down the side of where the pedal pivots are. I think the initial decision of a lot of them going to push-rod at the front would be packaging and ease of setup.”
‘Ferrari might already have a problem’;
https://www.f1oversteer.com/news/gar...r-2026-f1-car/
Mattia Binotto just told Ferrari why they are already doomed in 2026 battle with Mercedes
21 January 2026
David Comerford
F1 Oversteer
It has been reported that Ferrari could protest the results of the Australian Grand Prix, the first round of the season. They feel Mercedes are breaking the spirit of the rules. However, speaking to The Race, Audi boss Mattia Binotto questioned whether this approach is viable, because they can’t pinpoint exactly which feature of the car is illegal. “You can protest if you know what you’re protesting,” Binotto, the former Ferrari team principal, said.
F1 teams will meet to discuss the issue on Thursday, but Binotto says this won’t lead to a ban. Instead, Audi are pushing for the introduction of a real-time measuring device, but this would take time. “I don’t think there will be clarity or compromise,” he said. “The meeting, which has been set for the 22nd of January, is more to continue to discuss how can we improve or develop a methodology for the future to measure the compression ratios in operating conditions.”
‘Can’t pinpoint exactly which feature of the car is illegal’;
https://www.f1oversteer.com/news/mat...with-mercedes/
Ferrari are ‘in danger’ of missing Q3 at the Australian Grand Prix due to horsepower issue
20 January 2026
David Comerford
F1 Oversteer
Ferrari could be F1’s fifth-fastest team at the Australian Grand Prix. F1 pundit Ralf Schumacher believes the 2026 Ferrari will be a ‘disaster’ based on the early rumblings, but that theory will only be put to the test during the first public testing in Bahrain next month.
Mercedes finding a ‘loophole’ in F1’s new engine rules. Rivals say they will exceed the maximum fuel compression ratio on track, but comply with FIA checks when the car is stationary. It’s believed that Red Bull are also using the trick, but not to the same extent. As newcomers to the engine scene, they aren’t expecting to be on the level of established manufacturers straight away.
Mercedes, and the three teams they supply (McLaren, Williams and Alpine), could conceivably gain up to 13 horsepower through the higher ratio, equivalent to around four-tenths per lap. According to Top Speed columnist Umberto Zapelloni, this puts Ferrari at risk of being F1’s fifth-fastest team when the season begins in Australia. If so, the drivers will have to nail their laps to even reach Q3, with P9 and P10 potentially their ceiling.
‘Ferrari could be F1’s fifth-fastest team at the Australian Grand Prix’;
https://www.f1oversteer.com/news/fer...sepower-issue/
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Toto Wolff makes vow following new Mercedes W17 reveal.
Crucially, Wolff stated: "We will continue to push hard in the months ahead."
22 Jan 2026
Ian Parkes
RacingNews365
The W17 has been revealed to the world to a minimum of fuss, with Toto Wolff making clear the team's ambition in the coming months. Assessing the car and campaign to come, Wolff said: "Formula 1 will undergo significant change in 2026, and we are prepared for that transition.
"The new regulations demand innovation and absolute focus across every area of performance. Our work on the new car, and the long-term development of the power unit and advanced sustainable fuels with Petronas, reflects that approach. Releasing the first images of the W17 is simply the next step in that process. It represents the collective, sustained effort of our teams in Brixworth and Brackley."
‘Revealed to the world to a minimum of fuss’;
https://racingnews365.com/toto-wolff...des-w17-reveal
Mercedes Unveil Brand New Look For 2026 F1 Season; Toto Wolff Provides Warning
Jan 22, 2026
Agence France-Presse
NDTV.com
The W17 is smaller, narrower, and lighter than its predecessor. "Formula One will undergo significant change in 2026, and we are prepared for that transition," said team principal Wolff. "The new regulations demand innovation and absolute focus across every area of performance."
The new era starts here. Introducing our W17 pic.twitter.com/ld0Zu6vjTv
— Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS F1 Team (@MercedesAMGF1) January 22, 2026
The team released digital images of their new W17 car on Thursday, describing the 2026 season as "the biggest technical shake-up in the sport's history".
"The new regulations demand innovation and absolute focus”;
https://sports.ndtv.com/formula-1/me...rning-10830190
Did Mercedes Just Unleash F1’s 2026 Secret Weapon?
Jan 23, 2026
Alex Albuquerque
FastestLap.com
Mercedes’ first public run with the W17 at Silverstone was always going to be heavy on optics and light on hard answers. A filming day in January, on a cold, wet track, tells you almost nothing about lap time and plenty about whether the basics work. Still, there were a couple of tells worth clocking — not least from George Russell, who sounded quietly energised by what’s going on at Brixworth. With filming-day limits capping Mercedes at 200 kilometres, Russell and Kimi Antonelli split the work and logged 67 laps between them.
Mercedes’ head of trackside engineering Andrew Shovlin described it as a “sensible first day of running”, the kind of line you get when the priority is to get to the end of the day without the laptop screens turning red. The aim, he said, was simply to make sure everything “operates safely and reliably”, with both drivers getting their first feel of the new-generation machinery.
“It’s mega to see the new car, new engine on track,” Russell said. “It sounds amazing. It really sounds different to what I was expecting. It’s a really special day, getting to drive it for the first time, because this engine and power unit has been years in the works… and then finally getting the chance to drive today is always a really nice time of year. So yeah, great to be out. Great to see it on the track, and can’t wait to drive it full gas.”
‘George Russell, who sounded quietly energised by what’s going on at Brixworth’;
https://fastestlap.com/news/did-merc...secret-weapon/
Encouraging signs? Gary Anderson's verdict on the 2026 Mercedes
Jan 22, 2026
Gary Anderson
The Race
The 2026 Formula 1 season represents a big opportunity for Mercedes to recover from its relatively disastrous ground effect era, one in which it never really got on top of the situation and where inconsistency was its dominant trait. Being untouchable at one event then fighting to get into Q3 at the next one is not a good place to be; it just ebbs away your confidence.
So, will the problem continue in 2026? If Mercedes hasn't recognised where it was coming from - which is either the windtunnel and/or the simulation tools, or the way the team combines the data from those two - and rectified it, then yes it will. However, as this set of regulations is less critically dependent on what is happening between the ground and the undersurface of the car, the problem shouldn't be quite as bad.
As an overall package it looks good; nothing startling anywhere but good, clean lines with everything looking like it is working as one. As I have said before, sometimes it is better to optimise what you have experience of and Mercedes has stuck with the pushrod operated front suspension. That's no bad thing as I don't believe there is much to choose between a pullrod or pushrod, so packaging is the prime consideration in that area. Will it be back to the domination seen before 2022? Rumour has it that the new Mercedes power unit is a rocketship and with McLaren, Williams and Alpine using it too, that's eight drivers who are all very competent that could take big points.
‘As an overall package it looks good’;
https://www.the-race.com/formula-1/m...erson-verdict/
Mercedes W17 Unveiled With Active Aero for F1 2026
Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS debuts a downsized hybrid W17 with refreshed black-and-silver livery and bold new Microsoft partnership.
23 Jan 2026
HYPEBEAST
Mercedes is treating 2026 as a hard reboot. The W17 is the team’s first response to the sport’s sweeping chassis, power unit and fuel regulations, arriving as the “biggest technical shake-up in the sport’s history”. The car is shorter, narrower and lighter than its predecessors, built around active aero with moveable front and rear wings and a power unit delivering a near 50/50 split between electric and combustion power on advanced sustainable fuels.
On track, the intent is just as aggressive. Russell and Antonelli have already logged nearly 200km at a wet Silverstone filming day to validate systems before the behind-closed-doors Barcelona shakedown and dual Bahrain tests. After four years without a title, Mercedes is leaning on its historic record of nailing major rule resets, its Brixworth power-unit brain trust and now its Microsoft-backed data stack to try and own F1’s next era rather than chase it.
‘Active Aero’;
https://hypebeast.com/2026/1/mercede...ro-for-f1-2026
F1: Mercedes engine solution deemed legal ahead of 2026 season
22 Jan 2026
Last Word On Sports
Since the German manufacturer began developing this solution, the federation have deemed their interpretation of the regulations as valid. Because the engine still complies with the mandated 16:1 limit during standard checks, it is technically compliant with the rules. Mercedes’ success in increasing their compression ratio when the engines are on track and at racing temperature does not directly violate the rules or result in a failure of the FIA’s scrutineering.
Of course, this technicality is something that other teams have disputed. A stricter interpretation of the regulations would always make the use of this design controversial. Regardless, it would have taken a surprise twist for the FIA to change their stance on a solution they have known about for some time. In any case, the other engine suppliers were hopeful to receive some clarification in today’s meeting. To some extent, they did gain a better understanding of the situation.
The headline is that Mercedes’ unique design has been deemed as legal by the FIA. By extension, Red Bull (who are also working on this idea) will also be able to utilise it later in 2026. With the start of the season inching ever closer, alterations to the regulations were always going to be unlikely. Doing so would not only contradict the federation’s previous stance, but also create a nightmare scenario for the four Mercedes-powered and two Red Bull-powered teams ahead of round one in Australia.
‘Mercedes engine solution deemed legal’;
https://lastwordonsports.com/motorsp...f-2026-season/
First Mercedes reaction emerges as Russell and Antonelli break silence on shakedown
23 Jan 2026
Michelle Foster
PlanetF1.com
Mercedes’ head of trackside engineering, Andrew Shovlin, called it a “sensible first day of running” with the focus on “ensuring everything operates safely and reliably. “We were able to get through our allotted mileage, with both George and Kimi getting to experience the 2026 car on track for the first time.”
George Russell, tipped by many pundits to be amongst the favourites for this year’s title amidst reports Mercedes may have gained a march on its rivals, gave a nod to the Mercedes power unit. “It’s mega to see the new car, new engine on track,” he said on Mercedes’ social media feed. “It sounds amazing. It really sounds different to what I was expecting. It’s a really special day, getting to drive it for the first time, because this engine and power unit has been years in the works.”
Kimi Antonelli: “First day in the new car, super big day for the team, for everyone involved in the project,” he said. “And I have to say it was a good day. I’m super happy. And, you know, a massive thanks to all the people back in in Brackley and Brixworth because they’ve done an incredible job on putting the car together and allowing us to do some laps today.”
“Sensible first day of running”;
https://www.planetf1.com/news/first-...elli-shakedown
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Alpine’s Quiet Barcelona Laps Hint at a 2026 Reckoning.
Alpine completed a TPC (Testing of Previous Car) day with its 2025 machine… …teams don’t book track time in January for nostalgia. These days are about sharpening process — and Alpine needs that edge as much as anyone going into 2026.
21 Jan 2026
Alex Albuquerque
FastestLap.com
Gasly has been pretty clear about what 2026 represents for him personally, and his comments in recent days sounded less like marketing and more like a driver who’s done enough seasons of compromise. “I just care about being fast,” he said, adding that if Alpine has a good car in 2026, it could be “the first time” he gets machinery that truly lets him show “my talent and my skills”.
There’s a directness to that which will resonate inside the paddock. Drivers say plenty of things in January. But Gasly’s point is hard to argue with: in Formula 1, your ceiling is often defined by what you’re given. He’s not asking for patience; he’s saying give me the tools and judge me properly.
He also didn’t pretend to have a crystal ball on what the new rules will do to the quality of racing. “Whether [the new rules for 2026 are] going to be good or better or not for racing, I don’t know,” he admitted. But the closing thought landed with the bluntness of someone who’s reached the stage of his career where the margins don’t interest him unless they lead to trophies: “I just want to win and I’ll do anything I can do to make it happen.”
‘2026 Reckoning’;
https://fastestlap.com/news/alpines-...026-reckoning/
Briatore cast verdict on Alpine 2026 prospects with daring prediction
23 Jan 2026
Samson Ero
GPblog.com
Flavio Briatore has voiced strong confidence in Alpine’s prospects following the unveiling of the team’s 2026 challenger. Speaking during the launch of the Alpine A526 car, the 75-year-old motorsport executive, who serves as de facto team principal, detailed his optimism about the squad’s direction heading into the new campaign. Briatore further added that the blame should fall squarely on team leadership if the car fails to deliver on performance.
"I believe Alpine will really come back in performance this year,” he began. "If the car is bad, it is our fault. We did not have any problems building this car. We had the budget,” he concluded. The Alpine outfit endured a challenging 2025 season, finishing bottom of the Constructors’ standings after opting against further developments on its car and shifting its resources to its 2026 machinery.
"I believe Alpine will really come back in performance this year”;
https://www.gpblog.com/en/news/briat...ing-prediction
TEAM PREVIEW: Alpine – All you need to know about the team ahead of the 2026 F1 season
After ending 2025 at the bottom of the Teams’ Championship, can Alpine bounce back in 2026?
22 Jan 2026
Anna Francis
Formula One Official Site
Needless to say, Alpine will be aiming not to repeat their last-place finish in 2026. The team are entering the new campaign with an increased sense of stability; Steve Nielsen joined as Managing Director in September – reporting to Briatore – while the incumbent driver pairing of Gasly and Colapinto adds to the continuity. With Gasly continuing to lead the charge and Colapinto experiencing something of an upturn in form during the latter stages of 2025 – leaving Briatore “impressed” – the target will be to provide the drivers with a car that they can fight with.
Indeed, this has been set out as a goal for 2026 by Briatore, while the Italian also voiced his belief that the increased stability at Alpine – along with the arrival of experienced new recruits – can help the squad to climb back up to P6 in the standings. “We are setting the team for next season,” Briatore explained. “We will have a great Mercedes engine and gearbox. I'm sure next season will be good for the team and we give our drivers the right car to compete. We are doing the best possible and my target is to be in P6 [next year]."
‘P6’;
https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/a...Vt6tTLVrzxL7lH
Can Alpine produce a 2026 F1 car worthy of its engine?
23 Jan 2026
Pablo Elizalde
Motor Sport Magazine
Alpine enters the 2026 F1 era with a new engine and renewed purpose, hoping a reset can succeed where recent seasons have fallen short. Alpine ’s 2026 Formula 1 car launch will be one of the least celebratory of the new era, not because expectations are low, but because the stakes are unusually clear.
The 2026 car will be the first Alpine to be conceived entirely around a customer power unit, and Enstone’s first time running a modern-style customer engine rather than being aligned to a manufacturer’s own works project. The question that will frame everything Alpine unveils is whether the team has built a car worthy of what it has been given after a disastrous 2025.
‘Renewed purpose’;
https://www.motorsportmagazine.com/a.../?nowprocket=1
Alpine’s Mercedes-Powered Gamble: Glory or Reckoning?
23 Jan 2026
Alex Albuquerque
FastestLap.com
Alpine has finally put proper eyes on its 2026 car, unveiling the A526 in front of sponsors and guests aboard an MSC cruise ship in Barcelona on Friday. It’s the kind of glossy launch setting the team has leaned into in recent years, but this time the car it rolled out carries a different kind of significance: it’s the first Alpine of the new rules cycle, and the first to arrive with the team no longer making its own power unit.
The timing made it feel like a coordinated bit of launch-day theatre across the sport. Ferrari had shown its SF-26 earlier on Friday, and Alpine followed with a reveal that was as much about signalling intent as it was about bodywork and paint. The A526 had already turned a wheel in public, too — it ran during a filming day at Silverstone earlier this week, a low-key shakedown that did its job: systems check, early correlation, no drama.
It’s also hard to ignore how much Alpine has been reshaped on the management side in the past 12 months. Another leadership upheaval marked 2025, with team principal Oli Oakes resigning after the Miami Grand Prix. That sort of mid-season disruption always leaves scar tissue: projects get paused, technical direction gets challenged, and the factory ends up spending energy on org charts instead of lap time. For 2026, the public-facing structure is clearer. Flavio Briatore continues as executive advisor to Renault CEO Francois Provost, and he’s now supported by the new managing director, Steve Nielsen, as Alpine tries to hit the reset button ahead of the regulation change.
‘Glory or Reckoning?’;
https://fastestlap.com/news/alpines-...-or-reckoning/
F1 car on a cruise ship! Alpine launch new challenger after dismal 2025
23 Jan 2026
ESPN
Alpine has launched its 2026 Formula 1 car at an event aboard a cruise ship in Barcelona. The team's new car, the A526, made its track debut at a filming day at Silverstone on Wednesday before the livery reveal took place on Friday. "It has been a relentless few months at the Enstone factory in preparation for the season, designing and creating the A526, together with Mercedes-AMG who will supply the new power unit and gearbox from this season; a partnership we are very much excited about," team boss Flavio Briatore said.
"It is quite rare to see such changes in our sport and ones which have the potential to shake up the competitive order. We are taking it step by step. We do not know where we will rank at race one let alone the final race. Development will be crucial and learning and understanding how best to maximise the package at each circuit will make a big difference to our success.”
“We know this is a long journey and one we look forward to taking on. Pierre and Franco have a real hunger in their eyes. Last year was not easy for anyone, not least for them, and it is our duty to provide them the car which will allow them to showcase their talent in the most competitive positions."
'Relentless months at Enstone';
https://www.espn.co.uk/f1/story/_/id...-car-last-2025
Horner in talks over Alpine buy-in - Briatore
23 Jan 2026
Valentin Khorounzhiy, Jon Noble
The Race
Former Red Bull Formula 1 boss Christian Horner is in active negotiations to buy into Alpine's F1 team, according to its boss Flavio Briatore. Briatore didn't exactly refute the possibility when asked about it during Alpine's 2026 livery launch, effectively confirming talks were in progress.
"In this moment, this is a lot of confusion," he said. "A few groups - I don't know how many, six, seven; every day is a new group - every day people call me about Otro. I don't care. So [suppose] Otro want to sell their participation in Alpine. The moment somebody buys 24% of Otro, we still have 75% [the rest] and we discuss it. But for the moment, this is the situation.”
"I've known Christian for many years, I talk with Christian anyway, but this has nothing to do with me. First you need to buy [the] Otro [share], and after Renault need to accept the buyer, and after we see what's happening. But there's no link with me, because he's negotiating with Otro, he's not negotiating with us."
‘Christian Horner is in active negotiations to buy into Alpine's F1 team’;
https://www.the-race.com/formula-1/h...y-in-briatore/
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Williams Misses Barcelona: Crash-Test Woes Stir 2019 Ghosts.
The team has been here before, most painfully in 2019 when it missed the first two days of pre-season testing and began the year on the back foot.
January 23, 2026
Alex Albuquerque
FastestLap.com
The Grove squad confirmed in a short statement that the FW48 won’t take to the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya as planned, with the hold-up understood to centre on getting the new chassis through FIA crash tests. Williams has already completed the car’s first fire-up, but the build hasn’t reached the point where it can be wheeled out for running. Crucially, those close to the situation insist the issue is contained to the chassis programme rather than the power unit package or its installation. In other words, this isn’t a late integration panic that’s forced the team to repackage the back end; it’s a fundamental timing problem with the survival cell and the approvals that have to be signed off before anyone can even think about mileage.
There was also an internal all-staff address at the Grove factory, with team members briefed on what’s happened and what the recovery plan looks like. That sort of meeting, this early, tends to be as much about keeping a lid on the narrative as it is about logistics: pre-season is when momentum is built inside a factory, and nothing punctures it quite like watching rival cars do laps while yours is still stuck behind a compliance hurdle. Barcelona’s five-day running this year is set up more as an extended shakedown than the traditional two-test sprint, particularly for teams that haven’t yet banked mileage on a filming or demonstration day. But missing the opening window still bites.
‘Crash-Test Woes’;
https://fastestlap.com/news/williams...r-2019-ghosts/
What we know about major Williams setback with 2026 car
Jan 23, 2026
Scott Mitchell-Malm
The Race
The key detail missing from Williams's short statement about its test absence is the exact cause but its car build programme has been interrupted. Though there was speculation that Williams's chassis is not ready, The Race understands this is not the case and it has passed everything required.
That does not preclude that process taking longer than expected, though, either because of a failed crash test or a problem identified by Williams itself. Either will potentially have added weeks of development and manufacturing work to rectify the situation. Williams switched its design focus to 2026 extremely early and had intended to sign off the first version of the car early too, to make sure it avoided exactly this situation.
With that in mind it cannot just be poor planning or improper tools, and it's understood to not be a result of a supplier or production issue. It must relate to a core architecture design - like the monocoque or suspension - needing reinforcement in some way and Williams wanting to find a way to make its intended designs work as it chases performance with the car.
‘Williams switched its design focus to 2026 extremely early’;
https://www.the-race.com/formula-1/w...-what-we-know/
How Williams staff reacted in the factory to real reason they’re missing Barcelona shakedown test
24 January 2026
Kyle Archer
F1 Oversteer
Williams staff are not surprised they’ll miss the Barcelona shakedown as their nose cone failed the FIA’s crash test. While Williams’ new chassis is ‘well above’ the minimum 768kg weight, the Brazilian edition of Motorsport.com reports that the Grove squad will miss the Barcelona shakedown as their nose cone has failed the FIA’s mandatory crash tests – not their chassis, as initially feared.
Williams’ nose cone designed for F1’s new regulations that require a two-stage design to try to reduce the risk of detachment during initial impacts is understood to have failed the FIA’s frontal crash test. Therefore, Williams have not been approved to run their nose on a circuit. The news that Williams will miss the Barcelona shakedown ‘did not generate much surprise’ among staff inside their factory in Grove. Team members were already well aware that their FW48 project has been behind schedule ‘for quite some time’ before Friday’s confirmation.
The 2026 F1 regulations stipulate that a nose cone must maintain at least 150 millimetres of intact structure after contact, which the FIA tests at 17 metres per second (38mph) and then at 14m/s (31mph). The FIA’s frontal test that Williams have failed generates a peak of 40G. Williams will now conduct a series of tests in their factory next week, rather than joining the other 10 teams in Barcelona for the official shakedown. The Grove crew will also need their nose cone to pass the FIA’s crash test in time for Albon and Sainz to run in the Bahrain tests.
‘Did not generate much surprise’;
https://www.f1oversteer.com/news/how...hakedown-test/
Williams Snubs Barcelona: Genius Gambit or Looming Disaster?
January 24, 2026
Alex Albuquerque
FastestLap.com
“A series of tests, including a VTT programme (virtual test track) next week with the 2026 car” will replace the Spain running, Williams said, with the focus shifting to the first official test in Bahrain and the season-opening race in Melbourne. The message to fans was upbeat — “there is a lot to look forward to together in 2026” — but the subtext is unavoidable. When a team chooses to miss the only guaranteed real-world mileage on offer before Bahrain, it’s because there isn’t a car ready to run, or there isn’t a car they believe is worth running yet.
Alex Albon, at least publicly, is keeping it simple. “It’s not how we wanted to start the year, but these things can happen when you are pushing the limits!” he wrote on Instagram. “Full focus ahead!”
‘Genius Gambit or Looming Disaster?’;
https://fastestlap.com/news/williams...ming-disaster/
How missing Barcelona testing will compromise Williams in 2026
24 Jan 2026
Last Word On Sports
Before it was announced Williams would entirely miss Barcelona testing, they were seen as dark horses for the 2026 season. After all, team principal James Vowles has spent the last twelve months speaking about his decision to start work on the 2026 cars as early as possible. In fairness to Williams, they still managed to finish 5th last season (their best result since 2017) despite prioritising the new regulations. This is partly why, with full focus on 2026, they were expected to make an impact.
However, failed FIA crash tests have forced the British squad to abandon the first week of pre-season in Barcelona. This automatically puts Williams at a disadvantage to other teams, who will accumulate three days of data to analyse and use to refine their 2026 packages. More concerningly, Williams could pay a greater long-term price for their mismanagement.
Although pre-season mishaps are never ideal, the conditions surrounding this Williams blunder make their failure especially unforgivable. Their strategy for the last eighteen months has been to put all available resources into the 2026 cars. This time last year, Williams were already dedicating the majority of their wind tunnel hours to the new regulations. With all this context in mind, the British team are understandably being questioned for how they reached this stage. The most likely reason for Williams being in this position is a severe oversight in the design of the FW48’s architecture. Making corrections will take time, although arriving to Bahrain testing is still the plan.
‘Conditions surrounding this Williams blunder make their failure especially unforgivable’;
https://lastwordonsports.com/motorsp...liams-in-2026/
Why missing the first F1 test has major consequences for Williams
23 Jan 2026
Ludo van Denderen
GPblog.com
For Williams, being unable to take part in the first test days likely has major consequences that will be felt throughout the rest of the season. It’s a paradox. The very team that was first to halt development of the 2025 car to focus early on this year’s machine wasn’t ready with its F1 car in time for the first test in Barcelona.
GPblog understands that there is significant dismay within Williams, as 2026 was supposed to be the year the team would consistently fight for podiums — and perhaps more? Yet before a single meter has been driven, Williams is already on the back foot. Can they make up the deficit over the course of the year? That will simply be difficult. As is well known, there are entirely new technical regulations starting this season, which will drive constant development throughout the long campaign.
For Williams, the discovery phase won’t begin until Bahrain, much later than the rest of the field. An added drawback is that if something in the car isn’t right — such as having questionable reliability — there’s hardly any time left to address it. In a sense, the Australian Grand Prix then becomes a test session rather than the first opportunity to perform. It should also be noted: if the Williams is even ready to race in Bahrain and then Australia. Reportedly — though not confirmed — the car has not passed the mandatory crash test. Solving that issue may require drastic design changes.
‘The very team that was first to halt development of the 2025 car to focus early on this year’s machine wasn’t ready with its F1 car in time for the first test in Barcelona’;
https://www.gpblog.com/en/analysis/w...s-for-williams
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Fred Vasseur reveals Ferrari F1 testing plans after successful 2026 launch.
Fred Vasseur has revealed when Ferrari will first be on-track during F1's first pre-season test in Barcelona next (now this) week.
23 January 2026
Jake Nichol
RacingNews365
After its successful shakedowna at Fiorano, Ferrari will be heading to Barcelona for the shakedown pre-season test. "It's quite an emotional day for us today, the launch of a new project is always an important milestone," Vasseur told select invited media, including RacingNews365.
"But I would say that it is even more true this year with the completely new regulations for 2026. It was a long way to go until today, and I think it went pretty well. It was a good start, so let's be positive and enjoy the journey, and now we have to be focused on Barcelona. We will start the test on Tuesday, and then with the regulation, we will decide which date to run with Thursday, we will [also] be on track on Thursday.”
"It has been a huge amount of work in the last weeks, month and probably also years on the engine side, but we are more than happy with the setup today, and it is not the end of the story, but the beginning of the season."
‘Ferrari F1 testing plans’;
https://racingnews365.com/fred-vasse...ul-2026-launch
Gary Anderson's take on Ferrari's basic 2026 F1 launch car
Jan 23, 2026
Gary Anderson
The Race
And then there was Ferrari! We have heard so much through the Italian tifosi during the winter that it sort of feels like we have seen the team’s 2026 Formula 1 design already, but here is the real thing. It’s a mixture of renders and the actual car that did Ferrari’s first few shakedown laps at Fiarano.
The team has already stated this first version of the 2026 car - which Ferrari calls its ‘spec A’ - is to allow it to build up data and reliability mileage, giving it time for more research and development, so this is not the final Australian Grand Prix race version of the car. But anyway let’s see if Lewis Hamilton’s memos to Ferrari about what it needed to do to improve have been taken on board.
Overall I’m glad Ferrari itself said this was simply a test and reliability version of the car that was being released first. I’m not seeing that much that makes me wide eyed. That said, it’s neat and tidy so perhaps a decent base to start from - but developments will count and Ferrari will ultimately be judged on the success (or not) of those.
‘Ferrari's basic 2026 F1 launch car’;
https://www.the-race.com/formula-1/g...f1-launch-car/
2026 F1 Car Reveal | Scuderia Ferrari SF-26
Jan 23, 2026
Ferrari
The covers are off! Meet our F1 2026 Challenger, the SF-26!
@BizzleDizzle33: I’ve never been more worried about a car
@PuskaPoju21: ”New rules same spirit” the spirit being depressed
@GTR-NismoGT: “same spirit” D.N.F
@dagandaje: "New Rules, same tractor"
@tuklonsane: please dont be a tractor
@kyxlseo: can't believe my mental health depends on a metal box on wheels
@DharshithGirikumarDhanya: 1:16 "New Rules, SAME SPIRIT". Same spirit of ruining WDC's
@st_urch: We’ve suffered so much , please give us happiness this year
@Priasurabaya-bukansolo: Certified landmower
@varunvkamath1500: I’ve never seen such a beautiful advertisement for a tractor
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SkSrX2rM8jk
INSIDE Lewis Hamilton & Charles Leclerc's first day on track in 2026 for Ferrari ��
Jan 23, 2026
Sky Sports F1
Sky Sports F1's Ted Kravitz reflects on Ferrari's Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc taking to the wheel of the SF-26 for the first time as they look to beat the likes of Lando Norris, George Russell and Max Verstappen and bring a world championship back to Italy for the first time since 2008.
@benm1988: Ted’s Launchbook!
@tonymcgo: incredible access
@samukelisiwesithole3795: Looks so good here wow!!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nQ6iy7B-V04
Ferrari’s Lewis Hamilton & Charles Leclerc REACT to first day in the SF-26 ��
Jan 23, 2026
Sky Sports F1
@amcavallaro: I wish Lewis a great season! He is always very humble and considerate of those who work hard for the team and those who support the team at the race! I also wish Charles the best! He is a great driver and has given us fans a lot of joy, through this drought of no championships. Good luck to Fred, as imo he is on borrowed time after the teams performance last year.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xya23kWvf0s
Ferrari SF-26 On-Track at Fiorano: Lewis Hamilton & Charles Leclerc's 2026 F1 Challenger Revealed!
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/BLvTozt_xPU
Ferrari hit by launch blunder and shakedown scare ahead of F1 season
23 Jan 2026
Ben Hunt
GPblog.com
Ferrari have suffered another false start ahead of the new Formula 1 season with the team’s latest PR blunder, raising fresh questions about the Scuderia’s operational sharpness. The team published its much-anticipated media release with details and images of this year’s challenger. However, the images used were those of the 2025 car that delivered zero victories last season, an error that immediately caught the attention of fans and media alike.
Furthermore, the accompanying text said: “The 72nd (sic) Formula 1 car for Scuderia Ferrari HP is the first designed under the new regulations.” Hardly a revelation, and one that did little to inspire confidence during a crucial moment of the launch cycle. Ferrari eventually corrected the online error and added the correct photos, but the damage was already done, adding to a growing list of questionable PR decisions in recent weeks.
The team announced last Friday that they would replace Lewis Hamilton’s race engineer, Riccardo Adami – despite confirming to GPblog that he would remain in his position. Elsewhere, Ferrari were upstaged by engine customers Cadillac, who posted on social media the sound of their power unit firing up before the manufacturer itself.
‘Questionable PR decisions’;
https://www.gpblog.com/en/opinion/fe...d-of-f1-season
Vintage Hamilton or Bust: Ferrari’s 2026 Chemistry Test
January 24, 2026
Alex Albuquerque
FastestLap.com
Ross Brawn has seen enough driver-team marriages up close to know when the chemistry matters more than the headlines. And as Formula 1 heads into its 2026 reset, he’s convinced Lewis Hamilton can still deliver the sort of season that reminds everyone why he’s been the sport’s reference point for so long — if Ferrari gets the basics right around him.
Speaking at the Autosport Awards, Brawn framed Hamilton’s prospects less as a question of raw speed and more as one of alignment. The move to Maranello last year ended a 12-year stretch at Mercedes and, crucially, the long-running partnership with race engineer Peter “Bono” Bonnington. Ferrari paired Hamilton with Riccardo Adami, a change that was always going to be more than swapping a voice in his ear. It didn’t work. From early on, the radio exchanges had an edge to them: Hamilton seeking clarity and control, Adami sounding increasingly resistant to the way those requests were delivered.
Ferrari has already acted. Adami has been moved into a different role ahead of the new season, and Hamilton will have a new race engineer for 2026. Brawn, who spent a decade at Ferrari and understands the peculiar pressure that comes with that job, put it in the simplest terms: it has to gel. “I think we’d all love for him to be successful,” he said. “I’ve got a special place for Ferrari; I’ve been there 10 years. I know how tough it is there. But it’s always a fine line between a team gelling and not quite gelling, and it didn’t quite gel last year.”
‘Vintage Hamilton or Bust’;
https://fastestlap.com/news/vintage-...hemistry-test/
Ferrari set to lure ex-McLaren engineer for key Lewis Hamilton role
January 26, 2026
Jack Oliver Smith
Motorsport Week
Ferrari is set to poach McLaren for one of its senior Formula 1 personnel for the key role of being the new race engineer for Lewis Hamilton, it has been claimed. Hamilton is without a race engineer since the recent axing of Riccardo Adami, who has been shuffled to the role of its Academy and TPC testing head. The seven-time World Champion appeared to have little to no rapport with the Italian, and apparent concerns about a potential continuation of this led to the Scuderia’s decision.
Firstly, the team is set to re-hire, on a part-time basis, the services of Carlo Santi, a former race engineer to Kimi Raikkonen, and the man perhaps best known for his infamous “You will not have the drink” radio message to the Finn. But Italian publication Corriere dello Sport has reported that Ferrari is “waiting for a new figure to come, it seems, from McLaren.”
The McLaren figure is thought to be Cedric-Michel Grosjean, most recently the Woking-based squad’s Lead Trackside Performance Engineer. The Frenchman left McLaren at the end of last season, and, according to his LinkedIn page, is on a “career break”, but recently liked a post referring to this year’s car. Grosjean has not worked anywhere else, thereforer would provide him with a real step into the unknown should he be hired for the role. Bryan Bozzi, the race engineer of Hamilton’s team-mate Charles Leclerc, will reportedly be assisting as Hamilton’s interim over the course of pre-teasting testing.
“You will not have the drink”;
https://www.motorsportweek.com/2026/...hamilton-role/
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Barcelona testing timings are online — and no one knows how's that possible.
The intention had been to keep all lap times strictly confidential, yet the moment the pit lane went green, timings began circulating online. So how did that happen?
26 Jan 2026
Ludo van Denderen
GPblog.com
There was widespread surprise in the Formula 1 paddock on the opening day of testing in Barcelona. A live YouTube stream quickly emerged showing real-time lap times — along with a wealth of additional data. That raised eyebrows, given that the test was deliberately held behind closed doors to avoid exactly this kind of exposure. Teams were keen to conduct their programmes away from the spotlight, without scrutiny or speculation based on headline lap times.
That hope has proven futile. Teams and Formula 1 alike are surprised to see a YouTube channel covering the test, complete with an accurate timing page. Since Formula One Management (FOM) is not tracking times and laps in Barcelona, everyone is wondering who is leaking this and how it’s happening. Given that FOM is extremely protective of its rights, it’s highly likely they are seeking answers to those two questions. For now, fans can at least view the timing; we’ll have to wait and see if that remains possible for the rest of the week.
‘Widespread surprise in the Formula 1 paddock on the opening day of testing’;
https://www.gpblog.com/en/news/verst...thats-possible
What it’s like being locked out of F1’s first 2026 test
Jan 26, 2026
Jon Noble, Edd Straw
The Race
Having earned itself the nickname of "The Hill", it is the location where photographers will often get shots of cars testing, or fans without tickets will come to get a glimpse of the F1 and MotoGP races. It took just 18 minutes of testing to get under way before the first security car turned up and ordered a handful of assembled journalists and photographers away - including The Race's Jon Noble.
And while local journalists with better knowledge of the area tried to argue that this was public land as a hiking trail, the insistence from security was that everywhere that has a view of the track was off limits because it is owned by the track. As soon as a group of onlookers were told to disperse, they would decamp to another area - continuing the chase.
One group was spotted in a gravel car park that overlooks Turn 13. Several individuals were seen behind some trees further down the hiking ridge that offers a clear sight of Turn 10. One photographer was even spotted in the distance, atop some concrete barriers, capturing more of the final sequence of corners. Efforts were then made to try to ban anyone from all of the roads around the circuit, but that was more difficult to implement with so many access points from the outside.
‘Locked out’;
https://www.the-race.com/formula-1/w...-f1-2026-test/
Why is the Barcelona Shakedown being held in private?
With the Barcelona Shakedown underway, F1.com explains why the event is being held in private, how much running the teams are permitted and more...
26 Jan 2026
Formula One - Official Site
What is the Barcelona Shakedown? The Barcelona Shakedown is an opportunity for the teams to run their new cars on track, without the limitations posed by filming days where running is generally restricted to 200km. The event allows each squad to check that everything works as expected on their 2026 machines and to see how various aspects correlate with the data from their simulations.
Why is the Barcelona Shakedown being held in private? A shakedown differs to a test in that it is the first time that a team runs its car. As such, the event is not about chasing performance – instead the teams will be focused on getting mileage on their cars and ensuring that all of the various parts work as expected amid the introduction of new regulations for the 2026 season. From the data they gather, each outfit will then be able to focus on where they need to improve going forward.
How much running will teams have at the Barcelona Shakedown? While the event spans five days, each team will be permitted to run for a total of three days. This allows them flexibility in deciding when it is convenient for their car to hit the track – for example, some may opt to run later in the week in order to work on their machine during the opening days. This approach also means that teams can adapt to any changing weather conditions and avoid running on days where the forecast predicts rain or snow.
‘The Barcelona Shakedown’;
https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/a...zf6k6LcjQywspA
Unofficial F1 testing times: Day 1, Session 1
26 Jan 2026
Mat Coch
PlanetF1.com
Unofficial F1 Pre-season testing days, Day 1, Morning
Pos Driver Team Laps Best Gap
1 Isack Hadjar Red Bull 44 1:18.835
2 Kimi Antonelli Mercedes 56 1:20.700 1.865
3 Franco Colapinto Alpine 28 1:21.348 2.513
4 Liam Lawson Racing Bulls 42 1:21.864 3.029
5 Esteban Ocon Haas 67 1:24.520 5.685
6 Valtteri Bottas Cadillac 33 1:24.651 5.816
7 Gabriel Bortoleto Audi 27 1:25.296 6.461
While no official timing is being provided from the opening five days of running, information received by PlanetF1.com has offered an unofficial glimpse into the pecking order.
Unofficial timing from the test has indicated that Hadjar has set a best lap of 1:18.835, a lap that came in the minutes approaching the lunch interval. The five days of running in Barcelona all commence at 9am local time and run through until 6pm, with a one-hour break from 1pm.
‘Hadjar has set a best lap of 1:18.835’;
https://www.planetf1.com/news/f1-res...ting-barcelona
Isack Hadjar has just shown why Red Bull made the perfect choice to pair him with Max Verstappen
26 January 2026
Shay Rogers
F1 Oversteer
Hadjar is among the ‘very best’ according to team principal Laurent Mekies, who has worked quite closely with the 21-year-old at two different teams. Asked at the Autosport Awards about 2026, Hadjar made a ‘bold’ prediction, backing himself to be in championship contention. It sounds optimistic, but it might be realistic.
On the first morning of pre-season testing in Barcelona – a private outing for all 11 teams, Hadjar topped the timesheets by a long way. With a time of 1.18:835, he was 1.865 seconds faster than Mercedes’ Kimi Antonelli in second place. He also racked up 41 laps, third most of the seven teams running.
So speed and reliability seem to be in order, and Hadjar, with the added pressure of being Verstappen’s teammate now, has started well. He’s already proving to Red Bull that he was the perfect choice to be their second driver in 2026 and is wasting no time in making a strong impression.
‘Hadjar topped the timesheets by a long way’;
https://www.f1oversteer.com/news/isa...ax-verstappen/
Mercedes Or Bust: Briatore’s High-Stakes Alpine Reset
January 26, 2026
Alex Albuquerque
FastestLap.com
Flavio Briatore has never been a man for half-measures, and he’s now made it clear his return to Enstone came with a single non-negotiable: Mercedes power. Briatore, back inside the Alpine set-up since mid-2024 as an “executive advisor” and now effectively running the operation day-to-day, says he told Renault CEO Luca de Meo there was only one way he was signing up again. Not a reshuffle. Not another internal “reset”. Not a promise that the next in-house engine would finally land. A Mercedes engine deal for 2026. Full stop.
“The moment when Luca de Meo was talking about joining the team, [there was] only one condition for me to join the team, which was to have a Mercedes-Benz engine. There was no plan B, it was only one plan,” Briatore said, in comments carried by Motorsport.com. “I wanted a Mercedes-Benz engine completely. There was only one way to come back, because in this moment, you need to be with the best people… I wanted to have the discussion with the best. With the second best, no interest.” That bluntness will either be applauded inside Alpine as the kind of clarity the organisation has too often lacked, or it’ll be seen as Briatore steamrolling a manufacturer identity that was central to the team’s modern branding.
In reality it’s probably both. Alpine, after all, has spent years trying to fight its way out of the midfield while carrying a power-unit deficit that became part of the team’s weekly vocabulary. “At every race, I asked [how much our deficit would be],” he said. “This race? Four tenths. This race? 3.5 tenths, This race? Five tenths. And last year in three tenths we had 14 cars. At least when I arrive to the race, I will not ask anymore how many tenths we have in disadvantage. Nobody is talking about engine anymore. Nobody is talking about gearbox anymore. At least we have two issues we don’t need to care about.” It’s classic Briatore: a little theatrical, but rooted in a truth anyone around Enstone would recognise.
‘A Mercedes engine deal for 2026. Full stop’;
https://fastestlap.com/news/mercedes...-alpine-reset/
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What we learned from Day 1 of private F1 shakedown.
With seven teams gathering early mileage as new cars and power units took to the track for the first time, at Formula 1’s 2026 shakedown began behind closed doors at Barcelona on Monday.
27 Jan 2026
Ben Waterworth
Crash.Net
Mercedes were first out, Andrea Kimi Antonelli leading the running in the W17 on a cool but dry morning before George Russell took over in the afternoon. Audi, Alpine, Racing Bulls, Red Bull, Cadillac and Haas also ran across the opening day, while McLaren, Ferrari, Aston Martin and Williams remained absent. Red Bull newcomer Isack Hadjar ultimately set the quickest unofficial time of the day, a 1m18.159s, as the RB22 emerged as one of the most consistent packages in circulation.
Mercedes was also prominent on the timing screens, with Antonelli closest to Hadjar in the morning and Russell ending the day second overall. Despite the lack of official live timing, leaked data suggested the day was defined less by outright pace than by mileage. Haas topped that metric comfortably, Esteban Ocon completing 154 laps in the Ferrari-powered car as the American squad logged the most extensive programme of the seven teams in attendance.
Results: Formula 1 pre-season testing Day 1 (unofficial)
Pos Driver Team Lap/Diff Laps
1 Isack Hadjar Red Bull 1:18.159s 107
2 George Russell Mercedes +0.537s 95
3 Franco Colapinto Alpine +2.030s 60
4 Kimi Antonelli Mercedes +2.541s 56
5 Esteban Ocon Haas +3.142s 154
6 Liam Lawson Racing Bulls +3.354s 88
7 Valtteri Bottas Cadillac +6.492s 33
8 Gabriel Bortoleto Audi +7.137s 27
9 Sergio Perez Cadillac +7.815s 11
‘Seven teams gathering early mileage’;
https://speedcafe.com/f1-news-2026-b...-racing-bulls/
The Hills Have Eyes: F1’s 2026 Secrets Leak
Jan 26, 2026
Alex Albuquerque
FastestLap.com
Formula 1 has always liked to pretend winter testing is a polite, controlled environment. Barcelona on Monday morning was the reminder that it never really is — and that 2026, with its wholesale technical reset, has only sharpened the sport’s paranoia. With the first official on-track running of the new era beginning at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya, a significant security presence has been deployed around the venue to deter fans from watching. The trigger was predictable: “spy shots” of the new cars began circulating on social media within hours of the session starting, snapped from the familiar public vantage points outside the circuit.
F1 made an unusual call with this opening test, opting to run it behind closed doors as teams start the steep learning curve of brand-new machinery after major regulation changes over the winter. Five days are scheduled in Barcelona, and while the grandstands might be empty, the surrounding hills certainly aren’t. The circuit’s geography has always made it leaky — sections of track are visible from nearby high ground and public footpaths — and it didn’t take long for photographers with long lenses and fans with phones to find the gaps. The response, according to reports from the venue, has been firm. Security have been moving people on from well-known hotspots and access to a number of perimeter roads has reportedly been closed off.
For fans, though, it’s another step away from what testing used to be: a rare chance to watch new cars run without the theatre of a race weekend, to spot details in the metal, to see who looks comfortable and who looks hurried. F1 has chosen, at least initially, to prioritise a clean information environment for the paddock over that tradition. Whether it works is another matter. If Monday showed anything, it’s that the appetite to see the 2026 cars is too strong to be contained by a closed gate and a few extra marshals at the perimeter. The pictures will keep coming. The only question is how hard F1 and the teams want to fight the inevitable — and how much of that fight they’re willing to conduct in public.
‘The Hills Have Eyes’;
https://fastestlap.com/news/the-hill...-secrets-leak/
Nine things we learned from the first day of F1 2026 testing
Jan 26, 2026
Scott Mitchell-Malm, Edd Straw, Jon Noble
The Race
The start of Formula 1's behind-closed-doors test at Barcelona made for one of the most unusual days of testing in recent memory. A grand commitment to secrecy, unintentionally available live timing being discovered (and then closed off), and most importantly actual running from several cars made for a weird but fascinating first proper day of 2026. Here is what we learned as a glorified 'shakedown week' began.
Early laptime hints: Not to be guilty of reading into laptimes from testing, but Isack Hadjar and Red Bull’s new in-house engine are off to great starts.
Who did the most running (2026 day one lap totals): Haas: 154, Mercedes: 151, Red Bull: 107, Racing Bulls: 88, Alpine: 60, Cadillac: 44, Audi: 27
Security games: 20 minutes in, security turned up and told us to move on, claiming that even though this is public land, because it offered an eyesight of the track, we weren't allowed to stand there. This triggered some cat-and-mouse games…
Something we could actually see: While finding a good vantage point to watch the cars up close was not easy, there was still plenty to learn from places we eventually got to see and hear them in action.
What we could hear: One other notable aspect from early running too was how the sound of the cars is not as alien as some had perhaps feared.
Unnecessarily controversial: It came across as teams and stakeholders going out of their way to shut people out even if that wasn't the intention and - admittedly with the benefit of hindsight - it was all unnecessary given how well most of the cars ran.
New team is up against it: Cadillac was 6.5s off the pace on Monday and had a stuttering afternoon of running once Sergio Perez took over from Valtteri Bottas is proof of that.
Some gaps will be filled in: One of the big debates within the F1 community around this test was who was really responsible for it being private and who was being difficult about how much could be shared from it.
‘Nine things we learned’;
https://www.the-race.com/formula-1/f...at-we-learned/
What happened on ‘debugging’ first day of F1 2026 testing
A rundown of everything that happened on the first day of F1 2026 pre-season testing.
26 Jan 2026
Lewis Larkam
Crash.Net
Valtteri Bottas, who drove his new Cadillac for the first time: "We had some issues throughout the day but it's de-bugging, that's why we're here, and it seems like every team had some issues,” Bottas told F1.TV in one of the few approved interviews that took place. "It's just now really figuring about those and getting more and more running each day. But great to be here and in the car. The priority list now is to get more laps each day. I got a bit more than 30 laps today, some of them just installs and stuff, but we need to get some proper running in, get the mileage in and get a reliable package for race one.”
It is believed there were at least three red flags that disrupted the morning session, with stoppages for Alpine’s Franco Colapinto, and Audi’s Gabriel Bortoleto. Esteban Ocon: “Now that we are running, we are discovering issues, problems we need to solve, every lap, every run. But that’s what we are here for, right?” Haas team principal Ayao Komatsu told F1 TV: "At least we are running, that means we are gathering data, we are identifying issues that we need to solve. Still, obviously we just got started, but I’m very, very happy how we started.”
‘Debugging’;
https://www.crash.net/f1/news/108865...1-2026-testing
Ted Kravitz saw something ‘eye-catching’ from Red Bull during first day of F1’s Barcelona shakedown
27 Jan 2026
Ashley Hambly
F1 Oversteer
Pitlane reporter Ted Kravitz highlighted what he found ‘eye-catching’ in Red Bull’s data: “Lots of teams, when they did push their cars out of the garage, completed a lot of laps. And just to underline how many laps were done today, I mean, this is incredible. For a major rule change, the biggest in living memory, since the hybrid engines came in 2014, certainly. We’re not going to look at the lap times.”
“These are unofficial times, I have to say, but we have cross-referenced them with the teams who have confirmed their individual times. So Hadjar was quickest for whatever that’s worth, with a 1:18.1. Half a tenth further back was George Russell. We believe that Russell’s time was on a C1, the hardest tyre, whereas Hadjar was not on the C1. With Colapinto, it was a good effort from him on a 1:20.1 with the times going down. But, 108 laps from Red Bull, that is eye-catching. And then 154 for Haas. And if you combine Antonelli and Russell, that’s 151. It’s incredible the way they’ve managed to get that running so reliably.”
Bernie Collins highlighted: “There was quite a lot of talk that people were going to delay it later in the week. Let the track improve, give a little bit more build time. But when you look at the forecast for Barcelona, I think that’s a real reason people have got out on track today. The next three days carry quite a high risk of rain. So people are trying to get the very important first day in, get some niggles out of the way, which allows them some leeway to play with over the next few days and choose the best opportunities on track.”
‘Eye-catching’;
https://www.f1oversteer.com/news/ted...ona-shakedown/
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F1 teams missing en masse in Barcelona as Max Verstappen and Charles Leclerc handed free track.
The second day of testing in Barcelona has been particularly quiet. For Max Verstappen and Charles Leclerc, it's rightfully a 'private test'.
27 January 2026
RacingNews365 Staff
RacingNews365
Given the forecast for the day, Mercedes confirmed 20 minutes before the start that it would not run. Haas announced 14 minutes after that it would not be on track, although adding that this was planned as it was "focusing on all the data gathered yesterday". There was also no sign of Audi, Racing Bulls, Alpine and Cadillac emerging from the garage, whilst it was already known that Aston Martin and Williams are not in attendance, with the former hoping to take part on Thursday.
The biggest question mark hangs over reigning constructors' champions McLaren. The team had expressed its intention to take to the track for the first time today, but it looks set to be stymied by the weather, which is poised to continue into tomorrow. As for the only two drivers who did take to the circuit, Verstappen and Leclerc posted times in the 1:20s, good enough for a spot in the midfield on Monday.
'Private test';
https://racingnews365.com/f1-teams-m...ded-free-track
Verstappen sets the pace in weather-disrupted Barcelona morning session
27 Jan 2026
Tobia Elia
GPblog.com
Max Verstappen topped the times in a rain-affected morning session in Barcelona that saw very little on-track action. As expected on a day heavily shaped by the weather, rain set in right on cue midway through the morning, disrupting team programmes and forcing most outfits to remain in the garages.
The only two teams to run during the morning — both in dry conditions and for a handful of laps on a damp track — were Red Bull and Ferrari, with Max Verstappen and Charles Leclerc at the wheel respectively. Both drivers made their first-ever outings in their new cars, with the four-time world champion reportedly setting a 1:20.0 lap. Leclerc was understood to be around eight tenths slower, although the times remain unofficial and the tyre compounds used are unknown.
Once the rain set in, the circuit fell quiet until around an hour from the end of the session, when Leclerc and Verstappen ventured out for a handful of laps in wet conditions to get a first feel for Pirelli’s new 2026 intermediate tyres. Gleaning any further information proved a near-impossible task, given the heavy security around the circuit and the fact that live timing was unavailable today, unlike yesterday.
‘Verstappen sets the pace’;
https://www.gpblog.com/en/news/verst...orning-session
The Most Terrifying Thing: Red Bull’s Engine Just Works
January 27, 2026
Alex Albuquerque
FastestLap.com
Red Bull’s new era began in the least dramatic way possible: a car rolling out at Barcelona, clicking through its programme, and coming back in one piece. In the paddock, the first day of a new cycle is rarely about chasing the perfect lap time. It’s about confirming the basics: temperatures under control, systems behaving, no mysterious gremlins that chew up half a session. On that front, Hadjar’s description reads like the kind of report engineers love — not because it’s glamorous, but because it gives them permission to move on to the next layer of work.
That last word is doing a lot of work. No driver comes out of day one declaring the car “perfect” — and anyone who does is either lying or hasn’t found the problem yet. But “solid” is the kind of status that lets a team spend the next days chasing performance rather than firefighting reliability or calibration headaches. For a first outing with a home-built engine, it’s the kind of start that builds confidence internally, even if nobody at Milton Keynes will say it too loudly in public.
The grid has been reset, everyone is learning, and the early winners are often the teams that simply rack up clean mileage while others lose hours to preventable problems. Red Bull has started on that side of the ledger — and, for once, the big talking point wasn’t a lap time or a bold claim. It was the quiet relief of a new engine doing what it’s meant to do: run.
‘Red Bull’s Engine Just Works’;
https://fastestlap.com/news/the-most...ne-just-works/
Red Bull have ‘baffled’ their F1 rivals with one part on Max Verstappen’s 2026 car in Barcelona
27 January 2026
Kyle Archer
F1 Oversteer
Red Bull’s small sidepods in Barcelona have ‘baffled’ their rival F1 teams. That is according to SPEEDWEEK, which reports that rival teams are ‘baffled’ by the sidepod concept that Red Bull revealed on Day 1 of the Barcelona shakedown test this Monday. The RB22 that Hadjar set the pace in looked considerably different to the team’s initial renders.
While lap times are essentially meaningless during testing, the sidepods on the RB22 caught the attention of Red Bull’s rivals as they are ‘significantly’ smaller than the renders the team used to launch the car in Detroit. The narrow design is most striking at the rear of the RB22. Red Bull appear to have found a way to arrange their radiators and heat exchanges to allow their designs the most aerodynamic freedom to generate additional downforce in the ‘coke bottle’ area. This area refers to the lower bodywork between the floor and the engine cover. Red Bull’s sidepods on the RB22 that Hadjar drove this Monday have drawn comparisons to the zero-pod concept that Mercedes created for the start of the ground-effect era in 2022. The Silver Arrows ultimately abandoned the concept in 2023, as they failed to get it to work.
Former Jordan technical director Gary Anderson does not think Red Bull’s sidepod concept for the start of the 2026 F1 rules is as extreme as a zero-pod concept. But it is clear that Red Bull did not reveal the real version of Verstappen and Hadjar’s car with their launch renders. Anderson told The Race: “Comparing Red Bull’s initial ‘concept’ renders to the studio shots, we can see a marked difference in the sidepod size and upper surface detail. “Could we call this a ‘zero sidepod’ solution? Well, it’s certainly smaller than most. But ‘zero’? Not really. The radiator intake is similar in size and concept to the other cars we have seen.”
‘Red Bull have ‘baffled’ their F1 rivals’;
https://www.f1oversteer.com/news/red...-in-barcelona/
Hamilton takes wheel of Ferrari SF-26 as Barcelona shakedown continues
27 Jan 2026
Samson Ero
GPblog.com
Lewis Hamilton took to the track in Ferrari’s SF-26 for his first run of the ongoing shakedown at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya. The Scuderia Ferrari team again participated in the afternoon session on the second day of running at the Montmelo circuit, with the seven-time world champion stepping back into the car after previously testing it during the team’s initial shakedown at Fiorano.
Hamilton replaced teammate Charles Leclerc, who had completed Ferrari’s earlier running on Tuesday morning. Red Bull Racing, who are the other team on track, also made a driver switch for the afternoon, as Isack Hadjar took over from Max Verstappen, who had driven in the wet morning session. Hamilton reportedly completed several installation laps before returning to the pits, after which he began his planned on-track programme.
‘Lewis Hamilton took to the track’;
https://www.gpblog.com/en/news/hamil...down-continues
Mercedes and Haas sit out Tuesday’s running in Barcelona
27/01/2026
Michael Delaney
F1i.com
For Mercedes, the call was straightforward. With rain forecast to worsen through the afternoon, the team opted to protect both mileage plans and hardware rather than circulate in conditions unlikely to produce representative data from its new W17.
“With rain forecast for this afternoon, we've opted to postpone our second day of running and therefore won't be on track today,” the team said in a brief statement. The decision followed an encouraging Monday for the Brackley-based outfit. George Russell and Kimi Antonelli completed a combined 149 laps, with the W17 emerging as one of the most reliable cars of the opening day – a significant early statement in the first week of the new regulations.
Haas’ absence, by contrast, had little to do with the weather. The American squad revealed that Tuesday had always been earmarked as a non-running day, allowing engineers time to pore over the substantial haul of data gathered on Monday. Esteban Ocon’s long stints helped the team rack up 154 laps, leaving plenty to analyse before returning to the track later in the week.
‘Mercedes and Haas sit out Tuesday’s running’;
https://f1i.com/news/558036-mercedes...barcelona.html
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What you need to know about 2026 F1 testing day two.
The second day of Formula 1 testing at Barcelona was book-ended by red flags caused by Red Bull, though one incident was more severe than the other.
27 Jan 2026
Scott Mitchell-Malm
The Race
Day two testing times
1 Verstappen (Red Bull) 1m19.578s - 27 laps
2 Leclerc (Ferrari) 1m20.844s - 66 laps
3 Hadjar (Red Bull) 1m31.891s - 42 laps
4 Hamilton (Ferrari) 1m32.872s - 57 laps
Team lap totals
Ferrari - 123 laps
Red Bull - 69 laps
Ferrari hits the ground running: After a 15km shakedown at Fiorano last week, Ferrari always intended to get stuck into this test on day two. The rain was not ideal but it didn’t deter Ferrari from running. A very productive day, with both drivers getting behind the wheel, meant the team cleared 100 laps despite the conditions. It wasn’t nearly as eye-catching as customer team Haas’s 154-lap effort on day one but it underlined Ferrari’s good early reliability with its new engine.
Red Bull’s dream start sours: Monday could not have gone better for Red Bull. Tuesday was a bump back down to earth. Verstappen’s curtailed running in the morning meant the four-time world champion barely scratched the surface of learning the car and engine. And it deprived Red Bull important mileage in understanding both. But Hadjar’s shunt was (literally) more damaging.
‘2026 F1 testing day two’;
https://www.the-race.com/formula-1/w...sting-day-two/
Laurent Mekies on 'unfortunate' Isack Hadjar crash – ‘It’s part of the game’
27 Jan 2026
Sky Sports
Red Bull team principal Laurent Mekies reflects on Isack Hadjar crashing the RB22 in wet conditions on the second day of pre-season testing in Barcelona.
‘It’s part of the game’;
https://www.skysports.com/f1/video/1...rt-of-the-game
Primeros incidentes en un segundo día de test protagonizado por la lluvia. ➡️ Sólo Red Bull y Ferrari han rodado hoy. Por la mañana, Verstappen y Leclerc. Por la tarde
27 Jan 2026
SoyMotor.com
Henry Gonzalez: Toda esa falta de rodaje le va pasar factura a aston ,
https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=916866504356313
Red Bull assessing F1 test programme 'carefully' after Isack Hadjar crash
28 Jan 2026
Fergal Walsh
RacingNews365
As the second day of the pre-season test reached its closing stages, Hadjar slipped off the road at Turn 14 and sustained damage against the barrier. “[There was] no chance for dry tyres, but some, some good learning on the wet,” team principal Laurent Mekies said. “Unfortunately it didn't end up in the right way. But what is important that Isack is okay. We will try our best to repair the car and to see what's coming next. It was very tricky conditions this afternoon, so very unfortunate that it finished that way, but it's part of the game.”
Red Bull ran the car on Monday and Tuesday, meaning it has just one more day in hand to run the car this week. With more unwelcome weather forecasted, Mekies stated Red Bull must choose its final day carefully to ensure it leaves the test in the best possible shape.
“The checklist is too long to be completed in just a few days in Barcelona,” Laurent Mekies said. “So it's always going to be a matter of priority, and trying to be flexible and adapt your programme as difficulties come out or in terms of when you find an interesting direction that you should pursue. We only have one day left, so we have to make sure we play that card carefully.”
“Some good learning on the wet”;
https://racingnews365.com/red-bull-a...k-hadjar-crash
Karun Chandhok already ‘alarmed’ by what he’s seeing from Lewis Hamilton and Ferrari in F1 testing
28 Jan 2026
David Comerford
F1 Oversteer
Karun Chandhok questions why Lewis Hamilton isn’t working with new Ferrari engineer already. Hamilton is working with Bryan Bozzi, Charles Leclerc’s race engineer, on an interim basis. This comes after Ferrari reassigned his 2025 partner Riccardo Adami. Chandhok is ‘confused’ by this temporary solution, suggesting that Ferrari are missing a perfect opportunity for Hamilton to ‘build a relationship’ with his new engineer.
“The other thing that’s ringing alarm bells for me is his engineer situation,” Chandhok said on Sky’s Shakedown recap show. “As far as we understand, Bryan Bozzi was running the car today, including for Lewis. That confuses me, if I’m perfectly honest. That relationship between driver and race engineer is so, so important. They haven’t created a situation where Lewis is building that relationship over the winter. I would have loved to see him doing simulator days, go and get a TPC car.”
“You need to integrate that person into the engineering set up of the race team. The public hear the driver-engineer discussion, but that’s just a microcosm of the bigger conversations happening in that engineering office. To me, I’m slightly confused that as we sit here, we’ve already started testing, that bonding and relationship-building hasn’t started, off the back of a season which was not good.”
‘Alarmed’;
https://www.f1oversteer.com/news/kar...in-f1-testing/
Barcelona’s Ghost Test: F1’s New Era in Shadows
28 Jan 2026
Alex Albuquerque
FastestLap.com
Barcelona was meant to be the first proper glimpse of Formula 1’s 2026 revolution: new chassis, a wholesale rethink of the power unit philosophy, and the sport’s biggest manufacturers rolling out hardware they’ve spent years modelling, simulating and arguing over. And that is exactly why the hush-hush approach feels like a slightly missed opportunity. F1 sells itself on engineering. The 2026 cycle is not just a fresh aero rulebook; it’s a philosophical shift in how performance is produced and managed. Teams and manufacturers have, by the sound of it, delivered cars that work, run, and complete substantial programmes without turning the week into a comedy of delays.
In another era, the sport would have been eager to show that off, because it speaks directly to competence — not just speed. Instead, the achievements are trapped in the fog of “trust us, it’s going fine”, drip-fed through controlled imagery and the occasional unofficial detail that escapes anyway. That’s not merely about fan service. It’s about confidence. If the sport wants the 2026 rules to land as a bold step forward, the first on-track evidence should feel like a statement, not something you have to piece together from lap counts and half-glimpsed photos.
There’s also a practical irony to all this. The curtain doesn’t prevent people in the paddock from tracking what matters — who’s running, who isn’t, and roughly how much. It mostly prevents everyone else from seeing a new generation of cars in anger at a circuit that’s perfect for it. By the time the second Bahrain test arrives — the first with full media access and live timing — Barcelona will already be old news. The narrative will reset to lap times, short runs, sandbag accusations and the usual febrile pre-season guesswork.
‘Ghost Test’;
https://fastestlap.com/news/barcelon...ra-in-shadows/
F1 results: Unofficial testing times from Day 2 (Barcelona)
27 Jan 2026
Thomas Maher
PlanetF1.com
Only Red Bull and Ferrari opted to use up one of their three days on Tuesday, with Verstappen joined on track by Charles Leclerc. The Monegasque driver completed a race distance, with a fastest time just over a second off the pace set by Verstappen. In the afternoon, Hadjar was slotted back into the RB22 as the rain fell and, in the late afternoon, images emerged on social media of the Red Bull driver having reportedly crashed at Turn 14.
The images suggested the car had picked up damage to the rear of the car, and there has yet to be any confirmation from the team as to the cause of the alleged incident or the extent of the damage. With Red Bull having used up two of its three permitted days, it can now choose which of the remaining three days to use for its final outing.
With no official live timing available to media and journalists, times and lap counts have been collated and vetted across multiple sources; however, these times are completely unofficial.
Testing results from Day 2 (Barcelona)
1. 1. Max Verstappen Red Bull 1:19.578 25 laps
2. 2. Charles Leclerc Ferrari +1.266 65 laps
3. 3. Isack Hadjar Red Bull +12.313 43 laps
4. 4. Lewis Hamilton Ferrari +13.294 53 laps
‘Unofficial’;
https://www.planetf1.com/news/f1-res...arcelona-day-2
Revealed: F1 teams are playing a dangerous game by restricting pre-season testing coverage
]27 Jan 2025
James Phillips
Motorsport Week
Motorsport Week can reveal, Formula One Management, (FOM) has not facilitated this test. The teams have, quietly, organised the test with the Circuit de Catalunya and left FOM to pick up the PR flack, opting not to correct those insinuating otherwise. The immense security at the track to keep out prying eyes has also been paid for by the teams.
Teams now suffering convenient PTSD from 2014: The teams have clearly taken the view that a loss in commercial holdings from test coverage is a price worth paying vs the potential embarrassment of its much vaunted new cars breaking down. It is an act of self-preservation worthy of a movie villain sacrificing a fellow character to save themselves.
‘PTSD from 2014’;
https://www.motorsportweek.com/2026/...ting-coverage/
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2026 F1 Barcelona Pre-Season Test - Day 3 Morning Results.
George Russell held the fastest lap time halfway through the third day of running in Barcelona, setting a 1:17.580.
28 Jan 2026
RacingNews365 Staff
RacingNews365
George Russell held the fastest lap time… Perhaps even more impressive, however, is the Briton's lap count as he clocked up 92 tours of the circuit.
It was a difficult morning for Nico Hulkenberg and Audi as another mechanical issue forced the German driver to pull over after just four laps. Lando Norris and McLaren made their first appearance of the test week, with the reigning champion sitting in third place.
2026 F1 Barcelona Pre-Season Test - Day 3 Morning Results
Pos. Driver Team Lap time Laps
1. George Russell Mercedes 1:17.580 92
2. Franco Colapinto Alpine +1.570 56
3. Lando Norris McLaren +2.092 34
4. Arvid Lindblad Racing Bulls +3.314 61
5. Oliver Bearman Haas +3.260 21
6. Nico Hulkenberg Audi No time 4
‘George Russell fastest’;
https://racingnews365.com/2026-f1-ba...orning-results
Russell delivers standout display as Mercedes turn heads in Barcelona
28 Jan 2026
Tobia Elia
GPblog.com
George Russell topped the timesheets during the morning of day three in Barcelona and also completed the highest number of laps. Clearer conditions greeted the start of day three after a rain-soaked morning previously disrupted running, finally allowing teams to head back out on track in dry weather.
After only Red Bull and Ferrari took part yesterday, the field expanded significantly today, with several teams joining the action — most notably McLaren, which made its long-awaited on-track debut with the MCL40, driven by Lando Norris.
The session was not without interruptions, however, as two red flags halted running. Audi suffered another problem when Nico Hulkenberg was forced to stop his RS26 on circuit, while Oliver Bearman also came to a standstill at Turn 2, with the cause of his stoppage still unclear.
‘Standout display’;
https://www.gpblog.com/en/news/russe...s-in-barcelona
Russell sets fastest lap of Barcelona F1 test so far
Jan 28, 2026
Scott Mitchell-Malm
The Race
Mercedes driver George Russell’s 1m17.580s eclipsed the Monday benchmark by Red Bull’s Isack Hadjar by 0.6s as Mercedes began another extremely productive day on-track. After racking up nearly 100 laps in just half a day on Monday, when he took over from team-mate Kimi Antonelli in the morning, Russell is understood to have come close to 100 laps again on Wednesday.
This was achieved through various long runs and was significantly more than anybody else before lunch. Antonelli will be back in the W17 for the second half of Wednesday’s running. Russell’s best time was 1.6s quicker than Franco Colapinto managed in the Mercedes-powered Alpine in the first half of the day.
Laptimes midway through Day 3
1 George Russell (Mercedes) 1m17.580s
2 Franco Colapinto (Alpine) 1m19.150s
3 Lando Norris (McLaren) 1m19.672s
4 Arvid Lindblad (Racing Bulls) 1m20.714s
5 Ollie Bearman (Haas) 1m20.840s
6 Nico Hulkenberg (Audi) No time
‘Close to 100 laps again’;
https://www.the-race.com/formula-1/g...elona-f1-test/
McLaren hit the track as Norris rolls out long-awaited MCL40 in Barcelona
13:59, 28 Jan
Tobia Elia
GPblog.com
McLaren MCL40 finally made its official on-track debut on the third day of testing in Barcelona. The reigning world champions had already planned to skip the opening day and were then forced to sit out day two due to rain, with Lando Norris finally getting his first taste of the new car.
The Briton ran throughout the morning, and it remained unclear whether he would hand over to teammate Oscar Piastri later in the day or stay in the car for the full session. The MCL40 is running a special full-black livery for the Barcelona tests, with the final design set to be unveiled at a dedicated launch event on 9 February.
‘McLaren hit the track’;
https://www.gpblog.com/en/news/mclar...0-in-barcelona
Several ‘insiders’ are ‘suspicious’ about what they’ve noticed on Ferrari’s 2026 car at F1 testing
28 January 2026
Kyle Archer
F1 Oversteer
Ferrari raises ‘suspicions’ that they have an S-Duct on their 2026 F1 car. A number of paddock ‘insiders’ are understood to be questioning whether Ferrari have tried to incorporate an S-Duct into the design of their first car for the 2026 F1 regulations. F1 has overhauled the regulations, with new engine, aero, chassis and tyre rules coming into force.
Images of the Ferrari SF-26 on track in Barcelona have sparked ‘suspicions’ that their head of aerodynamics Diego Tondi has added a channel to direct clean air from below the radiator inlets to the top of the sidepods. The channel can also extract hot air away from the engine.
The main purpose with the S-Duct is to accelerate the airflow towards the rear diffuser and improve Ferrari’s aerodynamic efficiency. Tondi and his team are said to have achieved their goal by adding a slot in the Halo on the SF-26 to firstly manage the airflow out of the S-Duct.
‘The S-Duct’;
https://www.f1oversteer.com/news/sev...at-f1-testing/
Leclerc’s All-New Ferrari SF-26 Has Him Eyeing 2026 Title
28 January 2026
Jack Banneron
F1Chronicle
Charles Leclerc climbed out of Ferrari’s SF-26 sounding like a guy who’s finally been handed a clean sheet of paper. Leclerc is “very excited” for 2026, and he’s openly talking about dragging Ferrari back to the top. After years where Ferrari’s promise has often arrived with an asterisk, this reset feels like the kind you can actually build a title run on, and that’s why everyone’s leaning in.
Ferrari skipped Day 1 of the five-day Barcelona event and rolled out on Day 2, right on schedule, with Leclerc first to hit the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya. If you’ve ever shown up late to something stressful to avoid the opening chaos, you get the vibe, and Ferrari essentially admitted as much by choosing their moment. Leclerc described getting back in the car as returning to something “very, very all-new,” and he wasn’t doing PR poetry.
2026 brings a double reset, new chassis philosophy and new power unit rules, so even the basic instincts drivers rely on, braking references, corner commitment, energy deployment habits, get a hard reboot. He also pointed out the conditions were messy, with rain in the morning, which makes those first laps feel like trying new shoes on an ice rink. Still, Ferrari ran their programme anyway, because this stage is about whether the thing works, not whether it’s fast, and anyone who’s watched a new-spec car cough through its first week knows how valuable that sentence is.
‘Eyeing 2026 Title’;
https://f1chronicle.com/leclercs-all.../?nowprocket=1
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F1 results: Unofficial testing times from Day 3 (Barcelona).
Mercedes, Haas, Audi, Racing Bulls, and Alpine all took part on Wednesday, with short red flag stoppages brought about due to technical issues for Audi’s Nico Hulkenberg – its second red flag of the Barcelona test – and Haas’ Oliver Bearman.
28 Jan 2026
Thomas Maher
PlanetF1.com
The day ended with the W17 on top as Kimi Antonelli logged an unofficial 1:17.362 to finish just over two-tenths of a second clear of George Russell, with the Italian taking over for the afternoon session as Mercedes split its drivers’ time. In total, Mercedes completed 183 laps on Wednesday, accumulating just over 850km of track time, bringing it to a total of 334 laps for the week.
Behind Mercedes, Lando Norris’ first appearance in F1 2026 saw the new world champion resplendent in an all-black MCL40 adorned with a payaya number one on the new machine, and he duly set about accumulating a little over a race distance over the course of the day. Alpine also split its running between Pierre Gasly and Franco Colapinto, with the Argentine driver finishing fourth on the timing sheets with 58 laps complete, and Pierre Gasly managing 67 laps in the new A526.
With no official live timing available to media and journalists, times and lap counts have been collated and vetted across multiple sources; however, these times are completely unofficial.
Testing results from Day 3 (Barcelona)
1. 1. Kimi Antonelli Mercedes 1:17.362 91 Laps
2. 2. George Russell Mercedes +0.218 92 laps
3. 3. Lando Norris McLaren +0.945 76 laps
4. 4. Franco Colapinto Alpine +1.788 58 Laps
5. 5. Pierre Gasly Alpine +1.835 67 Laps
6. 6. Oliver Bearman Haas +1.948 42 Laps
7. 7. Arvid Lindblad Racing Bulls +2.058 120 Laps
8. 8. Nico Hulkenberg Audi +3.648 68 Laps
‘Unofficial testing times’;
https://www.planetf1.com/news/f1-res...arcelona-day-3
DEBRIEF: What happened on Day 3 of the Barcelona Shakedown?
28 Jan 2026
Formula One - Official Site
It was a busy start when Wednesday’s morning session began, with George Russell the first to head out in the Mercedes – returning to action following his running on Monday – while Racing Bulls’ Arvid Lindbald was next, the rookie getting his debut mileage of the Barcelona Shakedown. Franco Colapinto joined the fray for Alpine, along with Ollie Bearman in the Haas and Nico Hulkenberg at the wheel of the Audi, the latter two drivers also making their first appearance at the event.
McLaren, meanwhile, initially spent time carrying out their final preparations in the garage before new World Champion Lando Norris emerged in the middle of the morning, sporting the #1 on his car. After plenty of laps went on the board in the opening portion of the day – with Russell, Lindblad and Colapinto getting some particularly extensive mileage in – the action continued following a lunch break. Kimi Antonelli took over at the Silver Arrows, while Pierre Gasly gained his first laps of the shakedown for Alpine.
The afternoon session continued to be busy as a number of cars lapped the circuit in increasingly sunny conditions, before darkness fell as the end of the day neared and the chequered flag came down on Day 3. The only team yet to start their programme at the Barcelona Shakedown are Aston Martin, having stated earlier in the week that they intend to run on Thursday and Friday.
‘DEBRIEF’;
https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/a...qpwxqRdzV9CbZZ
Impressive Mercedes thunder on in Barcelona as Lando Norris shows off new McLaren
28 Jan 2026
Ian Parkes
RacingNews365
Mercedes maintained its sterling reliability at the start of 2026 F1 pre-season testing as George Russell clocked up the laps on a day when McLaren finally made its first appearance. In terms of reliability, Mercedes again made a particular impression. George Russell had completed 92 laps by 1 pm local time.
After the car completed 154 laps on Monday, between Russell and team-mate Kimi Antonelli, the Silver Arrows is currently amassing the data on its W17. Russell also ended the morning session with the fastest lap, 1:17.580s, set late on. For some time, Alpine's Franco Colapinto had led the way with a 1:19.150s.
After sitting out the first two days of the five-day private test at Barcelona's Circuit de Catalunya, all eyes were naturally on the McLaren garage to see if the MCL40 would make an appearance. Finally, bearing the No.1 on his car, F1 champion Lando Norris took to the track to complete systems checks, clocking 34 laps, seemingly without any issues. The car is expected to run more productively over the final two days.
‘Impressive Mercedes thunder on’;
https://racingnews365.com/impressive...ff-new-mclaren
Norris hails 'decent day' after first laps in new McLaren
28 Jan 2026
The Straits Times
Jan 28 - Formula One champion Lando Norris said he'd enjoyed a "decent day" in his new McLaren after completing 77 laps at the Barcelona shakedown test on Wednesday.
The Briton will hand over the MCL40 to Australian teammate Oscar Piastri for Thursday's session before getting back in on Friday for the team's third and final day at the Circuit de Catalunya. "It was just nice to be back, nice to see a number one on my car, pretty cool and pretty surreal still. It's a good feeling," said the 26-year-old after lapping in cold temperatures at the Spanish Grand Prix track.
"Our first day on track, first time everyone gets to see the car in one piece. It's literally not been built until this morning... nice to see it all come together. And then I go and have some fun driving it which turned out to be a decent day. Today was really just a first understanding of the whole car, understanding just how it works really, going through the manual."
'Decent day';
https://www.straitstimes.com/sport/f...in-new-mclaren
Red Bull extreme design reveals radical 2026 F1 approach
Red Bull did not return to action at Barcelona on Wednesday following Isack Hadjar's crash the day before. This allowed RacingNews365's technical expert, Paolo Filisetti, the opportunity to notice some striking aspects of the RB22.
28 Jan 2026
Paolo Filisetti
RacingNews365
Red Bull's absence from Wednesday's pre-season test running provided a rare opportunity to scrutinise the RB22's aerodynamic philosophy, highlighting that the Milton Keynes-based squad has again pushed boundaries with its unconventional approach. Two standout features demonstrate just how aggressively Red Bull has interpreted the 2026 regulations. The crash structures flanking the cockpit sit prominently atop the sidepods, with their extremities extending well beyond the bodywork profile.
This radical positioning allows Red Bull to maintain remarkably compact sidepods, maximising airflow towards the car's rear sections where crucial downforce is generated. It's classic Red Bull engineering: finding performance gains where others see regulatory constraints. The second notable element mirrors Mercedes' approach: a pronounced slot carved into the diffuser's lateral section.
This wide aperture in the vertical sidewall directs airflow through a critical aerodynamic zone, suggesting both teams have identified similar performance opportunities. That Red Bull and Mercedes have converged on comparable solutions isn't surprising. Advanced computational fluid dynamics and wind tunnel correlation now allow teams to optimise every millimetre of bodywork, often leading to similar conclusions despite different starting philosophies.
‘Pushed boundaries with its unconventional approach’;
https://racingnews365.com/red-bull-e...26-f1-approach
Aston Martin issues notable update on participation in Barcelona test
28 Jan 2026
Ludo van Denderen
GPblog.com
Aston Martin is still to confirm whether the team will definitely start testing in Barcelona on Thursday. When asked by GPblog, the Silverstone-based team would only say that it still has the ‘intention’ of making it out on track.
The team missed the first three days of testing for unspecified reasons, but stated on Monday that the plan was to conduct their first runs with the new AMR26 on Thursday and Friday. GPblog understands that plans have not changed, with Sky Sports F1 reporting on Wednesday that the new car still needed to be assembled overnight at the track in Spain.
‘Notable update’;
https://www.gpblog.com/en/exclusive-...barcelona-test
Williams boss defends ‘incredibly painful’ F1 shakedown decision
James Vowles insists Williams will be fully prepared for pre-season testing in Bahrain despite making the “incredibly painful” call to miss the private Barcelona shakedown.
29 Jan 2026
Ben Waterworth
Speedcafe
The Williams team principal confirmed the team’s 2026 car has now passed all mandatory crash tests and will be ready to run when official testing begins on February 11, after opting not to use any of its permitted days in Spain. Speaking during the Barcelona week, Vowles admitted the absence was far from ideal. “[It] clearly wasn’t our plan, and it’s incredibly painful,” he said.
‘Vowles admitted the absence was far from ideal’;
https://speedcafe.com/f1-news-2026-b...debut-new-car/
-
2026 F1 Barcelona Pre-Season Test - Day 4 morning results.
Mercedes has produced another productive morning of running in Barcelona, with Kimi Antonelli tallying almost 90 laps so far.
29 January 2026
RacingNews365 Staff
RacingNews365
Kimi Antonelli has also set the fastest lap time of the test with a 1:17.081. Lewis Hamilton was back in action for Ferrari and clocked up almost 90 laps across the opening hours.
He trailed Oscar Piastri in the McLaren, but was ahead of Liam Lawson and Sergio Perez. Just five cars ventured onto the track during the session. Aston Martin is expected to join the action later today with Lance Stroll.
2026 F1 Barcelona Pre-Season Test - Day 4 Morning Results
Pos. Driver Team Lap time Laps
1. Kimi Antonelli Mercedes 1:17.081 90
2. Oscar Piastri McLaren +1.338 48
3. Lewis Hamilton Ferrari +1.573 87
4. Liam Lawson Racing Bulls +1.782 64
5. Sergio Perez Cadillac +4.268 38
‘Day 4 morning results’;
https://racingnews365.com/2026-f1-ba...orning-results
Barcelona Day 4: Mercedes stamps its authority on shakedown as Hamilton spins
29 Jan 2026
Michelle Foster
PlanetF1.com
Mercedes’ numbers during the Barcelona shakedown continued to signal a warning to its rivals with Kimi Antonelli not only topping the lap count, but also the timesheet on the morning of Day Four. The Italian clocked an unofficial 1:17.081, the fastest time of the week so far.
While Haas confirmed that it would not run on Thursday, opting to cover its third and final day on Friday after Wednesday’s reliability gremlins, reports emerged claiming Red Bull too would not be on track as the Milton Keynes squad waits for parts for the RB22 after Isack Hadjar crashed on Tuesday. The components are expected to be flown out today, so the team can get them fitted and get back in action on Friday.
Mercedes, meanwhile, was one of the first on track as the team began its final day with a fair amount of extra hard wear in the form of aero rakes on the car. Trackside engineering director Andrew Shovlin revealed that Thursday’s programme would involve working on the set-up of the W17, having racked up better than expected mileage on its first two days.
‘Mercedes stamps its authority’;
https://www.planetf1.com/news/f1-sha...-midday-report
Red Bull sitting out Barcelona F1 test until new parts arrive
Red Bull are sitting out of Thursday's F1 test action.
29 Jan 2026
Lewis Larkam
Crash.Net
Red Bull’s F1 test programme has been put on hold while the team waits for spare parts to arrive. It comes after Isack Hadjar’s heavy crash on the second day of Barcelona’s private shakedown left Red Bull with insufficient parts to repair their new RB22 challenger, according to respected Dutch journalist Erik van Haren.
The 21-year-old Frenchman, who was promoted from sister team Racing Bulls to become Max Verstappen’s latest Red Bull teammate, lost control in slippery conditions at the fast final corner and spun backwards into the barriers. Hadjar was unhurt in the shunt but the impact caused substantial damage to the rear of his RB22 and cut-short Red Bull’s second day of running.
On Tuesday evening, Red Bull team principal Laurent Mekies said his side would need to assess the damage before deciding when they can conclude their test programme for the first week of pre-season testing. Red Bull now face a race against time to receive the new parts and fit them to their 2026 car so that they can complete their third permitted test day on the final day of running on Friday.
‘Red Bull’s F1 test programme has been put on hold’;
https://www.crash.net/f1/news/108870...r-isack-hadjar
Barcelona Blackout: Hamilton’s Spin Teases Ferrari’s 2026 Monster
29 Jan 2026
Alex Albuquerque
FastestLap.com
Lewis Hamilton’s second taste of Ferrari’s SF-26 programme in Barcelona came with an early reminder of what 2026 is going to demand from everyone: a moment of over-rotation at the exit of Turn 10, a neat 360, and then straight back on with no obvious damage done.
The clip, which surfaced on social media on the morning of Day 4, showed Hamilton losing the rear as he fed the car out of the right-hander. The car behind had plenty of time to slow as Hamilton gathered it up and trundled on. In the grand scheme of a private shakedown, it’s the sort of incident teams barely bother to log beyond a line on the run sheet — but it’s also a small window into the learning curve this new ruleset is about to impose.
Ferrari, for its part, has had a relatively clean shakedown so far. Day 4 is the team’s second permitted day of running in this five-day Barcelona test, with a third appearance scheduled for the final day. There are limits on how many days teams can run, which only sharpens the focus: every stint is a chance to understand a brand-new car concept and, just as importantly, to decide what not to waste time on.
‘A neat 360’;
https://fastestlap.com/news/barcelon...-2026-monster/
Mercedes’ ominous mileage claim as W17 runs ‘faultlessly’
29 Jan 2026
Michelle Foster
PlanetF1.com
Ahead of Mercedes’ final day on track at the Barcelona shakedown, Andrew Shovlin admitted the Brackley team covered more laps on its first two days than expected. In fact, it is rivals breaking down and causing red flags that is costing Mercedes most when it comes to lost time time on track.
Asked if Mercedes expected that level of mileage given the all-new cars and power units, the trackside engineering director told the official F1 website: “Mileage, we’re a bit ahead of where we hoped to be. So that’s good. You normally expect to have a few teething problems, the odd reliability thing that costs you track time. Today [Wednesday], the car worked faultlessly. We’re actually losing more track time from other people breaking down and causing red flags than for anything on our side. So that’s good.”
Mercedes’ lap count over the course of its opening two days, unofficially recorded at 333 in total, has given the team the opportunity to gather much-needed data on its all-new W17 and its power unit. “In terms of data gathered,” Shovlin continued, “we’re getting there, but as all the electrical systems are new, there’s still quite a few issues that we’re bottoming out with collecting the data and making sure everything’s as accurate as we normally have it.”
‘Unofficially recorded at 333 in total’;
https://www.planetf1.com/news/merced...ns-faultlessly
Mercedes sets new benchmark laptime at F1's Barcelona test
Jan 29, 2026
Jon Noble
The Race
Kimi Antonelli lowered the benchmark for this week’s Formula 1 pre-season test at Barcelona on Thursday while the new Aston Martin hasn't made its on-track debut yet. With the pace and reliability of the new W17 having impressed rivals, Antonelli set a new quickest time of the week with a 1m17.081s as he continued to rack up the miles.
His best time beat the previous fastest lap of the week, set by Antonelli himself on Wednesday, by three tenths of a second. It also means Mercedes has gone faster this week than its best race lap from last year’s Spanish Grand Prix – highlighting that the 2026 cars appear to be a similar ballpark to the previous generation of cars.
‘Benchmark lap time’;
https://www.the-race.com/formula-1/m...arcelona-test/
-
F1 results: Unofficial testing times from Day 4 (Barcelona).
Mercedes claimed another 1-2 on the timing sheets on the fourth day of F1 testing at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya.
29 Jan 2026
Thomas Maher
PlanetF1.com
Russell lodged the fastest lap of the week so far with a 1:16.445 in the afternoon session, as he circulated 78 times. This was just over six-tenths faster than what Antonelli managed during the morning session as he wrapped up his Barcelona programme with a 1:17.081 to eclipse his Wednesday best by almost three-tenths.
Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc finished with the third-quickest time, 1.7 seconds off Russell’s pace as he racked up 83 laps, while Oscar Piastri was fourth in the Mercedes-powered McLaren as the MCL40 encountered a fuel supply issue that compromised the Australian’s day. He did 48 laps, adding to Lando Norris’ 76-lap total from Wednesday.
With no official live timing available to media and journalists, times and lap counts have been collated and vetted across multiple sources; however, these times are completely unofficial.
Testing results from Day 4 (Barcelona)
1. 1. George Russell Mercedes 1:16.445 (78 Laps)
2. 2. Kimi Antonelli Mercedes +0.636 (90 Laps)
3. 3. Charles Leclerc Ferrari +1.778 (83 laps)
4. 4. Oscar Piastri McLaren +1.974 (48 Laps)
5. 5. Arvid Lindblad Racing Bulls +2.006 (47 Laps)
6. 6. Lewis Hamilton Ferrari +2.209 (87 Laps)
7. 7. Liam Lawson Racing Bulls +2.395 (64 Laps)
8. 8. Sergio Perez Cadillac +4.579 (66 Laps)
9. 9. Lance Stroll Aston Martin +29.959 (5 Laps)
‘Unofficial testing times’;
https://www.planetf1.com/news/f1-res...arcelona-day-4
Best times and total mileage for every F1 team and driver at Barcelona
Jan 29, 2026
Scott Mitchell-Malm
The Race
Mercedes’ prolific running means it has concluded its Formula 1 testing at Barcelona already having completed considerably more mileage than any other team. The next-busiest team, Racing Bulls, ran the same schedule and has also ended its test with 319 laps completed. But Ferrari is likely to have the second most productive test after Mercedes as its two days of testing, having only started on Tuesday, have already yielded 297 laps.
Laps completed by team
Team Laps Km
Mercedes 500 2,328.50
Racing Bulls 319 1,485.58
Ferrari 297 1,383.13
Haas 196 912.77
Red Bull 185 861.55
Alpine 185 861.55
McLaren 121 563.50
Cadillac 110 512.27
Audi 95 442.42
Aston Martin 4 18.63
Laps completed by engine manufacturer
Laps Kilometres
Mercedes 806 3,753.54
Ferrari 603 2,808.17
RBPT 504 2,347.13
Audi 95 442.42
Honda 4 18.63
‘Best times and total mileage’;
https://www.the-race.com/formula-1/b...-at-barcelona/
Five winners and six losers from secret F1 testing sessions
A week of running in Barcelona was conducted behind closed doors - with one team failing to travel out there at all
30 January 2026
James Gray
i News
Losers: Williams team principal James Vowles tried to put a brave face on the fact that his crew didn’t run on any days at all in Barcelona. But the British team are the biggest losers of this week for their inability even to rock up in Spain amid reports of the car being overweight and having failed pre-season crash tests, which Vowles denied.
Williams are not the only ones hoping to climb to the top; Aston Martin declared that intent with the signing of Adrian Newey as their new technical guru and then team principal. But the AMR26 only made a first appearance in the last hour of the penultimate day and initially looked good before the car came to a halt in the hands of Lance Stroll and the session was red flagged.
Grid newcomers Cadillac ended day one a whopping six-and-a-half seconds off the pace with Sergio Perez admitting there were “a lot of issues”. But team boss Graeme Lowdon declared it more a shakedown than a proper test for the sport’s rookies.
‘Five winners and six losers’;
https://inews.co.uk/sport/formula-on...00?ITO=newsnow
How Oscar Piastri’s first lap times in McLaren’s 2026 F1 car compares with Lando Norris
29 Jan 2026
Ashley Hambly
F1 Oversteer
Oscar Piastri was just three-tenths short of Lando Norris after his first day of testing McLaren’s 2026 F1 car. Oscar Piastri’s fastest time of his first run out in the McLaren MCL40 was a 1:18.419, just over two tenths slower than Norris’ personal benchmark of a 1:18.189 on the day prior, according to SoyMotor.
Oscar Piastri’s afternoon session was scuppered by a fuel systems issue on day four. Following the conclusion of the allotted testing times, McLaren revealed that they had been suffering from a fuel system issue, which explained Piastri’s absence in the afternoon. Of course, it’s not desirable, but finding an issue like this is also one of the many reasons why testing is so crucial to each team.
In a press release provided by the Woking-based outfit, they said that the issue ‘required extensive investigation’, and assured that their team of engineers are now hard at work to ensure a full day of running on Friday. They also detailed that both Norris and Piastri will share the driving duties for the final day of testing, while noting that they have found some ‘performance opportunities to exploit’ upon their return to HQ next week.
‘Oscar Piastri: 1:18.419’;
https://www.f1oversteer.com/news/how...-lando-norris/
False start for Cadillac: Perez sees 'more problems than surprises'
29 Jan 2026
Ludo van Denderen
GPblog.com
Cadillac are ironing-out their “problems” with their new F1 car according to Sergio Perez as F1’s newest team faces a number of challenges during preseason testing in Spain. After the day of testing in Barcelona, Perez was asked whether he encountered many surprises with the new car. “More than surprises, problems,” said the former Red Bull Racing driver. “Problems on all kinds of fronts; with the engine, with the car, with a few electronic issues.”
“But I’m glad it’s happening now, and of course we still have a lot of work ahead of us, especially as a new team. So yes, these are exciting times.” Perez continued: “We were able to do a lot of running and gathered a lot of data. But I think we’re making progress in virtually every lap. So yes, it was a positive day. Hopefully we’ll have another positive day tomorrow with Valtteri [Bottas].”
After a year away, Perez already feels quite at home back in the sport. “A little bit, yes, but in a way it still felt a bit strange to come back and see some people, some drivers, again. It’s been a long time since I’ve seen them, so yes, I’m happy to be back.”
'More problems than surprises';
https://www.gpblog.com/en/news/false...than-surprises
Bearman praises Ferrari power unit despite small issue during testing
29 Jan
Savannah Lenz
GPblog.com
During Haas’s second day of preseason testing, Oliver Bearman praised Ferrari’s ‘impressive’ power unit - despite being hamstrung by a red flag. Speaking to F1.com, Bearman revealed he had a first taste of the new power unit in Italy and said,
“First of all, really happy to be back on track. It was a short winter break, but, in typical racing driver form, after a few days, I was ready to feel some speed again. Fiorano was a good warm-up. It was wet all day, but we got through the plan that we had allocated, and now coming here doing a bit more laps in the dry as well, it's really nice to feel the car underneath me.”
Wednesday was Haas’s second day running after Esteban Ocon completed 151 laps on Monday. Bearman said that the run plan was also what he intended to do. He added, “A lot of mileage is the plan. It's very early stages in this cycle of regulations, and we've had, so far up until now, very clean laps and very clean running. It was impressive to come from Fiorano, straight away do our 200km limit, and arrive and be out at 9 am two days later.”
‘Bearman praises Ferrari power unit’;
https://www.gpblog.com/en/news/bearm...during-testing
Aston Martin enciende Barcelona con el estreno del AMR26 y Mercedes sigue a lo suyo
29 Ene 2026
SoyMotor.
https://soymotor.com/f1/noticias/cro...celona-f1-2026
-
Aston Martin 'emotional' over F1 2026 debut after Barcelona delay.
“Each time when you have a new car, it's always emotional. It's a very, very, very exciting moment. A lot of hard work went into it over the last days.” Aston Martin chief trackside officer Mike Krack.
30 Jan 2026
Fergal Walsh
RacingNews365
Aston Martin gave its 2026 car its first on-track experience at the Barcelona shakedown on Thursday. Aston Martin chief trackside officer Mike Krack has labelled the team's on-track debut as “emotional”.
“There's still a lot of work to come, but I think we can take a breath and be happy that we rolled out the car. It was really emotional and a nice moment for the team and a tribute to the hard work that everybody put in.” The AMR26 managed just four laps before it stuttered to a halt on the track, equipped with the new Honda power unit.
Aston Martin now has one final day of running to get through in Barcelona before it heads to Bahrain for the second test. “F1 is relentless,” Krack added. “You always have to look forward, and there will be much more hard work to come, but we're looking forward to that.”
“F1 is relentless”;
https://racingnews365.com/aston-mart...arcelona-delay
Martin Brundle suspects Adrian Newey may have been responsible for Aston Martin car delays
30 Jan 2026
David Comerford
F1 Oversteer
Martin Brundle says Adrian Newey pushes development ‘to the absolute limit’. Reports last week suggested that Aston Martin engine suppliers Honda weren’t completely ready for the new season. Newey confirmed to Martin Brundle that they were ‘playing catch-up’. But Brundle also suspects that Newey has been pushing back deadlines to maximise development time. He has apparently been notorious for waiting until ‘the last moment’ to sign off parts.
Martin Brundle: “Adrian was saying to me that Honda are having to play catch-up because they were leaving and then they came back in. There’s some question marks there. You just know that Adrian will have a vision of how to maximise these new regulations. Let’s hope he’s done it. Let’s hope that car just flies.”
“He’s also legendary for not wanting to sign things off! When the car was late, it didn’t surprise me at all to be honest, because the long lead times, chassis, gearboxes, radiators and the sort of thing, Adrian will push that, and he always has done, to the absolute limit, because he wants the maximum amount of development on those pieces. If it absolutely takes off, then as ever, you can say, he got it absolutely right. He’s waited until the last moment before having to commit. I’m going to assume that that car will be pretty handy through the year.”
“To the absolute limit”;
https://www.f1oversteer.com/news/mar...in-car-delays/
Newey’s Aston Gamble: Radical Pushrods, Red Flagged Debut
30 Jan 2026
Alex Albuquerque
FastestLap.com
Aston Martin’s first proper glimpse of the Adrian Newey era arrived in Barcelona with equal parts intrigue and aggravation: a car that looks like it’s been drawn with a different ruler to much of the pitlane, and a shakedown debut that ended with the sort of precautionary stoppage you can live without when you’re already short on mileage. Lance Stroll finally rolled the AMR26 out in the final hour of Thursday’s running, the car wearing an all-black test livery ahead of its scheduled official launch on February 9. It didn’t run for long. Trackside marshals signalled for Stroll to pull over after spotting what was described as a potential electrical issue, triggering a late red flag and cutting short the first public outing of the team’s 2026 challenger.
Aston Martin is expected back on track on Friday, but the bigger picture is already awkward: the team’s Barcelona plan amounts to only two of its permitted three days, having missed the start of the test. That’s not a crisis in itself, but it does strip away the comfort blanket teams like to have in the first week of a new regulation cycle. When everything is new — cars, tyres, aero philosophies, operating windows — you want boring laps, not unresolved question marks. Still, within minutes of the AMR26 turning a wheel, the technical spotters had their reward. The car is running pushrod suspension at both ends — and not just pushrod, but the double-pushrod layout that’s quickly shaping up as the default answer to the first big mechanical choice of 2026.
The irony is that the moment the AMR26 finally appeared, the storyline shifted from “what did Newey decide?” to “how quickly can they get through their programme?” The stoppage may yet prove to be nothing more than a sensible early shut-down, the kind teams prefer to do rather than risk turning a minor gremlin into a headline.
‘Newey’s Aston Gamble’;
https://fastestlap.com/news/neweys-a...flagged-debut/
Newey's 'extreme' Aston Martin - Gary Anderson's first reaction
29 Jan 2026
Gary Anderson
The Race
Having just seen the first images of the 2026 Aston Martin, there’s no question it’s an Adrian Newey Formula 1 car! Even without seeing the detail, you can tell it’s extreme, aggressive and all of those other words you can use for a car that pushes to extremes. Concept-wise, it looks like it’s on the limit. The front and rear suspension appears to be pushrod, and the front top wishbone is very high and has a very wide base for its inboard pick-up points.
You could also say it has a ‘zero’ sidepod concept, and then some. That’s not so much in terms of width, but in terms of depth, it’s so slim I’m even surprised there is room for a radiator in there. The intake is high and letterbox shaped and the exit is fairly well forward in the engine cover sides and I would say ‘brutal’. However, some of that is because the engine cover behind that opening is undercut to the extreme.
There is also a larger-than-most undercut between the bottom of that intake and the top of the driver’s headrest. I suppose that could be the reason for the ‘horns’, but it’s difficult to see how big those horns and fins are. It does look like it might be ‘different’, to say the least, and that’s from front to rear. But then again what else would you expect from the ‘pencil’ of Adrian Newey? The first sight of the car has whetted everyone’s appetite and I’m looking forward to going over the detail when we see it.
‘An Adrian Newey Formula 1 car!’;
https://www.the-race.com/formula-1/g...-aston-martin/
Aston Martin Unveils Adrian Newey–Designed AMR26 in Late Pre-Season Test Debut
30 Jan 2026
James Rees
F1 Chronicle
The car only arrived in Spain on Wednesday, with the team spending much of the day completing final preparations before running. “It was a long day for all the mechanics and everyone in the team pushing flat out to get the car ready,” Stroll said. “We managed to get a few laps in at the end, and it felt good. Now it’s about learning the car and understanding where its strengths and weaknesses are.”
“Everyone in the team pushing flat out to get the car ready”;
https://f1chronicle.com/aston-martin.../?nowprocket=1
Key Adrian Newey design decision emerges as Aston Martin AMR26 hits track
30 Jan 2026
Oliver Harden
PlanetF1.com
PlanetF1.com technical editor Matt Somerfield has confirmed that the design – strikingly different to most other 2026 cars in areas like the nose, sidepods and engine cover – includes a pushrod suspension at the front and rear of the car.
A double-pushrod suspension has emerged as the early tech trend of the F1 2026 season with all but two teams taking this development route so far. Only Alpine and Cadillac have opted for a pullrod suspension to date, with Williams the only team yet to take to the track in 2026.
‘The design – strikingly different to most other 2026 cars’;
https://www.planetf1.com/news/adrian...design-details
Revealed! Adrian Newey's first F1 car for Aston Martin
29 Jan 2026
Ludo van Denderen
GPblog.com
It took a few days later than perhaps planned, but on the fourth day of testing, Aston Martin introduced the AMR26 — the first car Adrian Newey has designed for the British team. Here are the first images.
‘On the fourth day of testing’;
https://www.gpblog.com/en/news/revea...r-aston-martin
Aston Martin’s AMR26 Debut: Five Laps, A Thousand Questions
29 Jan 2026
Alex Albuquerque
FastestLap.com
Lance Stroll managed just five laps before pulling over in the third sector, bringing the team’s long-awaited 2026 debut to an early stop. From the outside it looked like a textbook first-day breakdown, but the word in the paddock was that this was a precautionary halt rather than anything catastrophically letting go.
The context matters. Aston Martin arrived at this shakedown week having already admitted it would be late to the party, with Adrian Newey pushing development right up to the deadline. Barcelona became the first time the chassis and power unit had actually been bolted together and run as a complete package. That sort of late integration can be survivable if everything talks to everything first time. If it doesn’t, you stop early, you don’t take risks, and you take your data home.
‘A Thousand Questions’;
https://fastestlap.com/news/aston-ma...and-questions/
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Leclerc tops times, but Newey’s Aston steals the show.
Leclerc might have ended the morning quickest, but the first proper public glimpse of Fernando Alonso in Aston Martin’s AMR26 — the latest Adrian Newey design — was the moment that actually made people look up from the timing app.
January 30, 2026
Alex Albuquerque
FastestLap.com
And then there was Aston Martin. Aston didn’t rush into the session; Alonso waited a few minutes longer than most before heading out within the opening 20. What followed was very clearly not a “go set a time” plan. Alonso’s early work was almost entirely installation laps, with unconfirmed reports suggesting Aston Martin was enforcing a speed limit in the 230–275 km/h range while it tested systems and ran through checks on its new Honda power unit. That sort of programme is hardly glamorous, but it’s the kind of foundation-laying that can save a team later when the mileage really starts to matter.
Once Aston did begin to open the taps, Alonso’s times tumbled quickly — albeit from a long way back and still well off the front-running pace. He improved to 1:21.728, then 1:20.795 on soft Pirellis, ending seventh with 49 laps. No-one in the paddock will treat that as a performance headline. The more interesting takeaway is simply that the AMR26 is now a living thing on track, not a studio render or a whispered rumour, and that Alonso is already leaning into it.
Unofficial or not, the timing screen at lunch read:
Leclerc 1:16.653 (79 laps)
Piastri 1:17.446 (79 laps)
Verstappen 1:18.285 (69 laps)
Bearman 1:18.423 (105 laps)
Gasly 1:19.754 (78 laps)
Bortoleto 1:20.179 (64 laps)
Alonso 1:20.795 (49 laps)
Bottas 1:22.790 (33 laps)
Plenty will change once the real testing — and then the real racing — begins. But on a morning when Ferrari needed a cleaner narrative and Aston needed its first proper footprint, both got something they can build on.
‘And then there was Aston Martin’;
https://fastestlap.com/news/leclerc-...eals-the-show/
Leclerc makes the Ferrari power unit roar to top morning session on Friday
30 Jan 2026
Kada Sarkozi
GPblog.com
Charles Leclerc set the pace on Friday morning of the final day of the 2026 Barcelona pre-season test. A total of eight teams are on track today at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya. Williams is not present, while Mercedes and Racing Bulls have already completed the maximum three permitted days on track. Leclerc was reportedly the fastest, setting an unofficial lap time of 1:16.653. The Ferrari driver completed 79 laps.
Max Verstappen could also return to action. GPblog understands that the team could not be on track yesterday as additional parts also had to be flown in from Milton Keynes. The RB22 is now ready for Verstappen, who reportedly clocked the third fastest time this morning.
‘Ferrari power unit roar to top’;
https://www.gpblog.com/en/breaking-n...sion-on-friday
Lando Norris gives ominous six-word verdict after first 2026 F1 test
World champion Lando Norris has driven the new McLaren MCL40 for the first time at Barcelona testing
30 Jan 2026
Harry Smith and Daniel Clark
Somerset Live
Lando Norris expressed that 'it still feels like a McLaren' after taking the MCL40 for its inaugural spin at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya on Wednesday. The reigning world champion's comments may raise eyebrows among rivals such as Max Verstappen and George Russell, considering the Woking-based team's commanding performance in the 2025 season.
"This is still going to take a while," the Bristol-born driver commented when questioned about the team's new contender. "The conditions here are quite different to what they're going to be in Bahrain, what they're going to be in Melbourne.”
"It's just trying to gather as much information, in every condition possible, whether it's going to rain in the next couple of days or be dry or whatever, the more laps we can do, the better. So yeah, nice to be back. Different feelings, of course. It still feels like a McLaren, it still feels powerful, it still feels like a Formula 1 car, which is the most important thing.", reports the Express.
‘Ominous six-word verdict’;
https://www.somersetlive.co.uk/sport...s-six-10786924
Gary Anderson's in-depth analysis of 2026 Aston Martin F1 car
Jan 30, 2026
Gary Anderson
The Race
And now for the more interesting part: the front suspension. Yes, it's similar to most in that it is a double-wishbone system with a pushrod-operated inboard springing and damping mechanism. But Aston Martin has pushed the limits just that little bit further on the overall packaging… …Ride-height reduction with speed will happen depending on the vertical stiffness of the car. There will also be a slight movement with roll, but with this amount of anti-dive there won't be much, if any, movement under braking. It's only when you come off the brakes that the car will get back to its proper ride height for the aerodynamic load at the speed it is traveling at.
In effect, this suspension layout will increase the caster with speed, which can give more straightline stability and/or decrease caster as the speed reduces. This will reduce the steering load for slower-speed corners, giving the driver more steering feedback. Moving to the middle of the car, the side view is where you start to see the aerodynamic differences mount up. The sidepods are reduced in cross-section. I wouldn't say they are narrow or 'zero' sidepods, but their volume runs more or less in line with what the airflow structure around them would want to do.
It's great to see a car that is a bit different, but that doesn't mean it's better than the others. However, it shows some lateral thinking and demonstrates that there are quite a few ways to achieve the same end result. Adrian has been very good at that in the past, but today's cars are not the work of one person, so there will be many very intelligent brains who have contributed to what we are looking at. But the reality is that you still need one captain to decide in which direction the ship is travelling in, and that person at Aston Martin is Adrian Newey.
‘Gary Anderson's in-depth analysis’;
https://www.the-race.com/formula-1/g...-adrian-newey/
Gary Anderson hails Adrian Newey for Aston Martin’s ‘extreme’ idea that no rival F1 team has used
30 January 2026
Kyle Archer
F1 Oversteer
Gary Anderson thinks Adrian Newey created an ‘extreme double floor’ with Aston Martin’s 2026 car. Gary Anderson is “surprised” that Aston Martin have left enough room for a radiator in their sidepods, as they are so small. He also praises Newey for Aston Martin’s sidepods, as the design creates almost a “double floor” that should reduce drag and can prove huge in 2026.
“You could say it has a ‘zero’ sidepod concept, and then some,” Anderson has told The Race. “That’s not so much in terms of width, but in terms of depth. It’s so slim, I’m even surprised there is room for a radiator in there. The intake is high and letterbox-shaped, and the exit is fairly well forward in the engine cover sides, and I would say ‘brutal’. However, some of that is because the engine cover behind that opening is undercut to the extreme.”
“As for the sidepod itself, it’s effectively an extreme double floor. This means the cross-sectional area between the wheels going from front to back will be smaller than the others that I have seen. That will mean a lot less airflow displacement as the car passes through it, which in turn should reduce the drag level. This could be very beneficial under these regulations.”
‘Aston Martin’s ‘extreme’ idea’;
https://www.f1oversteer.com/news/gar...team-has-used/
How Aston Martin rushed the AMR26 to Barcelona on a 50-year-old Antonov plane
30 Jan 2026
Roberto Chinchero
Motorsport.com
Finding an aircraft capable of carrying the large crate containing the brand new 2026 F1 car. A 1972 Antonov An-12BP, a four engine turboprop built more than half a century ago.
‘50-year-old Antonov plane’;
https://www.motorsport.com/f1/news/a...onov/10794106/
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F1 rivals have noticed a change in ‘body language’ of Mercedes staff at Barcelona test.
Martin Brundle thinks George Russell is one of the favourites for the 2026 F1 title. Russell is widely regarded as the most talented driver on the grid without a championship to his name, and with him now heading into his fifth year with the works Mercedes team, he could be looking at his first opportunity to claim one.
30 January 2026
Ashley Hambly
F1 Oversteer
Posting to the Bluesky social media network, F1 journalist Thomas Maher wrote, “From everything I’m hearing from paddock sources, Mercedes is the team everyone has their eye on at the moment. “Have heard that Merc is already at the point of setup evaluation rather than total reliability and procedural focus, as might be expected at the shakedown stage.”
In a separate post, Maher added, “‘Super focused and sharp’ is how one senior source from another team described Mercedes, with others saying the entire body language of Merc personnel has lifted, with purpose.” Figures from Mercedes have tried to keep a lid on things to save themselves from any premature verdicts, but it’s clear to see that they have developed a respectable package from the early benchmarks.
‘Body language’;
https://www.f1oversteer.com/news/f1-...arcelona-test/
Barcelona Day 5: Lewis Hamilton puts Ferrari fastest on final day of first F1 2026 test
30 Jan 2026
Oliver Harden
PlanetF1.com
A report of the Day 5 morning session from Barcelona is available at the bottom of this article.
F1 testing: Unconfirmed lap times from Day 5 in Barcelona
1 Lewis Hamilton Ferrari 1:16.348 63 laps
2 Lando Norris McLaren 1:16.594 83 laps
3 Charles Leclerc Ferrari 1:16.653 78 laps
4 Oscar Piastri McLaren 1:17.446 80 laps
5 Max Verstappen Red Bull 1:17.586 118 laps
6 Pierre Gasly Alpine 1:17.707 160 laps
7 Esteban Ocon Haas 1:18.393 85 laps
8 Oliver Bearman Haas 1:18.423 106 laps
9 Nico Hulkenberg Audi 1:19.870 78 laps
10 Gabriel Bortoleto Audi 1:20.179 66 laps
11 Fernando Alonso Aston Martin 1:20.795 49 laps
12 Valtteri Bottas Cadillac 1:20.920 54 laps
‘Hamilton puts Ferrari fastest’;
https://www.planetf1.com/news/f1-tes...-testing-day-5
Hamilton judges the SF-26 after setting the fastest lap in Barcelona
30 Jan 2026
Kada Sarkozi
GPblog.com
Lewis Hamilton believes the 2026 F1 car is "more enjoyable" to drive compared to the previous generation. "It's been a really enjoyable week honestly," Hamilton said to F1.com on Friday after the conclusion of his final test session of the week. The seven-time world champion set the unofficial quickest time of the day and of the entire pre-season test at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya. He reportedly clocked a 1:16.348, finishing around a tenth ahead of George Russell.
He continued: "I think a huge amount of work over the winter on my side, personal side; then what the team have done over the winter to make changes going into the test."
"It was good to have that experience and get that knowledge [in wet conditions as well on Tuesday]."
‘Hamilton judges the SF-26’;
https://www.gpblog.com/en/news/hamil...p-in-barcelona
Hamilton’s last-gasp flyer puts Ferrari on top in Barcelona F1 finale
30/01/2026
Michael Delaney
F1i.com
The headline time crowned a quietly strong week for Ferrari. Beyond the single lap, the new car pounded around the Catalan circuit with impressive reliability and mileage, building a foundation rather than chasing glory – until the very last moment. Hamilton’s surge bumped Norris’ 1m16.594s McLaren effort into second and left Leclerc third, giving the Scuderia a one-three finish on the day’s order.
The final word belonged to Ferrari’s new spearhead. Hamilton’s lap will not guarantee victories, poles or titles. Yet as the SF-26 screamed past the timing line in the dying minutes, it felt like more than a test number. It felt like intent. A reminder that when the opportunity appears, even in the most controlled and cautious of test weeks, Lewis Hamilton still knows exactly when to pull out the stops.
‘Hamilton’s last-gasp flyer’;
https://f1i.com/news/558194-hamilton...f1-finale.html
Lewis Hamilton raises Ferrari hopes with top spot on final day of 2026 F1 test
30 Jan 2026
Jack Oliver Smith
Motorsport Week
Lewis Hamilton reportedly ended the final day of the Formula 1 behind-closed-doors pre-season test in Barcelona fastest, after a seemingly positive week for the Ferrari team. The Brit was finally able to have some extended running time in the dry weather, having spent the majority his time in the car when rain fell.
Hamilton and team-mate Charles Leclerc have completed some positively long stints in the new SF-25, and despite the lack of importance of fast times at this early stage, buoyed the Scuderia by ending the final session of Day Five in first and third. The pre-test speculation centred around many supposedly radical features of some of the 11 teams’ cars, Ferrari being one, having allegedly decided on, in effect, running two different cars, one with the steel alloy head on its power unit.
‘Ferrari hopes’;
https://www.motorsportweek.com/2026/...-2026-f1-test/
Mercedes and Ferrari make statement with relentless mileage in Barcelona testing
30 Jan 2026
Tobia Elia
GPblog.com
Let’s take a look at how many laps and kilometres each team and power unit manufacturer completed over the five days of testing in Barcelona. Mercedes topped the mileage charts across the five days of running, racking up a total of 500 laps. Ferrari followed with 437 laps, while Haas also enjoyed a productive test with 391 laps completed.
Alpine logged a solid 349 laps over the week, with Racing Bulls and Red Bull close behind on 318 and 303 respectively. McLaren completed 288 laps in total, while Audi accumulated 243 across the test. Cadillac reached 164 laps, Aston Martin’s running was limited to just 65, and Williams failed to register any mileage in Barcelona.
Total laps per team in Barcelona testing (unofficial)
Team Power Unit Total Laps
Mercedes Mercedes 500
Ferrari Ferrari 437
Haas Ferrari 391
Alpine Mercedes 349
Racing Bulls RBPT Ford 318
Red Bull RBPT Ford 303
McLaren Mercedes 288
Audi Audi 243
Cadillac Ferrari 164
Aston Martin Honda 65
Williams Mercedes 0
‘Statement with relentless mileage’;
https://www.gpblog.com/en/news/merce...e-in-barcelona
Mercedes and Ferrari impress, Red Bull closes in: what stood out in the F1 test in Barcelona
30 Jan 2026
Co-author:Kada Sárközi
Ludo van Denderen
GPblog.com
Mercedes and Ferrari were the fastest, the new Red Bull Ford power unit is a positive surprise, and Audi and Cadillac ran into problems. There were plenty of notable takeaways after the first test in Barcelona—and GPblog is here to list them for you. It is far too early to label Mercedes and Ferrari untouchable for the upcoming season. While everything went smoothly for both teams, it is impossible to draw solid comparisons with their rivals. Were the other teams running the same engine modes? What was the focus of their test programs? Which tyres were they using? How much fuel were they carrying?
Pecking order to be clearer in Bahrain. These are questions that will be easier to answer in Bahrain, where the test will be open to everyone and it will be easier to observe the teams more closely. Moreover, it is only in the Middle East that teams will start adding real performance to their cars. Only then will it become clear whether Mercedes stands above the rest or other teams can close the gap.
Aston Martin and Cadillac were teams with more issues. Aston Martin, for reasons that are still unclear, started the test late, while Cadillac was at a different stage of development than the other ten teams. For the Americans, this is the first real F1 test ever, so it’s mainly about learning to understand the car and the sport. Running into a fair number of problems comes as no surprise.
‘What stood out’;
https://www.gpblog.com/en/analysis/m...t-in-barcelona
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Williams ‘issues’ cause extra ‘damage’ after Alex Albon and Carlos Sainz miss Barcelona test.
The consequences of Williams’ delayed start to 2026 could even stay with them throughout this season. That is according to GPBlog, which reports that Williams also suffered ‘financial damage’ after having to manufacture a number of new parts to finally build their 2026 car.
31 Jan 2026
Kyle Archer
F1 Oversteer
Williams had to spend additional funds to rush the manufacturing of new parts. Vowles elected against Williams making the trip to Barcelona to avoid running low on spare parts during the early rounds of the 2026 F1 season. It was far from the start of the 2026 F1 regulations era that Williams hoped for after enjoying their best season since 2017 last year.
Williams only realised how far behind schedule they actually were at a ‘very late’ stage, so a raft of parts they initially manufactured for the FW48 will never be used on a car that Albon or Sainz will drive. Albon and Sainz are set to get their first laps of 2026 at the Bahrain tests.
Formula 1 heads to the home of the Bahrain Grand Prix for two pre-season tests, for which Vowles has confirmed Williams will be ready, on February 11-13 and 18-20. But while Albon and Sainz will put the FW48 through its early paces, their rivals will be chasing performance. Williams may at least get some comfort from the reliability of Mercedes’ new engine for the 2026 regulations at the Barcelona shakedown. The Silver Arrows produced the most laps by any team at 504, and fellow Mercedes customers Alpine and McLaren penned 343 and 285.
‘Consequences of Williams’ delayed start to 2026 could even stay with them throughout this season’;
https://www.f1oversteer.com/news/wil...arcelona-test/
Vowles reacts to "media murmurings"
28/01/2026
Pitpass
Having completely skipped the Bahrain shakedown there have been reports of the car failing three crash tests and being found to be 20 - 30 kilograms overweight. "There's no knowledge of the weight until we get to Bahrain in terms of understanding where it is," he insisted in a media call as the Barcelona shakedown came to the end of its third day.
In reaction to the crash test murmurings, he said: "We have absolutely pushed the boundaries of what we're doing in certain areas, and one of those is in certain corresponding tests that go with it", adding that "those were only a blip in the grand scheme of things. They are one item out of quite a few that were pushing us absolutely beyond the limit of what we can achieve in the space of time that we have available to us," he said.
Referring to the decision to skip the Barcelona shakedown, and instead opting for an advanced virtual test track (VTT) programme, he insisted: "We could have made it, but in doing so, I would have to turn upside down the impact on spares, components and updates across Bahrain, Melbourne and beyond. And the evaluation of it was that for running in a cold, damp Barcelona, against doing a VTT test, against the spare situation, and frankly, there was zero points for running in a shakedown test, we made the decision.
‘Crash test murmurings’;
https://www.pitpass.com/81976/Vowles...dia-murmurings
Williams FW48 reportedly clears crash test, but trouble still brewing
28/01/2026
Michael Delaney
F1i.com
The first signs of progress have been reported by Italian website Auto Racer which claims that Williams has successfully passed the FIA’s crash test, marking a non-negotiable step toward full homologation of its 2026 chassis. Nevertheless, Williams’ FW48 is also rumored to be between 20 and 30kg over F1’s 768kg weight limit.
In the sport’s current cost-cap era, such an issue is more than engineering headache; it threatens to trigger a financial chain reaction that can haunt a team all season long. So passing a crash test is a gateway, but weight potentially remains the elephant in the room for Williams, forcing the team into a familiar and uncomfortable corner.
Shaving mass from a modern Formula 1 car is neither cheap nor simple. It often means redesigning components, changing materials, and burning precious hours and budget that would otherwise be spent on performance upgrades. In a tightly policed financial environment, that trade-off hurts twice. Every resource diverted into slimming the chassis is a resource not spent unlocking lap time later in the year.
‘Trouble still brewing’;
https://f1i.com/news/558071-williams...l-brewing.html
Williams boss defends ‘incredibly painful’ F1 shakedown decision
29 Jan 2026
Ben Waterworth
Speedcafe
“[It] clearly wasn’t our plan, and it’s incredibly painful,” James Vowles said. “But I do want it to be acknowledged, it’s the result of our determination to push the limits of performance under the new regulations.” Vowles explained that the scope of the 2026 overhaul has stretched the team’s production processes further than ever before. “The car this year that we’ve built is about three times more complicated than anything we have put through our business beforehand,” he said.
“It means the amount of load going through our system is about three times what it used to be. And we started falling a little bit behind and late on parts.” He rejected suggestions that the delays point to deeper problems, confirming the FW48 had cleared its crash testing and denying that weight will be a significant concern. “I’m pleased to say that we’ve passed all necessary tests and we’re ready to run in Bahrain,” Vowles said, adding that Williams will complete a 200km filming day ahead of the test.
“[It] clearly wasn’t our plan, and it’s incredibly painful”;
https://speedcafe.com/f1-news-2026-b...debut-new-car/
Vowles explains FW48 delays: Williams must push to “breaking point”
28 Jan 2026
Last Word On Sports
Until last week, Williams were a team expected to make a positive impression in 2026. Having explicitly abandoned last year’s development to focus on the new regulations, most analysts anticipated Williams could climb the field. Team principal James Vowles has addressed the issue: “Last week we took the decision to not attend the Shakedown test in Barcelona, following delays to our car programme. This clearly wasn’t our original plan, it was painful, and it isn’t a situation we want to be in again. We had intended to be on track in Barcelona. It is a result of our determination to push the limits of performance under these new regulations in 2026.”
“We are transforming fast, but this shows… we’re not yet at a Championship level, and we still have a tremendous amount of work to do. Only by pushing the boundaries can you find the pain points, and put them right – which is exactly what we’re doing. I’m not here to produce a car that is well and truly within the tolerances. We have to push ourselves as a business to breaking point, and we’ve done so. It’s painful, but it means we will never be here again.”
“We are ready to run in the official test in Bahrain, and will carry out a commercial filming day ahead of it. In the meantime, we are carrying out an alternative test programme here in the UK – including what we call a VTT, a Virtual Track Test. The car is on there now, it’s been there a few days, and it will be on there a few more days. It’s a physical car – the real car, the engine, the gearbox are all bolted to it. And it’s put through its paces on a rid, and provides valuable engineering data… we cannot wait to get on track.”
“Following delays to our car programme”;
https://lastwordonsports.com/motorsp...reaking-point/
Vowles says Williams are ready to take part in Bahrain pre-season testing and car has passed crash tests
28 Jan 2026
Formula One - Official Site
Speaking to a select group of media on Wednesday, Williams Team Principal James Vowles admitted that the call to miss the Spanish shakedown "clearly wasn't our plan" and that not being there is "incredibly painful" but it was the result of their call to "push the limits of performance under the new regulations". "There's no point being just underneath the curve or well and truly underneath the curve if you want to transform at speed. You need to find the pain points and put them right very quickly which is exactly what we're doing.”
"I'm confident in our decision to miss Barcelona and I’m confident it was the right one to prepare for the first test in Bahrain and Melbourne. I'm pleased to say that we've passed all necessary tests and we're ready to run in Bahrain and we'll carry out a promotional filming day ahead of it." He added: "We have absolutely pushed the boundaries of what we're doing in certain areas and one of those is in certain corresponding tests that go with it, but those were only, I would say, a blip in the grand scheme of things.”
"They are one item out of quite a few that were pushing us absolutely beyond the limit of what we can achieve in the space of time that we have available to us, so it's more of an output than anything else – of pushing not just the boundaries of design but the boundaries of just simply how many components can be pushed through the factory in a very short space of time."
“No point being just underneath the curve or well and truly underneath the curve”;
https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/a...qZ2LlTAkjXzOIz
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Where ‘a lot of issues’ really leaves Cadillac's F1 team.
“…you want all the problems to come now and hopefully the next couple of days can be a lot smoother for us.” Sergio Perez.
27 Jan 2026
Scott Mitchell-Malm
The Race
For Cadillac, which has very modest expectations for 2026 and is expected to be at the back of the grid, the real priority this week is mileage and learning to work as a team. It completed a test in a 2023 Ferrari last year, and the Silverstone shakedown. That is the sum total of its experience working together as an F1 operation so there is a huge amount to learn - especially now it has its own car to understand and optimise as well as all the associated logistics and processes.
Team principal Graeme Lowdon, referencing how this has been referred to as a 'Shakedown Week' when in reality it is a full-scale test for most teams, insisted “it is very much a shakedown week for Cadillac”. “Now we're just working steadily through all of the different car systems,” Lowdon said. “These cars are incredibly complicated, but I'm really pleased with the progress that we've made. We’ve got more work to do this week, but all in a structured way.”
“The key thing for us is exactly that – debugging,” said Lowdon. “We could have run more laps [with Perez] or we could have looked to solve certain problems, make sure that they're solved, and tick those off the list. And that's the most important thing. We're very lucky this year in that we've got a shakedown week this week, and then two tests in Bahrain. So we're very much focused on using this time in Barcelona to shake down all these systems, iron out all of the various gremlins, and then be on the front foot for Bahrain.”
‘A lot of issues’;
https://www.the-race.com/formula-1/w...illac-f1-team/
‘More than surprises’ – Perez opens up on Cadillac F1 shakedown
30 Jan 2026
Michelle Foster
PlanetF1.com
Nearing the end of its very first week on track as a Formula 1 team, Cadillac’s “debugging” shakedown may have encountered more problems than surprises, but Sergio Perez would rather have it now than in Melbourne. Perez concedes there have been a few hiccups along the way as Formula 1’s brand new team learns not only about its own car, but also the Ferrari engine that will power it in its debut campaign.
“More than surprises, problems,” he said. “Problems on all kinds of fronts – with the engine, with the car, with a few electronic issues. But I’m glad it’s happening now, and of course we still have a lot of work ahead of us, especially as a new team. So yes, these are exciting times.”
‘More than surprises’;
https://www.planetf1.com/news/cadill...s-sergio-perez
Bottas shrugs off early F1 test issues: ‘It’s Debugging’
27/01/2026
Michael Delaney
F1i.com
Valtteri Bottas climbed out of Cadillac’s brand-new F1 car on Monday with no illusions about what the opening day of running in Barcelona was meant to deliver. This was not about headlines, lap times or early bragging rights. It was, as the Finn put it, about “debugging” – and he was convinced his new team was far from alone in that process.
Bottas stressed that the early days of this new era were inevitably about finding – and fixing – problems. “It's debugging, that's why we're here and it seems like every team had some issues,” he said. “It's just now really figuring out those and then getting more and more running each day, but it's just great to be here and in the car.”
“It's definitely a big difference to before,” said the 36-year-old. “The cars, they handle different, you have a bit less load, especially in the high-speed corners. The PU, you have so much more torque out of the corners, but then you have the battery to manage and again, for Ferrari [Cadillac’s engine supplier], this is the first proper day of running with their power units, so naturally there is a learning curve,” Bottas explained.
‘It’s Debugging’;
https://f1i.com/news/558030-bottas-s...debugging.html
Bottas on Cadillac's F1 reality check: learn, finish races, don't be last
Cadillac's first F1 season comes with a clear message: Try not to be last
January 27th 2026
Motor Sport
After completing its first shakedown at Silverstone and joining the rest of the field for the opening days of 2026 testing in Barcelona this week, the American team’s new driver line-up has been clear-eyed about what success looks like in year one. “We are being realistic,” Valtteri Bottas told Motor Sport in an interview in March’s issue. “The main thing is to get a reliable car to start with and finish the races, and try not to be last, and that’s already a starting point.”
Cadillac arrived in Spain having already logged its first miles at Silverstone, a major milestone for a team built from scratch under F1’s sweeping new technical regulations. Now running alongside established outfits for the first time, the focus has shifted from launch deadlines to learning curves.
‘Cadillac's F1 reality check’;
https://www.motorsportmagazine.com/a.../?nowprocket=1
Cadillac 'fighting issues' in Barcelona as F1 debut ticks closer
Sergio Perez was behind the wheel of Cadillac's car on Thursday in Barcelona.
31 January 2026
Fergal Walsh
RacingNews365
Sergio Perez highlighted the team is improving every time it takes to the track, but conceded there are still problems it is trying to iron out. “It was a much better day,” he said. “Obviously, we got a lot of running, a lot of information.”
“We're still fighting a few issues out there, which is great - it was all about it today. We are improving on pretty much every run. [There are] issues all around with the power unit, with the car, with a few electronics issues. But this is great that things are happening here. We have a lot of work ahead of us, being a new team.”
“We are improving on pretty much every run”;
https://racingnews365.com/cadillac-f...t-ticks-closer
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'Get your s*** together' - Wolff's message for suspicious F1 rivals.
…rival manufacturers have allowed themselves to get distracted with "secret letters" and "secret meetings" amid the ongoing debate over Formula 1's compression ratio rules. Team Principal Toto Wolff.
2 Feb 2026
Jon Noble
The Race
In a defiant message to the other teams, Wolff said: “Just get your s*** together. Doing secret meetings and sending secret letters, and keep trying to invent ways of testing that just don't exist. I feel like I can just say, at least from us here, we are trying to minimise distractions. And minimising distractions is looking more at us than at everybody else – especially when it's pretty clear what the regs say, and also pretty clear what the FIA has said to us and has said to them so far.”
“Communication with the FIA was very positive all along. And it's not only on compression ratio, but on other things too. And specifically in that area, it's very clear what the regulations say. It's very clear what the standard procedures are on any motors, even outside of F1.” Wolff says behaviour like the joint letter being written to the FIA, and a push to change testing procedures, were not the kind of antics his squad would get involved in.
“Maybe, we're all different,” he said. “Maybe you want to find excuses before you even start, why things are not good. Everybody needs to do it to the best of their ability, but that is really not how we would do things, especially not after you've been told a few times that it is fine. It's legal, and it's what the regulations say. But again, if somebody wants to entertain themselves by distraction, then everybody's free to do this.”
“Get your s*** together”
https://www.the-race.com/formula-1/t...e-controversy/
First test showed new Mercedes is “probably not a turd” – Wolff
2nd February 2026
Keith Collantine
RaceFans
Team Principal Toto Wolff said their position in the overall pecking order remains a mystery. “We’re very excited to see where the performance of the car lies,” he said during the team’s launch event on Monday. “I don’t think we have seen the true potential of anybody else. It’s always nice to know that it’s probably not a turd, the car, but something that will be fast and exciting to drive. Whether it’s good enough to win races or championships is on a different sheet of paper. We can’t wait for qualifying in Melbourne to start to have this first kind of benchmark.”
Mercedes completed 500 laps in three days, equivalent to more than seven-and-a-half grand prix distances at the Circuit de Catalunya. “The highlight in the Barcelona shakedown [test] was the reliability of the power unit and the car,” said Wolff. “It was about clocking miles, about making sure that all the systems would function properly, the interaction of the power unit and chassis, fine-tuning some of the new toys that we have in boosting the engine. And that was pretty successful.”
“Other than that, it’s really difficult to interpret times because we haven’t seen our competitors really on low-fuel runs. Neither have we seen them running really well over three days, obviously they had their problems. So we really don’t have a performance picture, contrary to what many people think.” Wolff said the off-season had been unusually intense due to the early start to testing. “It’s relentless. We haven’t stopped. Obviously in the [chassis and engine] factories the work has been going on non-stop and the drivers were in the simulator a lot over the winter also, so it was the shortest break we’ve ever had.”
“probably not a turd”;
https://www.racefans.net/2026/02/02/...-a-turd-wolff/
Wolff fires back as bookmakers anoint Russell as 2026 title favourite
3 Feb 2026
Tobia Elia
GPblog.com
Toto Wolff has responded to bookmakers tipping George Russell as the favourite for the 2026 title. The Austrian, speaking to GPblog among other media, said he was pleased by that assessment but stressed he would rather wait for the verdict of the track before getting carried away.
“It’s always nice when your driver is the bookmakers’ favourite, and I think he deserves it because he’s one of the best. He’s shown us where the performance of the car is and has been more than great for us overall. But at the same time, it’s always the best driver in the best car who wins.”
“We haven’t yet proven that we have a package that’s good enough. We also haven’t been out in Bahrain, on abrasive tarmac, which has always been tricky for us. So, of course, I hope the bookmakers are right — but I’ll believe it when we’ve seen performances that truly back it up.”
‘Pleased by that assessment’;
https://www.gpblog.com/en/news/wolff...itle-favourite
Toto Wolff explains sombre mood after painful Mercedes 'humiliation'
Mercedes boss Toto Wolff was in a sombre mood when addressing media ahead of the 2026 season.
3 Feb 2026
Jake Nichol & Ian Parkes
RacingNews365
After the first 2026 test in Barcelona, Mercedes emerged with its reputation as the favourites enhanced with a bullet-proof and fast three days, although Lewis Hamilton pipped his former team to the outright fastest time on the final day for Ferrari. Addressing the media after the test, Wolff was in a sombre, reflective mood as he explained why he did not want to come across a shattering "realisation" in Bahrain testing, or the first race in Australia.
"Failure is such a harsh word, and we're into these regulations for the next few years, and how I'd like to see [progress] is the way we're thinking about it is not optimisation on a weekend or in a season, but seeing an upward trajectory," Wolff told media, including RacingNews365. "I am certain there will be challenges, our own challenges, and the relative performance against the others, but let's see how it goes and if we have a car with the potential to fight for a championship. But I am a glass-half-empty person, I am wary and skeptical. I am always skeptical about performance”
“I've too often set my expectations in the wrong place. I just don't want to come to a realisation in Bahrain, or in Melbourne, that we are not what we thought we are going to be, and that is a race winner. We are enthused going into this new environment, and obviously, you wake up with more of a smile if your car is quick, and the early indications are positive that at least the car doesn't look like a turd, and we're in the midfield, it looks like we have something we can build on."
‘Reflective mood’;
https://www.newsnow.co.uk/h/Sport/F1...des/Toto+Wolff
Toto Wolff Slams Rivals over 2026 Engine Debate
Mercedes boss says regulations on compression ratios are “very clear,” tells rivals to “get your shit together.”
2 FEB 2026
PHILLIP HORTON
AutoWeek
Mercedes chief Toto Wolff has lambasted rival engine manufacturers amid the ongoing discussions over Formula 1’s engine compression ratios. Meetings were held between power unit manufacturers and the FIA in advance of last week’s Barcelona shakedown, and further discussions are expected before the opening round in Australia in early March. But Wolff has been unimpressed by the situation.
“Maybe you want to find excuses before you’ve even started [for] why that’s not good. Especially not after you’ve been told a few times that that is fine. You know, it’s legal and it’s what the regulations say. But again, if somebody wants to entertain themselves by distraction, then everybody is free to do this.”
‘Regulations on compression ratios are “very clear,” tells rivals to “get your shit together”!’;
https://www.autoweek.com/racing/form...engine-debate/
Mercedes Boss Toto Wolff Slams F1 Rivals in Explosive Speech at Launch Event
Toto Wolff didn't hold back when lashing out at Mercedes' Formula One rivals during the team's 2026 launch event.
2 Feb 2026
Ben McCrum
SPORTbible
Following the secretive behind-closed-doors testing in Barcelona, it's widely expected that Mercedes will be the most dominant team throughout 2026. According to various reports, the German manufacturer's have reacted well to the biggest-ever rule changes in the sport, with new engine and chassis regulations among the new regulations introduced for this year.
It is believed that Mercedes, as well as Red Bull, have identified a loophole in the engine regulations, leading to complaints from various other teams across the grid. And now, Mercedes team principal Wolff has responded to the complaints with a brutal rant aimed at his rivals during Mercedes' launch event.
“It’s pretty clear what the regulations say,” Wolff added. “Maybe we’re all different, maybe you want to find excuses before you’ve even started. Everybody needs to do it to the best of their ability, but that’s not how we do things, especially if you’ve been told a few times it’s fine. It’s legal and what the regulations say. If someone wants to entertain themselves by distraction, they’re free to do that. So just get your s*** together. Doing secret meetings and letters, and inventing ways of testing which don’t exist… I can just say at least from us, we’re trying to minimise distractions and that’s looking more at us, not everybody else.”
‘Toto Wolff didn't hold back when lashing out’;
https://www.sportbible.com/f1/toto-w...86685-20260202
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Everything making Mercedes' F1 2026 start so ominous.
Mercedes left Barcelona with such a positive feeling. The car reacted as it expected, the aerodynamic performance being measured on the car tallies with what is being seen in simulations, how the car handles on track is broadly the same as in the virtual world – Kimi Antonelli said it was actually “quite a bit better” than on the simulator.
Feb 4, 2026
Scott Mitchell-Malm
The Race
The initial evidence and impressions of Formula 1’s blurry emerging 2026 picture point to Mercedes making an ominous start that includes avoiding a problem that plagued it during the ground-effect era. George Russell said this correlation overall is better than anything Mercedes has had since its last title-winning season in 2021.
“The car reacted as we anticipated,” he said. “The numbers we're seeing from the aero on the car match what we see back on the simulator. How the car is handling is matching how it feels on the simulator. This is something we've not really experienced since 2021 as a team. We're sort of ticking the boxes of everything that we want to tick.”
George Russell’s implication from saying he was “pushing the boundaries of the car” from the very start is that he was doing enough early on to clock any initial vices and most importantly any big discrepancies with all of Mercedes’ preparations back at base. And that’s not happened yet, which may be enough to be confident that the particular difficulties of that phase are behind the team and it is now going to get the benefit of all of the work and the digging into the tools to actually make them better.
‘“Quite a bit better” than on the simulator’;
https://www.the-race.com/formula-1/e...rt-so-ominous/
Brundle flags one F1 team that has hit the sweet spot after Barcelona testing
3 Feb 2026
Samson Ero
GPblog.com
Martin Brundle believes the Mercedes team have put together a strong and cohesive package with its 2026 car. The former F1 driver turned pundit expressed his belief that the Brackley-based team appears to have mastered the new regulations. However, Brundle was quick to temper expectations, stressing that the true test will come under proper race conditions.
"Clearly, they look like they've sort of aced this completely different set of regulations. But we need to see what it's like on normal track temperatures. It's going to be about power regeneration and filling their battery back up, but of course, they'll regen as well as any other Mercedes-powered car, probably a Ferrari-powered car too,” Brundle wrote in his Sky Sports column.
"You might have a car that just fires its tyres up brilliantly on a cold day and then overheats them on a hot day, which is a problem we've seen Mercedes have before,” he added. "I do think we need to stay calm on it, but you can't ignore the relentless pace and reliability that they've shown. So, clearly, they've got a really good, cohesive package. It’s too early to judge any team’s concept, but I think Mercedes have found the sweet spot in the very early stages of F1's new era.”
‘Strong and cohesive package’;
https://www.gpblog.com/en/news/brund...celona-testing
George Russell pinned as title favourite: 'He's ready to be world champion'
George Russell is quickly emerging as many people's favourite for a maiden F1 drivers' title in 2026.
3 February 2026
Nick Golding
RacingNews365
Former F1 driver Karun Chandhok has pinned George Russell as the favourite for the 2026 drivers’ title, believing that the Briton is "ready to be world champion". Asked on talkSPORT if Russell is the title favourite, Chandhok replied: "Yes, I believe he’s the favourite, in my book anyway, for the world championship.”
"Because we’ve got this big rule change, I think having a team where the engine power unit side and the chassis side are so integrated will be key to success. Now, Ferrari and Mercedes are the two teams that have that, along with Red Bull and Audi. But Red Bull and Audi are brand-new power unit companies, so I think you have to cut them a bit of slack and give them some time.”
"But I think Mercedes and Ferrari, with that integrated structure, have got to have an advantage at the beginning of a rule cycle. So, to me, George Russell — in my opinion — was the second-best driver in F1 last year after Max Verstappen. He had an outstanding season. I think he’s ready to be a championship contender if the car’s capable of it. I think he’s ready to be world champion."
“George Russell — in my opinion — was the second-best driver in F1 last year after Max Verstappen”;
https://racingnews365.com/george-rus...2026-f1-season
Antonelli embraces Russell battle in bid to repeat Hamilton’s success
2 Feb 2026
Kada Sarkozi
GPblog.com
Kimi Antonelli hopes to fight for the world title, something he says would be especially enjoyable against his teammate George Russell. "That's absolutely the goal. It is to win and to eventually fight for the world championship. I mean, that's absolutely the goal. It is to win and to eventually fight for the world championship," the young Italian driver said while answering GPblog's question in a session with a select group of media.
Towards the end of the season, his teammate, George Russell, repeatedly declared that he was ready to finally battle for the world title. According to many, Mercedes is also the favourite heading into the 2026 campaign. The young Italian added: "George is very, very strong and definitely is ready to fight for a championship and is one of the benchmarks on the grid. So I think it's going to be quite fun, especially competing with him. And so, yes, really looking forward to it."
"That's absolutely the goal. It is to win and to eventually fight for the world championship”;
https://www.gpblog.com/en/news/anton...es-lofty-goals
Russell tips Antonelli for major step forward heading into 2026
2 Feb 2026
Tobia Elia
GPblog.com
George Russell has spoken about what he expects from his teammate Kimi Antonelli as he heads into his second season with Mercedes. “Kimi very much falls into the category of a future top-class driver, and there’s no doubt he’ll take another step forward this year compared to last” - George Russell
The Briton, speaking to GPblog among other media, voiced strong confidence in the young Italian, describing Antonelli as one of the standout talents to watch in the future of Formula 1.
“I expect Kimi to really step things up this year,” he said. “He’s clearly a driver with huge potential, and you only have to look at the progress Oscar made over his time in Formula 1 to see how quickly someone can reach a very high level”
“I’ve always had a great deal of respect for Kimi, and I expect him to push me throughout the season. That said, I believe in myself. I believe I can beat anyone on this grid, and I’m working extremely hard to make that happen. I wouldn’t be intimidated by being teammates with anyone.” Russell finally added: “Kimi very much falls into the category of a future top-class driver, and there’s no doubt he’ll take another step forward this year compared to last.”
“Kimi very much falls into the category of a future top-class driver”;
https://www.gpblog.com/en/news/russe...ding-into-2026
George Russell wary of 'sexy' Aston Martin after 'spectacular' Adrian Newey influence
Has Adrian Newey found a sweet spot with his first Aston Martin design? It certainly raised eyebrows in Barcelona.
3 February 2026
Ian Parkes
RacingNews365
George Russell has conceded to being wary of Adrian Newey's "pretty spectacular" debut car with Aston Martin, but has warned that F1's new era is not about the sexiest design. "The Aston Martin was probably the most standout in terms of the car design," said Russell, speaking to select media, including RacingNews365.
"I think everybody was looking at that rear suspension, and obviously, visually it looks very impressive, but it's not a competition of how sexy it is. It's a competition of how fast it goes around the track. People always look towards the fastest car, and we'll find that out in Melbourne. Whoever that is, that will be the car that you wish to try and take inspiration from."
‘George Russell has conceded to being wary of Adrian Newey's "pretty spectacular" debut car’;
https://racingnews365.com/george-rus...ewey-influence
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Williams becomes final team to run its 2026 F1 car on track.
Williams completed this run as part of its 'promotional filming day' allowance. It will complete a second such filming day in Bahrain on February 10, a day before the first official pre-season test starts.
04 Feb 2026
Jack Cozens
The Race
Williams has now run the full FW48 on track in a shakedown at Silverstone. Race drivers Alex Albon and Carlos Sainz both got to drive the car, which ran in the fan-chosen livery that will be used at the upcoming Bahrain pre-season tests.
More on Williams's pre season so far;
• How much did Williams really lose from missing first F1 test?
• Zero-rods? Williams's unusual 2026 F1 showcar explained
• Williams reveals livery for late 2026 F1 car that's 'most complex' yet
• Williams promises 'different' front suspension, but not as extreme as Newey
• What latest 'painful' F1 car delay has exposed about Vowles' Williams
• Video: What late 2026 F1 car has exposed about Williams
Prior to its Silverstone shakedown run, Williams did complete a virtual track test (VTT) programme in lieu of being at Barcelona. This involved "most of the physical car", according to team principal James Vowles, which included "the chassis, the engine, the gearbox" but did not have its "wings bolted to it".
‘Final team to run its 2026 F1 car’;
https://www.the-race.com/formula-1/w...e-2026-f1-car/
James Vowles and Alex Albon react to first 2026 Williams run after avoiding embarrassing scenario
5 February 2026
Ben Evans
F1 Oversteer
How Williams avoided a ‘highly embarrassing’ no-show at the Barcelona shakedown. Journalist Chris Medland was speaking on the RACER Weekly Podcast about Williams’ start to 2026.
He shared what sources within the team were telling him about not making it to Spain and explained:
“I was told when they announced that they weren’t going to be in Barcelona that the only crash test that they hadn’t yet passed was to do with the nose box and that actually there was a way of them manufacturing a compromise, but then that was at cost that might still not be fully ready and pass the test until you’d actually done it. And he would then have sent the whole team out to Barcelona to get ready and have personnel there waiting for the car to show up and build the garage and everything like that.”
“And then maybe still not make it, which would be highly embarrassing, but be costly. This is the cost cap era. You can’t just keep throwing money at things that aren’t actually going to happen. So they then decided, well, we’ve still got two more tests. We’ve still got at that point over two weeks until Bahrain. If you spend that whole time just focusing on Bahrain rather than scrambling to get to Barcelona, maybe you can do a bit more work on engineering and development and improve the car.”
'Reaction';
https://www.f1oversteer.com/news/jam...sing-scenario/
James Vowles dismisses Williams 2026 title hopes as ‘not realistic’
Feb 05, 2026
The Straits Times
“Our expectation is that 2025 set the baseline. P5 is where I want us to be at our base, and we nudge forward from there,” British Formula One team Williams Team Principal James Vowles said. “But it’s exponentially harder, in my experience, being P4, and exponentially harder being P3, P2, P1. And I think with what you can see at the moment, the journey to P2, P1 is simply not on the cards for 2026. We have work to do. But do I expect that, as a baseline, we perform at least where we were last year? Yes.”
Williams won the last of their nine constructors’ titles in 1997 when Jacques Villeneuve also won the drivers’ world championship. Vowles is confident that the long-term planning is there to return to the glory days. “Am I confident we as a business have made a step forward from 2025 to 2026 in the way we’re working? Absolutely,” he added.
“There’s some elements of the car that are really quite impressive. Not all of it, but elements of it. Are we at championship level today? No. But I’m confident the way we are going about this will allow us to catch up in the time frame. I will always invest in our future... The decisions that we made in 2025 were the right ones to make sure we forward invest in this team.”
“P5 is where I want us to be at our base”;
https://www.straitstimes.com/sport/f...-not-realistic
Williams cut through speculated FW48 rumour with hard facts
4 Feb 2026
Tobia Elia
GPblog.com
Williams FW48 is already running very close to the 2026 minimum weight limit according to the technical data, contrary to earlier speculation. “In terms of weight, until there are two race cars built to the correct specification going forward, it’s hard to comment on that”
- James Vowles.
“But even so, in that regard, your question was: does that stop you being competitive right now? “No one knows – and I really do mean no one – what the pecking order is, especially ourselves as we haven’t been on track, so it’s hard for me to answer that question.”
‘Hard facts’;
https://www.gpblog.com/en/news/willi...f-on-the-table
Williams missed test to be competitive says Vowles
FEBRUARY 4, 2026
GrandPrix.com
Williams team boss James Vowles has defended the decision to miss the entire Barcelona shakedown week, insisting delaying the FW48 was painful but necessary as the team prioritises competitiveness. “I wish we hadn't had to confront it so aggressively to discover all the weaknesses,” he admitted.
“But if we'd known the limitations of our processes - how we communicate, how we move pieces within the company - we would have changed the programme earlier. hat pleases me, in a strange way, is that if you avoid a problem, it doesn't hurt enough to dig deep and fix it. This won't happen again. You have to let the pain of failure drive change.”
“The decisions made in 2025 were the right ones - investing upstream for 2026”, he explained. “Have we made a significant leap from 2025 to 2026? Absolutely. Some elements of the car are truly impressive. Are we at championship level today? No. He was equally clear about tempering expectations even for next year. “World champion in 2027 is not realistic,” Vowles said bluntly.
“To be competitive”;
https://www.grandprix.com/news/willi...ys-vowles.html
First look: Williams FW48 hits the track in F1 2026 shakedown at Silverstone
4 Feb 2026
Oliver Harden
PlanetF1.com
Williams later confirmed that Sainz and Albon shared driving duties at Silverstone, with the team planning to use a second filming day in Bahrain on February 10 – 24 hours before the start of the second pre-season test in Sakhir.
Speaking to PlanetF1.com and other select media outlets last week, Williams team principal James Vowles insisted that the team could have made Barcelona testing. However, concerns over spare parts at the start of the season led to the “incredibly painful” decision to miss the shakedown.
‘FW48 hits the track’;
https://www.planetf1.com/news/willia...wn-silverstone
Williams’ FW48 Turns First Laps at Silverstone in Fan Chosen ‘Flow State’ Livery
4 Feb 2026
Balazs Szabo
F1 Technical
The ‘Flow State’ livery was selected from six competing concepts as part of the team’s ‘Your Livery’ initiative, which drew almost 55,000 votes from fans across 162 countries over a seven day period in December. The project forms part of Williams’ broader commitment to bringing fans closer to the sport through digital engagement and live activations.
Team Principal James Vowles described the day as a significant milestone for the organisation. “This was a milestone day for us and it is always a very proud moment to see a new car on track for the first time,” he said. “The team has absolutely pulled together under the pressure of the situation and delivered a car today for a planned promotional filming day here at Silverstone.”
"We were able to understand more about our package in preparation for Bahrain next week, and Carlos and Alex were able to provide some positive feedback to direct us, while also identifying some minor issues for us to clean up between now and then. The push isn't over yet – this is just the beginning and there is more in front of us.”
‘Williams’ FW48’;
https://www.f1technical.net/news/28207
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Key voices at Mercedes want to ‘get rid’ of world champions McLaren as an engine customer.
“There are voices in Stuttgart saying that ‘we actually have to get rid of them so that we can become world champions again.” F1-Insider’s Ralf Bach.
8 January 2026
David Comerford
F1 Oversteer
According to F1-Insider’s Ralf Bach, some at the Mercedes HQ in Stuttgart are pushing for the F1 team to split with McLaren when the current contract concludes. There is a feeling that McLaren are standing in the way of Mercedes ‘becoming world champions again’. The HPP division has been regarded as the benchmark since the start of the turbo/hybrid era in 2014 and is widely believed to have built the best engine for the 2026 regulations.
If McLaren outclass Mercedes in the aerodynamics department, the horsepower advantage over the rest of the field may count for little. “How long can Mercedes afford to keep supplying McLaren?” Bach asked. “They also have the Mercedes engine. There are voices in Stuttgart saying that ‘we actually have to get rid of them so that we can become world champions again.” Toto Wolff has indicated that Mercedes plan to cut down the number of teams they supply in the next rules cycle, which will begin in 2030.
‘Voices in Stuttgart’.
https://www.f1oversteer.com/news/key...gine-customer/
Zak Brown outlines how Red Bull ‘pleasantly surprised’ him during 2026 Barcelona shakedown
5 February 2026
Tyler Rowlinson
F1 Oversteer
Zak Brown was left ‘pleasantly surprised’ by Red Bull’s progress with their 2026 engine. The Milton Keynes outfit are entering a new era in 2026, becoming a power unit supplier for the first time in their history. Red Bull have come a long way to get the engine up and running, leaving many to wonder where they will end up on the grid.
Talking about the shakedown in a media press conference, via journalist David Land’s YouTube channel, Zak Brown said: “So early to tell, but it kind of looks like the usual suspects, but too hard to tell in what order. The Red Bull engine was very strong. I think everyone was, let’s say, pleasantly surprised. I’d rather them not be as competitive! But, impressed with what they’ve done because they came out, they did a lot of miles and they seem to be very competitive.”
“Bull engine was very strong”;
https://www.f1oversteer.com/news/zak...ona-shakedown/
Lando Norris says 2026 F1 cars ‘feel like F2 in some ways’
Reigning F1 champion Lando Norris gives his feedback on the new 2026 cars
5 Feb 2026
Lewis Duncan
Crash.Net
Reigning Formula 1 world champion Lando Norris admits the 2026 machines “feel like an F2 car in some ways”, which “I don’t know if I like that or not”. The 2026 F1 season marks the first of its radical new car regulations, with the ground effect machinery replaced by smaller and lighter ones.
“It certainly feels like an F2 car in some ways with how you have to drive it,” he said, talking about the challenges facing the teams and drivers coming into 2026. “I don’t know if I like that or not for the time being. But I think we understood quite a few things already from Barcelona on how you had to drive the car, but Barcelona, you’re talking about fourth-gear corners, third-gear corners, quite open, quite wide.”
“And when you get to a street track or bumpier tracks, slower tracks, that’s a question we’re yet to answer. And Bahrain will answer some of those questions. It will be a learning curve. But I have strong confidence in myself and strong confidence in my team. But it will be a learning curve for both of us as it will for everyone on the grid.”
‘2026 machines feel like an F2 car’;
https://www.crash.net/f1/news/108896...l-f2-some-ways
Lando Norris issues sarcastic response when told George Russell is favourite for the 2026 F1 title
5 February 2026
Ashley Hambly
F1 Oversteer
Martin Brundle believes Russell will fancy his chances of securing a maiden title this season, and according to Sky Sports F1’s Craig Slater, the British driver is the ‘bookmaker’s favourite’. When asked for his thoughts on this by Slater during an interview at McLaren’s Woking-based headquarters, Norris couldn’t help but laugh.
He sarcastically responded to the journalist with, “He is the massive favourite, to be honest with you. I completely agree with the bookmakers.” Mercedes are regarded as the benchmark in the upcoming season largely due to their impressive reliability at last week’s shakedown in Barcelona.
“I completely agree with the bookmakers”;
https://www.f1oversteer.com/news/lan...2026-f1-title/
‘You’re going to see more chaos in races where…’: Formula One champion Lando Norris on new rules in F1
5 Feb 2026
Express News Service
Indian Express
The defending champion Lando Norris spoke about how the driver’s main challenge will be battery management as well as knowing how to utilise the battery energy. “The biggest challenge at the minute is battery management and knowing how to utilise that in the best way. It’s not simple. You can explain it in quite simple terms. It’s just that you have a very powerful battery that doesn’t last very long, so knowing how to use it at the right times, how much energy, how much of that power you use, how you split it up around the lap…”
“The biggest challenge is how you can recover the batteries as well as possible, and that’s when it comes down to using the gears, hitting the right revs. Obviously, you’ve got some turbo lag now, which we’ve never really had before. All of these little things have crept back in, but I don’t think that changes too much. In a perfect world, I probably wouldn’t have [all] that in a race car, but it’s just F1. Sometimes you have these different challenges,” said Norris.
‘More chaos in races’;
https://indianexpress.com/article/sp...haos-10515988/
Norris demands to be 'punched' on one condition after life-changing success
5 Feb 2026
Kada Sarkozi
GPblog.com
Lando Norris wants to be reminded of his 2025 title if he is not smiling this year. He said: "I still have many more years in Formula 1 and I will still try and get as many more championships as possible. If I never do, I'm still happy. If you ever see me not smiling or something, just punch me or something, Remind me. I achieved my goal in life and I'm very happy, I'm proud. That's something I'll always take with me."
"I still achieved one. The 20 years I spent from starting karting to last year, trying to achieve what I achieved and what we all achieved as a team and my group and my family, what we achieved last year... So it's a lot of time and effort and singular focus and then it's done. I guess not many people in life get to achieve that end goal or their life goal, but that was it."
‘If he is not smiling this year’;
https://www.gpblog.com/en/news/norri...anging-success
Why Lando Norris isn’t worried by rival innovations in F1 2026
5 Feb 2026
Michelle Foster
PlanetF1.com
Reigning World Champion Norris says the teams have to accept that someone has done a better job and then set about reeling them in. “There’s always that element of looking at others, that’s also just part of the sport,” he told F1TV during the Barcelona shakedown. “You look at others, see what other great minds have come up with, what ideas they’ve come up with, see how you can learn from it, incorporate it, avoid it, whatever it may be.”
“You always have to be willing to accept that sometimes people can do a better job and you want to learn from them. I’m happy with the team’s efforts and everything we’ve done so far this year, but yeah, it’s going to be a long year, so we’ll keep working hard, we’ll make sure everyone’s happy and take it from there.”
“Sometimes people can do a better job”;
https://www.planetf1.com/news/f1-202...al-innovations
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Juan Pablo Montoya has heard that one F1 team are hiding an extra ‘four seconds’ of performance.
The times they were doing in Barcelona, from what I’ve heard, are between three and four seconds away from the car’s full potential.” Juan Pablo Montoya, a former F1 driver.
6 February 2026
David Comerford
F1 Oversteer
Juan Pablo Montoya reveals the extent of Mercedes’ sandbagging. Juan Pablo Montoya, a former F1 driver and now a pundit, has ‘heard’ that Mercedes haven’t even come close to pushing flat out in their W17. In fact, he says they may still have another three to four seconds in their pocket. That means Russell could have set a mid-1:12 in full qualifying trim.
Montoya was then asked whether Mercedes could be as dominant as Red Bull were at the start of 2023. The team scored four one-two finishes in the first five races and were unbeaten until round 15. One key difference is that Mercedes supply engines to McLaren, the reigning world champions. Their power unit is seen as the basis of their superiority, but it will also strengthen Zak Brown’s team. “Someone will get it right, and someone will get it wrong,” Montoya said. “If Mercedes is far superior, does that mean all the Mercedes teams are going to be strong?”
‘W17’;
https://www.f1oversteer.com/news/jua...f-performance/
Gary Anderson on the 2026 return of an F1 design trend
Feb 7, 2026
Gary Anderson
The Race
One of the big talking points about the new 2026 Formula 1 cars is the return of what was called the "mousehole". That can be seen, below, with the red highlight here on the McLaren under the old ground effect regulations. As the slot in the rear of the floor leading into the diffuser exit has been enlarged this year, I suppose it should now be called "the rathole", and it certainly could put the cat among the pigeons in terms of performance.
The lead illustration shows how the opening is on the Mercedes. It's believed to allow airflow to be pulled through it into the diffuser expansion area, which is similar to the effect with the mouseholes that we have seen before. But why would you want to reduce the performance of the diffuser with such a big opening?
To complicate the airflow structure even more in this area, the small louvres on the floor's top surface allow airflow to be pulled through them (magenta arrows). These will help reduce the airflow that is being pulled under the floor by the low pressure underneath the car and connect it to the tyre squirt, which is the airflow created by the squeezing effect from the tyre tread meeting the track surface. If this can be achieved, it will improve the performance of the underfloor in this area.
‘The "mousehole" should now be called "the rathole"!’;
https://www.the-race.com/formula-1/f...gary-anderson/
Five winners and six losers from F1's secret testing sessions
30 Jan 2026
Matt Majendie
i News
Mercedes (183 laps without any noticeable gremlins and another 168 on Thursday)
Red Bull and Racing Bulls (Perhaps a surprise winner – well, certainly on the opening day of testing).
Ferrari (Completed a table-topping 170 circuits of the track)
McLaren (Lando Norris: “A decent day, a productive day”. That said, the following day it was a case of just 48 circuits of the track.)
Williams: Williams team principal James Vowles tried to put a brave face on the fact that his crew didn’t run on any days at all in Barcelona.
Aston Martin: AMR26 only made a first appearance in the last hour of the penultimate day and initially looked good before the car came to a halt in the hands of Lance Stroll and the session was red flagged.
Haas(154 laps on day one before some mechanical issues curtailed them on their return to track), Alpine(shy of running on their opener) and Audi(hampered by a couple of mechanical issues).
‘F1's secret testing sessions’;
https://inews.co.uk/sport/formula-on...00?ITO=newsnow
What the 2026 F1 cars are like – according to the drivers
7 Feb 2026
Formula One - Official Site
First we go to reigning World Champion Lando Norris, who explained to a select group of media including F1.com in the days after the Barcelona Shakedown that the new machine is “fun to drive”.
Team mate Oscar Piastri also shared his thoughts, with the Australian enjoying the opportunity to finally experience the MCL40 in Barcelona and discover that there are “challenges but not as alien as we might have feared”.
Over at Ferrari, Lewis Hamilton was left with a positive impression following his time at the wheel of the SF-26 in Barcelona. “In terms of just understanding the car and the balance, we have a lot less downforce than previous years,”
On the other side of the garage, Charles Leclerc suggested that the challenge posed by the new cars is one that brings excitement. “It’s an exciting time for Formula 1, where there’s so much change that we’ve got to adapt as drivers…”
George Russell has been left impressed by the power that the new engines provide, with the Mercedes driver commenting early on at the Barcelona Shakedown: “There was obviously a lot of anticipation for these new power units, and so far, just generally on the whole, the amount of power they give is pretty impressive.”
‘The drivers verdict’;
https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/a...a2kSCAPNeCmaBL
Juan Pablo Montoya disagrees with what Adrian Newey has said ahead of the 2026 F1 season
6 February 2026
Kyle Archer
F1 Oversteer
Juan Pablo Montoya who worked with Newey at McLaren in 2005, cannot believe the 67-year-old’s suggestion that Aston Martin’s wind tunnel is now the very best in F1. He also expects Aston Martin are “going to struggle” with syncing their wind tunnel and on-track data during 2026.
Montoya told AS: “The thing is, they have one of the best, [but] not the best, wind tunnels, and the most modern and latest wind tunnel technology. But the most important thing is the results produced by the model, and the results produced by the actual car. That’s the most complicated part. That’s where I personally think they’re going to struggle.”
‘Syncing their wind tunnel and on-track data’;
https://www.f1oversteer.com/news/jua...026-f1-season/
Red Bull Will Be The Deciding Vote In The Battle To Outlaw Mercedes' F1 Engine Loophole
FEB. 6, 2026
BRAD BROWNELL
jalopnik.com
The rumor in the paddock is that Red Bull attempted to replicate Mercedes' efforts, but couldn't find the gains Mercedes did and instead leaked the documents to the other manufacturers in an effort to bring this to light. With support from Red Bull, the anti-Mercedes teams will have to hope that Formula One Management will vote their way.
The 2026 Formula One World Championship will finalize all engine homologation on March 1st, which would give Mercedes very little time to build a different engine if it were required to by any potential engine regulation or measurement change. Likewise, the season kicks off a week later at the Australian Grand Prix in Melbourne on the 8th of March. It seems highly unlikely that F1 would make an engine rule change now that could have massive implications on the running order for the 2026 season.
If anything, it seems more likely that the FIA would allow this method of measurement for the full 2026 season, giving Mercedes the competitive advantage it has built. If the FIA and FOM decided they wanted to change the rulebook for 2027, however, that would allow Mercedes plenty of time to develop a new engine for that set of rules. Creative interpretation of the rulebook is what Formula One is about, after all.
‘Leaked the documents to the other manufacturers’;
https://www.jalopnik.com/2095037/red...gine-loophole/
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Christian Horner would be proud of what Laurent Mekies has just done to annoy Toto Wolff.
Mekies has handled the situation as any great team boss would – if you can’t join them, beat them.
7 Feb 2026
David Comerford
F1 Oversteer
As reported by Motorsport, Red Bull may have found lap time through their research, but not as much as Mercedes. On that basis, they could ‘push for action’ against the Silver Arrows, joining a voting bloc with Ferrari, Audi and Honda. Mekies is smart enough to see the bigger picture. It’s better for Red Bull to forfeit their own gains if it means Mercedes won’t have a game-changing advantage themselves.
Toto Wolff will be furious over Red Bull defection. What happens now? Red Bull could sign a letter of protest penned by Mercedes’ rivals, effectively suggesting the W17 is illegal in its current form. The F1 Commission could soon vote on a proposal to measure fuel compression ratios in real time, or at least when the engine is still hot, potentially forcing Mercedes to surrender their weapon.
Toto Wolff, Horner’s long-time nemesis, would be furious over such an outcome, particularly if the rules are changed before 2027. He has already blasted competitors for trying to find ‘excuses’ and is adamant that his car is compliant with the regulations. t seems Red Bull may have leaked the story to the rest of the grid in the first place, which generated the storm. Mekies has handled the situation as any great team boss would – if you can’t join them, beat them.
‘Toto Wolff will be furious’;
https://www.f1oversteer.com/news/chr...oy-toto-wolff/
Max Verstappen’s early verdict on Red Bull’s eye-catching 2026 F1 engine
Max Verstappen gives his first thoughts on Red Bull’s new engine after opening 2026 F1 test
7 Feb 2026
Lewis Duncan
Crash.Net
“I think, overall, pretty decent,” Verstappen told the official F1 website when asked about the Barcelona shakedown with the RB22. “The first morning, I didn’t get too many laps, also with the weather basically. “But [the last day] was good. I did a lot of laps, we learned a lot. Still a lot of things that we want to look into and do better, but that’s normal, I guess.”
“In general, with the new engine, to do the amount of laps that we did is very nice and it’s a good start for us. So, positive, but it’s still very early days. Still a work in progress, but I think we’ve hit the ground running quite well with those things. It’s still a very complicated formula, I think, for everyone, so there’s still quite a bit of work to do. But that’s normal.”
“We learned a lot”;
https://www.crash.net/f1/news/108907...2026-f1-engine
Max Verstappen confidence hints early promise for Red Bull-Ford alliance
2 Feb 2026
Lena Ferle
Motorsport Week
Max Verstappen has given little away in public, but his demeanour has caught attention as Red Bull beds in its first in-house Formula 1 power unit. According to Bernie Collins, the four-time World Champion looks far more at ease than the noise around Red Bull Powertrains might suggest. Subtle cues have hinted at confidence within the team.
Expectations had been tempered long before the car hit the track. Many in the paddock predicted Red Bull would struggle to match Ferrari and Mercedes, both long-established engine manufacturers. “There was a lot of noise in the paddock last year that this engine was really going to struggle,” Collins explained. “It wasn’t going to be as good as the others, and I guess the story was maybe different internally at Red Bull, but we are starting to see that confidence come out a little bit.”
“Max is sounding very relaxed, and I think you can tell by their posture, he’s not just saying the words, he is looking very relaxed. He does say that the car has room for improvement, that’s what happens in the first test of any season, but he does look quietly confident. He’s got that little smile he sometimes carries when he is in these interviews, that he knows much more than we do.”
‘Early promise’;
https://www.motorsportweek.com/2026/...ford-alliance/
George Russell issues huge Red Bull F1 engine warning: ‘They’ve delivered’
Red Bull’s new engine caught George Russell by surprise at the recent Barcelona F1 test
2 Feb 2026
Lewis Duncan
Crash.Net
Mercedes Formula 1 driver George Russell has praised Red Bull’s new power unit, labelling it “very impressive” following the Barcelona pre-season test last month. The 2026 Red Bull, and the sister Racing Bulls team, are running in-house-built Red Bull Powertrain units that have had input from Ford. The new engine enjoyed a strong start to the season during last month’s opening winter test at Barcelona, showing good performance and reliability across its running.
This caught the eye of Mercedes’ George Russell.: “But we’ve been quite surprised by what we’ve seen from some our rivals, especially on the Red Bull power unit side. That looks very impressive, especially given they’re a new outfit. It’s very reliable as well, so kudos to them. We’ve had a very reliable test; we’ll have to wait and see if the car lives up to expectations.”
“Kudos to them”;
https://www.crash.net/f1/news/108875...eyve-delivered
Isack Hadjar’s testing crash ‘reminded many’ Red Bull staff of F1 driver who lasted just nine races
3 February 2026
Ashley Hambly
F1 Oversteer
‘Many’ Red Bull staff were reminded of Pierre Gasly when Isack Hadjar crashed during Barcelona test. During an appearance on the F1 Insider podcast, journalist Ralf Bach revealed what ‘many’ Red Bull employees were reminded of after seeing Hadjar crash out during F1’s inaugural week of testing at the Circuit de Catalunya.
He said, “It seems to be a kind of virus: you jump into the Red Bull, have Max Verstappen as your teammate, and instead of being cool and doing your own thing, you just go out there and try to beat him. “I heard that he just looked at the times Max was driving, where he could be faster, and boom, the car was wrecked. That cost a day of testing, maybe even more.”
“It reminded many at Red Bull of Pierre Gasly, the one from before, who was also at Red Bull at one time. He wrecked a car during a test drive, which cost them valuable time, so Hadjar didn’t do himself any favours there. Someone needs to talk to him and say, look, you’ve got one of the best drivers of all time up against you. You can’t just focus on competing with him. Just do your thing as best you can and then see how far you get. But at the moment, it’s the same old story.”
'F1 driver who lasted just nine races';
https://www.f1oversteer.com/news/isa...st-nine-races/
Max Verstappen reveals how he maintains a "super simple" life amid F1 success
4 Feb 2026
Lydia Mee
Motorsport.com
“I try to be myself, to be honest. I don’t need to meet a famous person. I don’t need to act differently because I know what I need to do, is to perform, right? If I don’t perform, I’m out. It’s as simple as that,” the Red Bull driver told TAG Heuer.
“I have very good friends around me that keep me grounded. Same with my family. They are the most important in my life. Of course, along the way, because of F1, you meet a lot of important people, like you said, celebrities, but I’m not there for it. I just embrace it. I do what I need to do and then I go home. That’s why I try to keep my life super simple, nothing crazy. Just try to live a normal life outside of Formula 1.”
"Super simple";
https://www.motorsport.com/f1/news/m...cess/10795083/
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“A Line in the Sand,” claims Toto Wolff on Mercedes, Reinvention, and the High Stakes Dawn of 2026.
“2026 is a line in the sand for all of us,” Wolff says, leaning forward slightly, as if to underline the point. “It’s a moment where every assumption, every habit, every comfort zone gets stripped away. And that’s exactly why it’s so exciting.” Toto Wolff.
8 Feb 2026
Balazs Szabo
F1 Technical
Toto Wolff sounds almost invigorated. “We’ve faced big regulation changes before, but never all at once like this. Power unit, aero, tyres, energy systems — it’s a complete reinvention of the sport. If you get it right, you can redefine the next decade. If you get it wrong, you spend years trying to claw your way back.” He pauses, letting the weight of that truth settle: “We don’t intend to claw anything back. We intend to lead. People talk about 2014 as if it was magic. It wasn’t magic — it was preparation, courage, and a willingness to challenge ourselves more brutally than anyone else. 2026 demands that same mentality. Maybe even more.”
“You can’t build a car in one place and an engine in another anymore. Not with these rules. The W17 is one organism. If one part fails, the whole thing fails. If one part excels, the whole thing moves forward. That’s the challenge — and the beauty — of this era. “We’ve made bold decisions. Some people will say too bold. But if you’re timid in a year like this, you’re finished before you start. I’d rather take a risk that scares us than settle for a solution that keeps us comfortable. Comfort doesn’t win championships.”
Wolff speaks about George Russell and Kimi Antonelli with a mixture of pride and expectation. Their contrasting profiles — Russell’s polished steel, Antonelli’s raw electricity — form a pairing that Wolff believes is perfectly suited to the unknowns of 2026. “George is the benchmark. He’s become one of the most complete drivers in the field — fast, analytical, unshakeable under pressure. Kimi is the spark. He’s fearless, curious, and unbelievably quick. Together, they push each other in all the right ways.”
“We don’t intend to claw anything back. We intend to lead”;
https://www.f1technical.net/news/28209
Toto Wolff against Mercedes ‘world dominance’ in F1 2026
8 Feb 2026
Jamie Woodhouse
PlanetF1.com
Still viewed as the F1 2026 title favourites by many, Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff would like his squad right there in the championship fight, but “world dominance” is not his desire.
It was put to Wolff, by PlanetF1.com and others, that he would like Mercedes to dominate Formula 1 in an ideal world, but as a team shareholder, must think of the bigger picture, of Formula 1’s overall health, which would benefit from strong competition at the front.
Wolff replied: “Maybe someone that is on a limited contract would see it you want world dominance and win 24 races of 24, and make it the most successful campaign that any team has ever had.”
‘World dominance’;
https://www.planetf1.com/news/toto-w...orld-dominance
Wolff cools Mercedes hype: 'We haven’t seen Verstappen pushing the car'
2 Feb 2026
Tobia Elia
GPblog.com
Toto Wolff has chosen to keep expectations in check, mindful that teams in Barcelona were not focused on outright performance. The Austrian, speaking to a selected group of media including GPblog, said he was encouraged by the car’s early signs but stressed the need to keep his feet firmly on the ground until genuinely representative lap times begin to emerge.
“I’m really happy with how it went for us in terms of the interaction between the power unit deployment and the chassis. That said, we had three solid days — something to build on — but we don’t yet have a clear performance picture. We haven’t seen Max push the car, and we haven’t seen McLaren or Ferrari show what they can really do. I’d therefore be careful about saying it was great for us. We simply don’t know.”
‘Keep expectations in check’;
https://www.gpblog.com/en/news/wolff...ushing-the-car
Mercedes boss Toto Wolff gives first verdict of ‘spectacular’ F1 2026 cars
5 Feb 2026
Sam Cooper
PlanetF1.com
Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff gave an overwhelmingly positive review of the new regulations and suggested the cars “look like Formula 1 cars again.” “I don’t see any worse points,” Wolff, who is the longest serving active team principal, said. “I’m not overselling here or trying to make a product better than it is. But I think the cars are awesome. They look spectacular. They look like Formula 1 cars again. They’re not too small, they’re not too big. They’re not like the whales of the past. The aesthetics are very good.”
“I like the engine concept in terms of the boost. George [Russell] went past [Franco] Colapinto [in the Barcelona shakedown] whilst Colapinto was doing his long runs, I think it was like 60 kilometres straight line speed difference and that is super exciting. We are going to see much more overtaking,” the 54-year-old said.
“We’re going to see it in areas that we wouldn’t expect it. Apart from the fact of the quickest cars, the best drivers, it’s also gonna have this additional dimension of intelligent driving and tactics that are going to be easy to understand, in my opinion, for Formula 1. So, so far, I haven’t really seen any negatives and again, I wouldn’t bulls**t or oversell anything that I don’t believe. For me so far, it’s ticked all the boxes.”
‘Overwhelmingly positive review’;
https://www.planetf1.com/news/merced...s-look-classic
Max Verstappen's new power unit also caught Toto Wolff's eye
8 Feb 2026
Kada Sarkozi
GPblog.com
Mercedes CEO and team principal Toto Wolff also gave a positive first impression of the new Red Bull Ford power unit. "When it comes to Red Bull, I think they've done a good job," Wolff told a select group of media, including GPblog. The Mercedes team boss added: "Hadjar did 107 laps I believe on the first day and was running reliably, so you have got to give them that."
‘Positive first impression of the new Red Bull Ford power unit’;
https://www.gpblog.com/en/news/wolff...-done-good-job
Ferrari already working on a ‘substantial’ response to expected FIA ruling on Mercedes engine trick
4 February 2026
Kyle Archer
F1 Oversteer
Ferrari are designing a new engine for 2027 as they expect the FIA will allow Mercedes’ trick. Mercedes team principal Wolff has hit out at the accusations that his squad are not working in line with the 2026 F1 regulations. Wolff has told Mercedes’ F1 rivals to “just get your s— together” and he suggests that Ferrari, Honda and Audi may just be trying to “find excuses”.
Enrico Gualtieri, the technical director of Ferrari’s engine division, has ‘given the green light’ for their engineers to develop ‘substantial modifications’ for their power unit, with the goal of creating a dynamic compression ratio. But any changes are unlikely to be raced this season. Ferrari will bring the production of their engine connecting rod back in-house, as they need a new design with a high enough thermal expansion coefficient that it can then ‘stretch’ and reverse the loss of compression due to thermal expansion inside their engine for likely 2027.
‘Substantial response’;
https://www.f1oversteer.com/news/fer...-engine-trick/
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Bahrain F1 test will expose Barcelona's illusions.
Barcelona proved Formula 1's radical 2026 cars can run, but only Bahrain's tests will reveal who's genuinely quick and who's in trouble.
10 Feb 2026
Pablo Elizalde
Motor Sport Magazine
Mercedes completed 502 laps in Barcelona. Five hundred and two. As Aston Martin managed around 65 and Williams didn’t even show up, Mercedes churned through mileage like a team possessed to surprise even itself. It looked impressive, but it may also have been necessary: a team prioritising correlation, software validation and system robustness over outright exploration.
Dominant form, surely? Maybe. Ferrari looked imperious in 2022. Mercedes seemed sorted in 2023 — a team convinced it had finally understood its own car. Both seasons ended in disappointment. The problem isn’t just that teams are trying to deceive, but that pre-season testing happens in conditions utterly divorced from the reality of a race weekend, a fact that is even truer this year.
‘Bahrain F1 test’;
https://www.motorsportmagazine.com/a.../?nowprocket=1
FIA prepared for flood of allegations as F1 season nears
Although the compression ratio issue has dominated F1 in recent weeks, with the start of the new season approaching, new topics of debate may soon take centre stage.
10 February 2026
Sàndor Mészáros
RacingNews365
The "official" part of the preparation period for the new F1 season is about to begin, with the teams spending two three-day sessions testing their 2026 cars in Bahrain over the next two weeks. The first act was the five-day 'Shakedown Week' held behind closed doors in Barcelona, where Mercedes proved to be strong, which really stirred up emotions.
Since the end of last year, there have been rumours that the Silver Arrows have found a loophole in the compression ratio of internal combustion engines: even then, it was rumoured that competing manufacturers were unhappy with the situation, and the performance in Barcelona added fuel to the fire. With Red Bull reportedly joining Ferrari, Audi, and Honda in opposing Mercedes' trick, the opposition has grown stronger and the quartet is pushing for a solution as soon as possible.
Leaks from recent engine manufacturer meetings suggest that the four members are expecting a satisfactory solution to the issue before the season-opening Australian Grand Prix. The situation is escalating, with Mercedes sticking to its position that the engine is completely legal, while the FIA has stated that it is seeking a solution that is satisfactory to all parties.
‘Flood of allegations’;
https://racingnews365.com/fia-prepar...1-season-nears
Zak Brown discusses chances of all-Mercedes cars being banned from Australian GP
9 Feb 2026
Co-author:Tim Kraaij
Ben Hunt
GPblog.com
Zak Brown has moved to shut down speculation surrounding Mercedes’ Formula 1 power unit, dismissing claims of a compression-ratio loophole as “typical politics” during pre-season testing. Speaking at a media briefing that included GPblog, Brown suggested the controversy was part of Formula 1’s long-standing competitive culture. “It’s typical politics of Formula One,” Brown said. “The engine has been designed and is totally compliant within the rules. That’s what the sport is about. It’s no different from things like double diffusers that we’ve seen in the past, where they were compliant within the rules.”
Speaking at a media briefing that included GPblog, Brown suggested the controversy was part of Formula 1’s long-standing competitive culture. “It’s typical politics of Formula One,” Brown said. “The engine has been designed and is totally compliant within the rules. That’s what the sport is about. It’s no different from things like double diffusers that we’ve seen in the past, where they were compliant within the rules.”
There is no advantage: Brown also rejected suggestions that Mercedes has found a decisive performance advantage, despite claims from rival manufacturers. “I don’t believe there’s a significant advantage as being represented by the competition,” he added. “But of course, it’s their job that any perceived advantage they’ll make some story out of it. The reality is the engines are completely compliant, they’ve passed all their tests, and HPP has done a good job.”
‘Shut down speculation’;
https://www.gpblog.com/en/breaking-n...-australian-gp
Tyre availability for pre-season testing in Bahrain
10 February 2026
F1 Chronicle
The Sakhir circuit hosts the first three days from Wednesday 11 to Friday 13 February, with a further three from Wednesday 18 to Friday 20 February. Cars can run on track from 10 am to 2pm and from 3pm to 7pm. Over the course of the six days, all Pirelli slick compounds will be available for testing, though not all at the same time.
For the three days of the first pre-season test, teams can only run the C1, C2 and C3 slick compounds. They can use up to 28 sets of dry weather tyres, while one set of Cinturato Intermediates will also be available to them.
For the second session, from 18 to 20 February, the full range of compounds from C1 to C5 will be available, each team able to use a maximum of 24 sets. No wet weather tyres will be supplied for the second session, but teams can carry over sets previously fitted at the first session, including used sets that have done no more than nine laps.
‘Tyre availability’;
https://f1chronicle.com/tyre-availab.../?nowprocket=1
McLaren unveils 2026 MCL40 Livery in Bahrain
9 Feb 2026
Balazs Szabo
F1 Technical
McLaren has lifted the covers off its 2026 Formula 1 challenger, the MCL40, during a launch event streamed live from Bahrain — a symbolic choice given the nation’s long standing ties to the team’s ownership. The reveal brought together CEO Zak Brown, Team Principal Andrea Stella, drivers Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri, Chief Marketing Officer Lou McEwen, and Chief Designer Rob Marshall, who presented a livery that blends heritage with the confidence of a reigning champion.
Brown emphasised the balance between aesthetics and performance, noting that the livery was shaped with aerodynamic considerations in mind. “The iconic papaya continues on the MCL40 as we keep our tradition of carrying Championship winning liveries through to the next season,” he said. “We’ve balanced creative direction with aero considerations to create this striking 2026 competitor.” He also paid tribute to the organisation behind the scenes: “Thank you to all our committed shareholders and partners, without whom we simply wouldn’t be able to go racing… We’re all excited to see it hit the track.”
“We’ve balanced creative direction with aero considerations”;
https://www.f1technical.net/news/28212
Aston Martin F1: Fernando Alonso admits team is 'at square one' as livery revealed ahead of Bahrain test
10th Feb 2026
David George
National World
Fernando Alonso did not mince his words when asked about Aston Martin’s chances this season. Speaking to Spanish outlet AS, Alonso said: “We’re definitely behind, we’re at square one. I don’t think we’ve even started. “In Barcelona we were able to run some track time, but I treated it more like a filming day - a shakedown that other teams did privately at Silverstone with 200 kilometres that we couldn’t do.”
“Some parts of the car weren’t validated for top speed, and we had to limit ourselves to 280 kilometres per hour on the straights. It’s just one example of how the preparation was pushed to the limit. Bahrain will be our very first test, our very first contact with the car. Barcelona was just starting the car and seeing that everything worked.”
'At square one';
https://www.nationalworld.com/sport/...n-test-5510193
Zak Brown fires ‘uninformed’ jibe at Australian politician for Oscar Piastri bias claim
10/02/2026
Jack Oliver Smith
Motorsport Week
Piastri was leading the Drivers’ Championship by over 30 points during the final third of the campaign, when various incidents and results saw his advantage dissipate. It led Senator Matt Canavan to go as far as raising the question of whether McLaren was favouring Norris in Australia’s parliament. Brown hit back at the time, describing Canavan as “uneducated”, and this week, ahead of the launch of the Woking-based squad‘s new MCL40, the American was asked about the topic once again.
“I think fans – put aside countries – all have various opinions in sport,” he told select media, including Motorsport Week. “It can be frustrating when some people – and again, this isn’t country specific – are very uninformed and the statements you see are just ridiculous. But I don’t think that’s territory specific. I think, as Oscar has communicated many times, he knows he’s getting a fair shake at it.”
“You win some you lose some. Things fall your way, things don’t fall your way. We lost Oscar some points, we lost Lando a lot of points in Holland, etc I think we just need to keep our head down, stay focused and the people that matter most to us know that we bring total sporting fairness to our racing team, our papaya fans and our sponsors, family and friends.”
“You win some you lose some”;
https://www.motorsportweek.com/2026/...ri-bias-claim/
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F1 engine war set for Bahrain boilover as latest pre-season test to answer big questions.
Self-interest rules in Formula 1. Expect the other manufacturers to keep thrashing in Bahrain. The engine manufacturers can’t change the rules themselves; both F1 and the FIA have to agree too.
11 Feb 2026
Michael Lamonato from Fox Sports
Fox Sports (Australia)
The simmering debate over engine legality could boil over and into the open this week as put-out manufacturers attempt to have a controversial loophole closed. Mercedes is said to have found a way to increase its engine compression ratio — that is, how much the air and fuel is compressed in the engine cylinder — while running hot but to return a legal reading when the power unit is measured at ambient temperature. Ferrari, Audi and Honda have been pressing the FIA for answers for months.
Closing the loophole, however, would require four of five manufacturers to agree. With Red Bull also said to be exploiting the loophole, there has been no prospect of a successful vote. Reports from The Race, however, suggest Red Bull has switched camps. It’s a fascinating and late development, especially considering apparent hints from the brand that thermal expansion was engineering 101. Either Red Bull Powertrains was misdirecting or has found that it’s not able to achieve the higher compression ratio.
If Red Bull were to switch, rule changes could be forced through for the start of the season to have the compression ratio measured hot, when the car is on track. “We’ve spent a lot of time … discussing how we solve those issues,” FIA single seaters director Nikolas Tombazis said. “Our intention is to solve them for the start of the season. We don’t want to have controversies. We want people to be competing on the track and not in the courtroom or in the stewards room. That’s what we’re trying to do.”
‘Bahrain boilover’;
https://www.foxsports.com.au/motorsp...18751f466a6791
Rivals unite against Mercedes as Hill warns of Australian GP qualifying gap – round-up
10 Feb 2026
Jamie Woodhouse
PlanetF1.com
Mercedes facing united front against its engine? According to Cadillac F1 CEO Dan Towriss, this is the case. Towriss claimed that talks are ongoing with the FIA over a solution, with reports pointing to Mercedes as a team which has exploited a compression ratio loophole in the new regulations. Towriss stated that “there’s unanimous views outside of Mercedes” about what the outcome should be.
Given the newness of it all, former F1 driver Johnny Herbert has predicted that the gap in Q1 between the 22 cars at the season-opening Australian Grand Prix could be as high as 1.3s. “1.3,” Herbert told The Race’s Stay on Track podcast, “quite a big difference front to back. 1.2, 1.3.” However, his fellow pundit Damon Hill believes it will be even bigger. “I’m going to say 1.8,” he declared.
‘Australian GP qualifying gap’;
https://www.planetf1.com/news/damon-...-australian-gp
Adrian Newey Built F1’s Most Radical Car: Now He Has to Prove It Works
10 FEB 2026
SCOTT GULBRANSEN
Sportsnaut
Adrian Newey is 67 and has been the aerodynamic brain behind 12 constructors’ championship winners at Williams, McLaren, and Red Bull. He doesn’t use computer-aided design. He sketches by hand, with a mechanical pencil, on a drawing board. His cars have won over 200 races. Think of him as the Bill Belichick of F1 engineering, except he’s pulled it off at three different teams. Now he’s at Aston Martin, backed by billionaire Lawrence Stroll, with a gleaming new campus in Silverstone and a fresh engine partnership with Honda.
The ambition is championship contention. Newey is the centerpiece. But there’s a catch. Aston Martin started wind tunnel development on the AMR26 roughly four months after everyone else. Their new facility wasn’t ready until April 2025. Newey didn’t officially join until March, though he spent his contractual gardening leave from Red Bull doing what he always does: thinking about cars.
“The philosophy really came in my gardening leave time from late April, when I was effectively out of the Formula 1 team,” Newey said at the car’s launch on February 9. “We all knew what the regulations were, they were published, so I just tried to sit back and think, ‘OK, I’ve got to think from first principles with these regulations. What could be a possible solution?’”
‘But there’s a catch’;
https://sportsnaut.com/f1/adrian-newey-impact-on-amr26
Adrian Newey deals Fernando Alonso major blow ahead of F1 2026 season
The Aston Martin team boss tempers expectations heading into F1 preseason testing
10 February 2026
Brandon Sutton
Total Motorsport
Adrian Newey deals Fernando Alonso a major blow by warning the Spaniard that Aston Martin are four months behind their rivals heading into the latest round of preseason testing, ahead of the F1 2026 season.
“The AMR Technology Campus is still evolving,” Newey told Aston Martin. “The CoreWeave Wind Tunnel wasn’t on song until April, and I only joined the team last March, so we’ve started from behind, in truth. It’s been a very compressed timescale and an extremely busy 10 months. The reality is that we didn’t get a model of the ’26 car into the wind tunnel until mid-April.”
“Whereas most, if not all of our rivals would have had a model in the wind tunnel from the moment the 2026 aero testing ban ended at the beginning of January last year. That put us on the back foot by about four months, which has meant a very, very compressed research and design cycle. The car only came together at the last minute, which is why we were fighting to make it to the Barcelona Shakedown.”
‘Tempers expectations’;
https://www.total-motorsport.com/adr...1-2026-behind/
Aston Martin being ‘closely watched’ by F1 rivals with FIA on alert after Barcelona shakedown
10 Feb 2026
Tyler Rowlinson
F1 Oversteer
Aston Martin are being ‘closely watched’ in Bahrain after rivals feel they have pushed the boundaries. The Silverstone squad are hoping to return to the front of the grid with Adrian Newey and Honda spearheading their operation. Aston Martin unveiled the AMR26 on Monday, having tested the car in Barcelona with the other 10 teams.
They may have missed the opening three days of the test due to development issues, but that did not stop Aston Martin from turning heads in the paddock. Mercedes described the AMR26 as ‘adventurous’ when it hit the track. Newey has clearly gone in his own direction with the car’s design, given his expertise with regulation changes. For example, Newey has enhanced the RB19’s suspension for Aston Martin, using his previous Red Bull concepts in 2026.
Naturally, Newey’s car ‘attracted attention’ from their rivals, as per a report from RacingNews365. Some think that Aston Martin are ‘pushing the boundaries of the regulations’. So much so that the teams are ‘closely watching’ their Silverstone rivals in Bahrain and what Newey will bring to the test. The FIA is almost certain to keep tabs on Aston Martin, but the same goes for the rest of the field.
‘Closely watched’;
https://www.f1oversteer.com/news/ast...ona-shakedown/
Seven things to look out for at first Bahrain F1 2026 test
10 Feb 2026
The Race
Are cars evolving already?
Is the Aston Martin-Honda package close enough?
First real look at the battle out front: Bahrain will be our first real look at anything, never mind the battle to be top dog! But in all seriousness we should at least begin to get a better indication of who's nailed ground zero of this new ruleset.
Do engines really look close?
How far off is the first Cadillac car? It certainly is in terms of clearing the 107% start requirement.
How much did Barcelona absence hurt Williams? The worry will be that missing Barcelona will be a symptom of something bigger at Williams. And there'll be no better time to dispel that notion than in the Bahrain test…
The first public test: No more 'is it a test or just a Shakedown Week?' No more secret testing that isn't really secret because F1 keeps showing the world what you're up to because it makes good 'content'. This week is proper pre-season F1 testing as we've all come to know and expect.
‘Seven things to look out for’;
https://www.the-race.com/formula-1/f...hat-to-expect/
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Verstappen leads Piastri on first morning of second test in Bahrain.
The Red Bull driver set the quickest time over the first four hours of running at the home of the Bahrain Grand Prix. Teams will have a further four hours of running in the late afternoon and evening.
11th February 2026
Keith Collantine
RaceFans
While Verstappen also exceeded a grand prix distance in the RB22, the next-quickest drivers – Piastri, Mercedes’ George Russell and Ferrari’s Lewis Hamilton – fell slightly short. Hamilton lost time with a brief, harmless spin at turn one early in the test.
Bahrain test one, day one morning lap times:
Pos. Car number Driver Team Model Best time Gap Laps
1 33 Max Verstappen Red Bull RB22 1’35.433 65
2 81 Oscar Piastri McLaren MCL40 1’35.602 0.169 54
3 63 George Russell Mercedes W17 1’36.108 0.675 56
4 44 Lewis Hamilton Ferrari SF-26 1’36.433 1.000 52
5 31 Esteban Ocon Haas VF-26 1’37.169 1.736 63
6 41 Arvid Lindblad Racing Bulls 03 1’37.945 2.512 75
7 55 Carlos Sainz Jnr Williams FW48 1’38.221 2.788 77
8 5 Gabriel Bortoleto Audi R26 1’38.871 3.438 49
9 77 Valtteri Bottas Cadillac 1’39.150 3.717 49
10 18 Lance Stroll Aston Martin AMR26 1’39.883 4.450 33
11 43 Franco Colapinto Alpine A526 1’40.330 4.897 28
‘Verstappen leads Piastri’;
https://www.racefans.net/2026/02/11/...st-in-bahrain/
Toto Wolff: Red Bull Ford engine "the benchmark" in F1 Bahrain test
11 Feb 2026
Filip Cleeren
Motorsport.com
Mercedes Formula 1 Chief Toto Wolff believes new power unit manufacturer Red Bull Ford has come out of the gates with the best engine at Bahrain testing.
‘Toto Wolff: Red Bull Ford engine "the benchmark" ‘;
https://www.motorsport.com/f1/news/t...test/10796702/
Williams bounce back as Sainz tops lap charts in Bahrain morning session
11 Feb 2026
Tobia Elia
GPblog.com
Carlos Sainz was the most active driver on track during the opening morning of the Bahrain test. Williams were expected to deliver some answers after skipping the behind-closed-doors Barcelona test, and at least on the reliability front, those answers have come through.
The Williams driver, at the wheel of the FW48 in what was effectively the Grove-based team’s first official on-track session, racked up an impressive 77 laps — covering almost one and a half race distances.
Lap count standings in opening morning session of Bahrain test
Pos Driver Laps
1 Carlos Sainz 77
2 Arvid Lindblad 75
3 Max Verstappen 65
4 Esteban Ocon 64
5 George Russell 56
6 Oscar Piastri 54
7 Lewis Hamilton 52
8 Gabriel Bortoleto 49
9 Valtteri Bottas 49
10 Lance Stroll 33
11 Franco Colapinto 28
‘Williams bounce back’;
https://www.gpblog.com/en/news/willi...orning-session
Everything that happened in first session of Bahrain F1 test
Feb 11, 2026
Josh Suttill
The Race
Red Bull’s Max Verstappen was the fastest driver in the first half of the opening day of Formula 1’s first 2026 Bahrain pre-season test. After its behind-closed-doors five-day Barcelona test (where teams could run on a maximum of three days each), F1’s first Bahrain test is the first time all 11 teams are sharing the track with their 2026 cars.
With the opening four hours done, it was Verstappen who was quickest, with a 1m35.433s, set during the second hour of the test on the medium tyres. He clocked 65 laps aboard the RB22, more than a race distance (57 laps) at Bahrain Grand Prix venue Sakhir.
Verstappen was one of many drivers to start pushing the limits of his car, as he locked up at Turn 1 and went straight on with around an hour of the session to go. His closest competitor on the leaderboard was McLaren’s Oscar Piastri, who was 0.169s slower with 54 laps on the board.
‘First session’;
https://www.the-race.com/formula-1/v...hrain-f1-test/
Lewis Hamilton ‘struggling’ with new Ferrari issue after spin on day one of 2026 Bahrain testing
11 Feb 2026
Ben Evans
F1 Oversteer
Ferrari driver Lewis Hamilton hasn’t had the easiest start to testing ahead as action gets underway on day one of running in Bahrain. Journalist Kemal Sengul is at the track in Bahrain and keeping a very close eye on what’s going on among the 18 drivers who will take to the track on day one among all 11 teams. He said on X just after the first hour of running had finished: “Hamilton experienced a lock-up and went off the track. Drivers are struggling with braking due to the extremely hot weather.”
The official commentary from Formula 1 stated: “The yellow flags fly briefly for Hamilton, who has had a half-spin. He lost the rear on entry, turning the car round and sliding into the run-off area backwards. Bar some small flat spots, there is no harm done there – he was well away from the barriers, which is one of the reasons this makes such a good testing venue.”
‘Struggling’;
https://www.f1oversteer.com/news/lew...hrain-testing/
Where new F1 cars are already troubling drivers in Bahrain
Feb 11, 2026
Scott Mitchell-Malm
The Race
Interestingly, there were an inordinate number of lock-ups here as the first group of drivers explored the limits and went well beyond them on Wednesday morning. Nobody seemed immune to this although it happened in different ways. Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton caught small rear slides into Turn 10 but several had huge lock-ups. Hamilton and Franco Colapinto bailed out of the corner big time on one lap, with the Ferrari driver even turning right (not left) to make use of the run-off area.
Something Valtteri Bottas then did even more extremely as his Cadillac arrived and triggered a big plume of smoke. Lance Stroll then suffered three lock-ups in four laps in the Aston Martin, running deep every time. There were many less dramatic moments, though, and it painted a clear picture of cars that are challenging under braking. The reduced grip these cars produce is an obvious factor but it will be interesting to establish how much the energy recovery system is having an impact.
Recharging the battery is a critical component of the new engine rules, and harvesting from the rear axle under braking forms a key part of that. That is very dynamic and the brake balance between the front and rear can change lap to lap - which may be what drivers are having to get used to. Downshifting is also a factor, though. Verstappen and Gabriel Bortoleto went down an extra gear into Turn 10 compared to most, which was causing their cars to squirm a little into the apex (and rev higher/sound louder on throttle before upshifting early).
‘Lock-ups’;
https://www.the-race.com/formula-1/o...-2026-f1-cars/
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Norris tops first day of Bahrain test for McLaren.
Norris collected 58 laps on his way to a session-best 1:34.669s in the MCL40. The test was blighted by strong winds, which wreaked havoc on some parts of the circuit as drivers struggled to slow down under brakes.
12 Feb 2026
Simon Chapman
Speedcafe
“It was good to be back in the car today, we completed a lot of test items which gave us a lot of data to look over, as well as a better understanding of the car,” said Norris. “Of course, being in Bahrain in the sun, the conditions are very different to Barcelona, very hot and quite windy, and that was interesting to see how differently the car behaves. Positive day, lots learned, and looking forward to getting back in the car tomorrow.”
McLaren said the first focus of the test was to collect aerodynamic data, rather than chasing lap times or kilometres. “A productive first day in Bahrain as we continue our early on-track learning and developments for the MCL40,” said McLaren chief designer Rob Marshall. “We have approached this week by prioritising our learning and therefore chosen a deliberate run plan to optimise work that ultimately accelerates the development of our package.”
“You can see from Oscar and Lando’s running that they have both completed heavy aerodynamic testing today in conditions that are very different to the ones we experienced in Barcelona last month. With this in mind, we have prioritised data gathering runs over out and out mileage on this first day of the test. Everyone is pushing in the same direction...”
Results: Formula 1 Bahrain Pre-Season Test Day 1
Pos Driver Team Lap Diff Gap Laps
1 Lando Norris McLaren 1:34.669 58
2 Max Verstappen Red Bull 1:34.798 0.129 0.129 136
3 Charles Leclerc Ferrari 1:35.190 0.521 0.392 80
4 Esteban Ocon Alpine 1:35.578 0.909 0.388 115
5 Oscar Piastri McLaren 1:35.602 0.933 0.024 54
6 George Russell Mercedes 1:36.108 1.439 0.506 56
7 Lewis Hamilton Ferrari 1:36.433 1.764 0.325 52
8 Pierre Gasly Alpine 1:36.765 2.096 0.332 49
9 Nico Hulkenberg Audi 1:36.861 2.192 0.096 73
10 Alexander Albon Williams 1:37.437 2.768 0.576 68
11 Andrea Kimi Antonelli Mercedes 1:37.629 2.96 0.192 30
12 Arvid Lindblad Racing Bulls 1:37.945 3.276 0.316 75
13 Carlos Sainz Williams 1:38.221 3.552 0.276 77
14 Sergio Perez Cadillac 1:38.828 4.159 0.607 58
15 Gabriel Bortoleto Audi 1:38.871 4.202 0.043 49
16 Valtteri Bottas Cadillac 1:39.150 4.481 0.279 49
17 Lance Stroll Aston Martin 1:39.883 5.215 0.734 36
18 Franco Colapinto Alpine 1:40.330 5.661 0.446 28
‘Norris tops first day’;
https://speedcafe.com/f1-news-2026-b...oscar-piastri/
McLaren unusual strategy identified as F1 rivals take different approach
12 Feb 2026
Samuel Coop
RacingNews365
Ted Kravitz has pointed out how McLaren is bucking the pre-season trend of continuously adding new components to its car across the two official tests, ahead of the campaign-opening Australian Grand Prix. The reigning constructors' champion has equipped the MCL40 at the Bahrain International Circuit with what is expected to be the aerodynamic package it will use in Melbourne.
"McLaren have done something different in that they have waited as late as they could to put what is pretty much the first-race aero package on their car," Kravitz said on Sky Sports F1. "Then that is what they are going to Melbourne with, whereas others, such as the Mercedes, the Ferrari, the Aston Martin are going to change."
‘McLaren is taking a contrarian approach’;
https://racingnews365.com/mclaren-un...erent-approach
9 things we learned from day one of Bahrain F1 test
11 Feb 2026
Scott Mitchell-Malm, Edd Straw, Jon Noble
The Race
Mercedes’ extraordinary Red Bull claim: Does F1 have a new early benchmark? That’s what Mercedes boss Toto Wolff insisted with a surprise declaration fuelled by his team’s analysis of the initial long-run pace and GPS data.
What the early data tells us: While it was McLaren’s world champion Lando Norris who topped the times on Wednesday, Verstappen was a close second and was on a very quick-looking lap that faded in the final corners.
Why Max stands out trackside: From trackside, Verstappen also stood out for an aggressive downshifting technique linked to the new engine demands.
Ferrari’s car seems really difficult: After an encouraging start in the Barcelona test, the Ferrari looks far from the most stable car early on in Bahrain.
Aston Martin and Honda troubles: Aston Martin only managed 65 laps during the whole Barcelona shakedown test, and its game of catch up in Bahrain didn’t start well…
Audi with a bold new design: Audi was the first team to run this year way back on January 9, and appropriately enough it’s the first to introduce a big upgrade package.
How the cars really sound: The few videos we were served of the cars from Barcelona offered a bit of a clue that the new engines sound quite different to before.
Williams is overweight, but it works: After deflecting rampant speculation over the winter about its car being overweight, Williams has admitted that it will need to get its FW48 on a bit of a diet over the first few races.
More cars should have this design...: Shout out to the teams that have put their race numbers on the shark fin of the engine cover: Ferrari, Red Bull, Racing Bulls.
‘9 things we learned’;
https://www.the-race.com/formula-1/9...hrain-f1-test/
Verstappen strikes fear into rivals with an impressive day of testing in Bahrain
11 Feb 2026
Kada Sárközi
Nicole Mulder
GPblog.com
The first day of testing in Bahrain made one thing clear: despite all the expectations around Mercedes and the new 2026 regulations, more and more points to the grid once again having to measure itself against Max Verstappen. Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff even said that the Austrian Formula 1 team is the absolute benchmark on the power unit front. "The car, the power unit, (they) are the benchmark at the moment I would say. And then obviously you have Max in the car, that combination is strong,” he said.
Wolff points to Verstappen and Red Bull as top favorites. Wolff particularly highlighted Red Bull’s energy deployment, which, according to the Austrian, makes Verstappen’s team up to a second per lap faster. “Look at their energy deployment today. I mean, speaking a second a lap, over consecutive runs,” he explained. When asked, the Mercedes team principal admitted his own team currently has no answer to that.
‘Verstappen strikes fear’;
https://www.gpblog.com/en/features/v...ing-in-bahrain
Red Bull develops old Adrian Newey trick Aston Martin has missed
Technical analyst Paolo Filisetti casts his eye over a minor, yet potentially magic development on Red Bull's RB22.
11 Feb 2026
Paolo Filisetti
RacingNews365
If we consider Red Bull's RB22, it was interesting to note not only the presence of a cooling vent in the rear, at the base of the halo, but above all its re-profiling, which integrates it better into the rear bodywork of the car. If this is compared to the Aston Martin solution, it is clear that not only is the cross-section of the two vents different,, above there is a clear difference in the internal ducting of the sidepods which feed them.
The purpose of these heat dissipation intakes is not only to ensure the precise management of the PU's operating temperatures, but also to exploit the hot outflow to increase the Coanda effect, used by Adrian Newey in the Sebastian Vettel heyday, in the airflow against the bodywork towards the rear axle. The idea of having the cooling vents far away from the rear axle serves not only to reduce the potential turbulent air which could disturb the rear wing, but to effectively guide the airflow through the difference in speed and density of the hot air emerging compared to the ambient air temperature.
In practice, low pressure is generated downstream of the cooling vents, which draws the streams of air at ambient temperature towards the rear, keeping them close to the body of the car. This not only generated aerodynamic load with the car, but also increases air extraction from the bottom by speeding up the central portion of the flow as it skims the bodywork.
‘Old Adrian Newey trick’;
https://racingnews365.com/red-bull-d...tin-has-missed
Explained: The issue that hit Adrian Newey’s radical Aston Martin in F1 testing
Aston Martin had limited running on Wednesday at the Bahrain F1 test
11 Feb 2026
Lewis Duncan
Crash.Net
Adrian Newey’s aggressive Aston Martin Formula 1 car managed only limited mileage on the opening day of the 2026 Bahrain test due to a “data anomaly” in the engine. On the opening day of Bahrain testing, Lance Stroll was tasked with putting the AMR26 through its paces. However, the Canadian only managed a total of 36 laps after an issue was detected with his Honda power unit.
Aston Martin has confirmed that an “anomaly” was detected in the power unit, which required investigation and kept Stroll sidelined for some time in the afternoon. “The Honda team detected a data anomaly with the power unit in the afternoon, which required further analysis and limited Lance’s running. This also marks the first time the AMR26 has run on track since the unveiling of its 2026 livery at Ithra in Dhahran, Saudi Arabia, on Monday.”
“The Honda team detected a data anomaly with the power unit”;
https://www.crash.net/f1/news/108923...tin-f1-testing
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Leclerc leads Norris early in Bahrain after issues hit Mercedes and Red Bull.
Charles Leclerc finished ahead of Lando Norris during the second morning session of Bahrain winter testing, while Mercedes and Red Bull ran into issues.
12 Feb 2026
Olly Darcy
GPblog.com
On the track, it was Charles Leclerc and Ferrari who were the team to beat, with a 1:34.273 the fastest lap put down by anyone on day two of testing. World Champion Lando Norris set a 1:34.784 to put his McLaren in P2, but his 64 laps were the most of anyone, just two more than Leclerc's 62 laps.
The Alpine of Pierre Gasly rounded out the top three, while Oliver Bearman and Alex Albon finished the morning session in P4 and P5, respectively. Nico Hulkenberg finished sixth for Audi come the end of the four-hour session, with Liam Lawson and Racing Bulls were eight-tenths behind the German in P7. Cadillac's Sergio Perez and the Aston Martin of Fernando Alonso rounded out the top ten.
Pos Driver Team Best lap Gap
P1 Charles Leclerc Ferrari 1:34.273 —
P2 Lando Norris McLaren 1:34.784 +0.511
P3 Pierre Gasly Alpine 1:36.723 +2.450
P4 Oliver Bearman Haas 1:37.025 +2.752
P5 Alex Albon Williams 1:37.229 +2.956
P6 Nico Hulkenberg Audi 1:37.266 +2.993
P7 Sergio Perez Cadillac 1:38.653 +4.380
P8 Liam Lawson Racing Bulls 1:38.707 +4.434
P9 Fernando Alonso Aston Martin 1:38.960 +4.687
P10 Kimi Antonelli Mercedes 11:54.791 N/A
P11 Isack Hadjar Red Bull N/A N/A
‘Charles Leclerc finished ahead of Lando Norris’;
https://www.gpblog.com/en/breaking-n...s-and-red-bull
Why unusual Max Verstappen F1 2026 approach is proving controversial
Max Verstappen has adopted an unusual energy management technique. RacingNews365 technical analyst Paolo Filisetti explains why it may not be sustainable.
12 February 2026
Paolo Filisetti
RacingNews365
At certain points around the Bahrain International Circuit on the first day of F1 pre-season testing, it was clearly audible how Max Verstappen was performing some very unusual and entirely deliberate downshift sequences — specifically in sections where a downshift would not normally be expected.
It later emerged that the Dutchman — and also Audi — is using these downshifts as a way of charging the battery and having more energy available on the straights. Based on what we have seen so far, Verstappen's technique is undoubtedly effective, but specifically at this circuit; its impact is likely to vary from track to track over the course of the season. On some tracks, the drawbacks may outweigh the potential benefits.
In practical terms, and according to several engineers, it is very likely that over the opening races of the season, we will gradually see a blend of battery recharge techniques emerge, rather than one single dominant approach. What will ultimately prevail is a balance between the costs and benefits associated with each individual method. There is no doubt that energy harvesting and subsequent deployment currently represent the primary focus for all teams.
‘Very unusual and entirely deliberate downshift sequences’;
https://racingnews365.com/why-unusua...-controversial
Day 2 of F1 Testing: Leclerc Shines While Red Bull and Mercedes Struggle
FEBRUARY 12, 2026
SCOTT GULBRANSEN
sportsnaut.com
Red Bull and Mercedes, two teams widely expected to contend for the F1 2026 championship, spent most of the morning sidelined with mechanical problems while their rivals racked up miles in the desert heat. For newcomers trying to figure out the 2026 pecking order, here’s the honest truth: don’t read too much into it yet. Teams run different fuel loads, tire compounds, and engine modes during testing. But reliability? That matters. And Thursday was a rough one for two big names.
The F1 Start Problem Nobody’s Talking About Enough. One of the more fascinating storylines coming out of Bahrain has nothing to do with lap times. It’s about race starts, specifically how much harder they are under the 2026 rules. The new F1 engines no longer have the MGU-H, a component that previously used exhaust gases to spin the turbocharger.
Without it, drivers face significant turbo lag off the line. They have to rev much higher and hold it much longer before releasing the clutch. It’s a completely different procedure from what they’ve done for the past decade.
‘Day 2 of F1 Testing’;
https://sportsnaut.com/f1/f1-bahrain...edes-struggles
Ferrari SF-26 debuts ‘aggressive’ diffuser extensions to outpace Mercedes and Williams on downforce
12 February 2026
Ben Evans
F1 Oversteer
Ferrari have developed ‘aggressive’ diffuser extensions on their 2026 Formula 1 car. A report from Motorsport has shared more details about what’s going on with the back of Ferrari’s car this year.
A change in the 2026 regulations has allowed Ferrari to extend the sides of the diffuser structure in the hopes of improving the efficiency of the car and generating more downforce. Mercedes and Williams are two teams that have followed a similar path to Ferrari in the development of their diffuser.
‘Ferrari SF-26 debuts’;
https://www.f1oversteer.com/news/fer...-on-downforce/
Mercedes relied on manual hammer adjustments for W17 suspension in Bahrain testing
12 Feb 2026
Luke Newman
F1 Oversteer
Heading into the six-day Bahrain test, it was expected that Mercedes would continue their strong form. However, on the opening day at the Bahrain International Circuit, the team encountered issues with the W17. George Russell was able to complete 56 laps in the opening session and ended the day sixth on the timesheets, but Kimi Antonelli was only able to complete 30 laps after an issue delayed his running in the second session.
Mercedes were forced to fix a suspension issue with a hammer. After missing half of the session, Antonelli was released from the pits and ended the opening day of the test in 11th place on the timesheets. Mercedes confirmed that the issue they faced in the second session was not related to their Power Unit, but they did not want to discuss any further details regarding the problem. However, it is now believed that there was an issue with the W17’s suspension, which they were ‘hitting with a hammer’.
Technical Analyst, Sam Collins, added, “Well, I have been fettling about in the back of the garage, and they were hitting it with a hammer. So, I know they had a big problem. “I understand that the issue was in the suspension area of the car; they did not want to give more detail but obviously, they needed to make an adjustment with a hammer. So, that is a pretty substantial issue, because Mercedes are not the team to fix it with a hammer.”
‘Manual hammer adjustments’;
https://www.f1oversteer.com/news/mer...hrain-testing/
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'We're not quick enough' - Norris says McLaren are behind Ferrari, Red Bull.
Lando Norris believes world champions McLaren currently trail Ferrari and Red Bull on pace with four days of pre-season testing to go.
12 Feb 2026
Sky Sports
Speaking to Sky Sports after Thursday's running, his final day in the car this week, Norris said: "We did a good amount of laps, we're certainly not quick enough. Plenty of work for us to look into and try to improve on. I think today was our first bit of understanding on where we stand in terms of pace, against at least Ferrari, who did a full long run.”
"We're not really close to them at the minute. We're certainly not bad, but we're not quick enough. It's still just testing and we've got plenty of things we know we can already improve on and work on, so nothing to be worried by, but a productive day for the teams and for myself, and that's the most important thing."
When speaking with the written media, Norris also highlighted the strength of Red Bull - who have produced their own engine for the first time, in conjunction with Ford - as a standout performer from testing so far. "They have a very good power unit by the looks of things," said Norris of the team described by Mercedes' Toto Wolff on Wednesday as 2026's current "benchmark". "They deploy and have a lot of efficiency [with their engine energy management].”
'We're not quick enough';
https://www.skysports.com/f1/news/12...season-testing
F1 results: Bahrain F1 2026 pre-season testing: Day 2 (Sakhir)
12 Feb 2026
Oliver Harden
PlanetF1.com
Here are the complete F1 results from Day 2 of the first official pre-season test of F1 2026 in Bahrain.
F1 results: Bahrain pre-season test: Day 2
1 Charles Leclerc Ferrari 1:34.273 139 laps
2 Lando Norris McLaren +0.511 149 laps
3 Oliver Bearman Haas +1.121 130 laps
4 George Russell Mercedes +1.193 54 laps
5 Isack Hadjar Racing Bulls +2.288 87 laps
6 Gabriel Bortoleto Audi +2.397 67 laps
7 Pierre Gasly Alpine +2.450 97 laps
8 Valtteri Bottas Cadillac +2.551 67 laps
9 Alexander Albon Williams +2.956 62 laps
10 Nico Hulkenberg Audi +2.993 47 laps
11 Arvid Lindblad Racing Bulls +3.197 83 laps
12 Carlos Sainz Williams +3.319 69 laps
13 Liam Lawson Racing Bulls +3.744 50 laps
14 Fernando Alonso Aston Martin +3.975 98 laps
15 Sergio Perez Cadillac +4.380 42 laps
16 Kimi Antonelli Mercedes no time 3 laps
‘Complete F1 results’;
https://www.planetf1.com/news/f1-res...ing-2026-day-2
Stroll sounds the alarm at Aston Martin: ‘We’re four seconds off!’
12/02/2026
Michael Delaney
F1i.com
It’s early days still, but the numbers underline a start far below expectations for a team boasting a new Honda power unit, Adrian Newey at the helm, and substantial investment from billionaire owner Lawrence Stroll. “Right now, we look like we're four seconds off the top team, four and a half seconds,” commented Stroll. “Impossible to know what fuel loads and everything people are running. But, yeah, now we need to try and find four seconds of performance.”
Despite the harsh reality, Stroll tried to frame some hope for the future, though his tone remained cautious. “We have all the tools to fight for race wins and championships,” he said. “We're not doing that at the moment and we have to think about what we can do about it. Do we want to fight for race wins? Yes. Are we fighting for race wins today? It doesn't look like it. Does that mean we can’t fight for race wins in the future? No, I believe we can.”
Yet Stroll refused to sugarcoat the uncertainty surrounding the team’s progress. “So, I don't have a crystal ball, I didn't have a crystal ball before the season started, and we are where we are here today. It doesn't look like it's amazing. Can that change in the next few weeks? Can it get a lot better? For sure. Will it 100% get way better? I don't know. I don't have the answers to those questions. All I can say is we're pushing as hard as we can. We're focused on bringing performance to the car, to the engine every single second of every single day and time will tell how competitive we look at the first race and throughout the whole season.”
‘We’re four seconds off!’;
https://f1i.com/news/558977-stroll-s...conds-off.html
What we learned from Day 2 of the first 2026 pre-season test in Bahrain
F1.com's Lawrence Barretto runs through the main developments from the second day of testing in Bahrain.
12 Feb 2026
F1 Correspondent & Presenter Lawrence Barretto
Formula One - Official Site
Red Bull impress despite loss of early running: Red Bull's Max Verstappen was prolific during his full day in the car on Wednesday, with the four-time World Champion clocking 136 laps.
Mercedes encounter another tricky day: Mercedes' boss Wolff was keen to play down the team's hopes for the season, despite their smooth Barcelona Shakedown, when he spoke to the media on Wednesday – not least because they encountered a suspension issue that cost track time.
Audi continue productive F1 debut: Audi have made a very strong start to life in Formula 1. They were the first team to complete a shakedown of a 2026-spec car – and while they encountered several niggles that hindered mileage in Barcelona, that is to be expected of a new works team, running a debut engine.
Challenging start to Newey era at Aston Martin: Lance Stroll cut a despondent figure when he spoke to media on Wednesday, with the Canadian admitting his Aston Martin – the first to be designed by legend Adrian Newey – just needs more performance, more grip and a better balance.
‘What we learned from Day 2’;
https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/a...KVo6rcciRTI2J7
MAX ON DRIVING WITH A NEW GENERATION OF F1 CARS: 'NOT FUN AT ALL'
12 February 2026
Florence Cobben
Verstappen.nl
When asked if he enjoyed driving the car, Max hesitantly answered: “It’s not fun at all. I would say the right word is management. But on the other hand, I also know how much work has been going on in the background, from the engine side, from the guys. So it’s not always the nicest thing to say, but I also want to be realistic as a driver (that) the feeling is not very Formula 1-like. It feels a bit like Formula E on steroids. But the rules are the same for everyone, and so you have to deal with that.”
He clarifies: “A lot of what you do as a driver, in terms of input, has a massive effect on the energy-side of things. For me, that’s just not Formula 1. Then it’s better to drive Formula E, right? ‘Cause that’s all about energy, efficiency, and management – that’s what they stand for. So yeah, driving-wise, not so fun. At the same time, I also know what is at stake for the team – our own engine. And seeing the excitement of the people – of course when I sit in the car I will give it my very best. They know that, but the excitement is not so high.”
“It’s not fun at all”;
https://news.verstappen.com/en/article/6071/
Ted Kravitz says Mercedes are already planning major update in time for second Bahrain F1 test
12 February 2026
Ben Evans
F1 Oversteer
Mercedes planning to use third different chassis during 2026 Bahrain pre-season F1 test. Kravitz was reporting on proceedings in Bahrain on Ted’s Notebook (11/2 8:49 pm), and describing the situation at Mercedes, he said: “Mercedes, as I say, have they got the sandbags out? Have they realised that the pace in Barcelona was a little bit, let’s just say, it didn’t serve them right.”
“They only did 86 laps today. They got the laps in, but they did have a problem after lunch. So, George Russell 56 laps, P6, Kimi Antonelli P11 and 30 laps. They were slower than Barcelona. George was doing some longer runs in the morning. Then they found an issue. They hoped to be out later on with Kimi Antonelli; they were. But yeah, otherwise it all seems to be OK. This, I believe, I understand is chassis number two on the Mercedes, and they’ll actually bring a third chassis to the Bahrain number two test.”
‘Chassis number three on the Mercedes’;
https://www.f1oversteer.com/news/ted...hrain-f1-test/
HADJAR ENDS DAY TWO OF BAHRAIN TESTING IN FIFTH, AS LECLERC TOPS THE TIMESHEETS
12 February 2026
Florence Cobben
Verstappen.nl
Despite missing most of the morning session due to a hydraulic issue (bar one installation lap), Isack Hadjar was able to get back in the car during the second half of today’s session and climbed to fifth place on the timesheets. Max Verstappen’s Oracle Red Bull Racing-teammate was able to close this Thursday practice session with a respectable 87 laps to his name.
‘P5’;
https://news.verstappen.com/en/article/6070/
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Fernando Alonso throws gloves in fury after first laps in Aston Martin’s AMR26.
F1 journalist Antonio Lobato: “He gets out of the car, throws away the gloves; they’re not where they wanted to be, not even close.”
12 February 2026
Ashley Hambly
F1 Oversteer
Newey reportedly told Alonso that Aston Martin are now ‘months’ behind their F1 rivals on the grid, highlighting the severity of the issue that the British constructor are currently looking down the barrel of. The 32-time Grand Prix is yet to make an official decision on his future in the sport. Alonso recently stated that he wants to wait until September to announce his intentions, despite the pressure that figures at Aston Martin are piling on him to decide quicker.
In a separate Instagram story from Lobato, he asks Alonso’s counterpart, Lance Stroll, what the ‘best thing’ about Aston Martin’s new F1 car is. The Canadian sarcastically replied, “The decoration is very nice,” which further draws attention to the struggles that the Silverstone-based team are currently experiencing. Now, Stroll isn’t the most talkative driver on the grid as it is, but his silence over any other potential positives about the car speaks volumes.
The first day of testing in Bahrain was Stroll’s first proper run out in the new machine, after handing the car over to Alonso in Barcelona following the completion of just a handful of installation laps on the Thursday evening. Newey and co certainly have their work cut out for them over the next few weeks, before the grid congregate in Australia for the 2026 season-opener.
‘Throws gloves in fury’;
https://www.f1oversteer.com/news/fer...martins-amr26/
Antonelli leads Mercedes one-two as second test concludes in Bahrain
13th February 2026
Keith Collantine
RaceFans
The Mercedes drivers occupied the top two places on the times sheets as Formula 1’s second pre-season test concluded in Bahrain. Andrea Kimi Antonelli took over from George Russell halfway through today’s test and took almost a quarter of a second off his benchmark time. The 19-year-old left the quickest time of the test at a 1’33.669, just under four seconds off last year’s pole position time.
Test two, day three times
Pos. Car number Driver Team Model Best time Gap Laps
1 12 Andrea Kimi Antonelli Mercedes W17 1’33.669 61
2 63 George Russell Mercedes W17 1’33.918 0.249 78
3 44 Lewis Hamilton Ferrari SF-26 1’34.209 0.540 150
4 81 Oscar Piastri McLaren MCL40 1’34.549 0.880 161
5 3 Max Verstappen Red Bull RB22 1’35.341 1.672 61
6 6 Isack Hadjar Red Bull RB22 1’35.610 1.941 59
7 31 Esteban Ocon Haas VF-26 1’35.753 2.084 75
8 43 Franco Colapinto Alpine A526 1’35.806 2.137 144
9 87 Oliver Bearman Haas VF-26 1’35.972 2.303 70
10 27 Nico Hulkenberg Audi R26 1’36.291 2.622 58
11 23 Alexander Albon Williams FW48 1’36.793 3.124 78
12 30 Liam Lawson Racing Bulls 03 1’36.808 3.139 119
13 55 Carlos Sainz Jnr Williams FW48 1’37.186 3.517 68
14 11 Sergio Perez Cadillac 1’37.365 3.696 67
15 5 Gabriel Bortoleto Audi R26 1’37.536 3.867 60
16 18 Lance Stroll Aston Martin AMR26 1’38.165 4.496 72
17 77 Valtteri Bottas Cadillac 1’38.772 5.103 37
‘Mercedes one-two’;
https://www.racefans.net/2026/02/13/...es-in-bahrain/
PIERRE WACHE AFTER FIRST WEEK OF PRE-SEASON TESTING: 'ROOM FOR IMPROVEMENT'
13 February 2026
Yvonne Huijs
Verstappen.nl
Pierre Waché, Technical Director of Oracle Red Bull Racing, reflects on the first test week in Bahrain for the new Formula 1 season: “It has been a positive week, running a full day with Max, with plenty of testing time as we worked on understanding the car and the direction to go in with the power unit. Unfortunately, on day two we had some problems with the hydraulics on the chassis side, which compromised Isack’s running in the morning but we were able to recover this in the afternoon. This morning with Max we evaluated set-ups and saw some good direction and this was similar with Isack this afternoon, so it's been quite positive with the mileage done this week."
Waché continues: "We need to make sure the car continues to develop a lot more to improve the issue on the balance side and we know that there is a lot of room for improvement. Our drivers are very motivated and have given us a lot of feedback on where we can improve the car and how we can change the direction of development. In general, Red Bull Ford Powertrains has done a remarkable job as a start-up; in three and a half years we have created a power unit and have it out running on track, which is fantastic.”
“We know that there is a lot of room for improvement”;
https://news.verstappen.com/en/article/6074/
Charles Leclerc sounds early alarm as Ferrari chase Red Bull and Mercedes in F1 2026
Ferrari star delivers blunt verdict on where the Scuderia stands before the new era truly begins
13 February 2026
John Smith
Total Motorsport
“It’s so difficult to understand,” Leclerc admitted. “It was difficult with the previous generation of cars, but now with the hybrid and especially the electrical engine being so much more powerful, there are so many small tweaks that you can do, and you can hide the real potential of the car in many, many different ways now. So, it’s very, very difficult for us to understand exactly where we stand.”
“What I’m happy of is that we are going through our programme. We didn’t have any reliability issues so far, and this is a good start. Everything stacks up with what we expected. So that’s a good base to then start to work on and to improve. I think everybody is trying to throw the ball to the other guys, it’s normal at that point of the season,” Leclerc said.
“I think Red Bull have shown very impressive things power unit wise since the start of the test, especially here. Mercedes are showing some very impressive things as well sometimes. But I would say they are hiding a lot more. I would expect them two especially to be a bit ahead of us,” Leclerc continued. “Then McLaren is a little bit more difficult to understand, but from where I stand now, it’s Red Bull, Mercedes in front, and then us. But it doesn’t seem to be too much of a gap for now.”
‘Blunt verdict’;
https://www.total-motorsport.com/cha...bull-mercedes/
Mercedes called 'very good at hiding their potential' in Bahrain verdict
13 Feb 2026
Kada Sarkozi
GPblog.com
Charles Leclerc believes Red Bull and Mercedes are both in front, despite the two teams suggesting their rivals are ahead. Leclerc believes it's hard to draw conclusions for now. He continued: "Because it's so difficult to understand. It was difficult with the previous generation of cars. But now with the hybrid and especially the electrical engine being so much more powerful, there are so many small tweaks that you can do. "And you can hide the real potential of the car in many, many different ways now. So it's very, very difficult for us to understand exactly where we stand.”
"What I'm happy about is that we are going through our program, we didn't have any reliability issues so far this is a good start, everything stacks up with what we expected so that's a good base to then start to work on and to improve," the Monegasque driver added, before the SF-26 stopped under Lewis Hamilton during the final ten minutes of the afternoon session. The reason remains unknown.
'Very good at hiding their potential';
https://www.gpblog.com/en/news/merce...ahrain-verdict
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'Pass the parcel!' - F1 testing: Why Ferrari, Mercedes, McLaren and Red Bull are all claiming not be the fastest team after Bahrain test.
Sky Sports F1's Ted Kravitz compared the situation to a game of "pass the parcel", but why is it all so convoluted? Formula 1's big four of McLaren, Mercedes, Red Bull and Ferrari appear to be at the front again, but in which order?
13 Feb 2026
Sky Sports
There is always mystery at Formula 1 testing over which team actually has the fastest car, but the 2026 pre-season puzzle is shaping up as one of the most confusing and complex in the sport's history. With two thirds of an extended testing schedule complete, any thoughts of a total reshuffle of the established pecking order have been dispelled, but who is fastest of the 'big four' remains very much up for the debate.
Listed in the order they finished last year's Constructors' Championship, McLaren, Mercedes, Red Bull and Ferrari, are all insisting that they are not fastest and that at least one of the others is quicker. In years gone by it might have been easier for neutral onlookers to work out who is telling the truth, but the introduction of both new chassis and power units as part of radical new regulations for the 2026 season means there are many unknowns.
"Pass the parcel”;
https://www.skysports.com/f1/news/12...r-bahrain-test
What we learned from Day 3 of the first 2026 pre-season test in Bahrain
13 Feb 2026
Lawrence Barretto
Formula One - Official Site
Aston Martin look set for tricky start to 2026: Aston Martin have experienced a troubled pre-season and that continued into Bahrain where they faced a series of niggles and struggled for performance across the opening two days.
Ferrari have another strong day with Hamilton: Ferrari kicked off the year with a baseline 'Spec-A' car that they ran at their demonstration day and then the Barcelona Shakedown.
Mercedes bounce back after difficult days: Mercedes had a much more productive day on Friday, following two reliability-hit days in Bahrain.
Red Bull progress impresses rivals: Mercedes and Ferrari have marked out Red Bull and their very impressive inaugural powertrain as the class-leaders, and while the energy drinks firm are encouraged by their efforts in Bahrain, they are keeping their feet firmly on the ground.
‘Day 3 of the first 2026 pre-season test’;
https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/a...T1463ctrnceZCO
Analysis: The long run data from F1's Bahrain test
13 Feb 2026
Valentin Khorounzhiy
The Race
Test laptime analysis is precarious at the best of times, much less when a healthy chunk of the timing data is missing. But there are things that can be deduced at this point in time. The race run executed by Oscar Piastri around the same time as Lewis Hamilton was running in the Ferrari (and Kimi Antonelli soon joining them in the Mercedes) did indeed seem a considerable step behind those two, as corroborated by McLaren team principal Andrea Stella.
While the race runs executed by team-mates Charles Leclerc and Lando Norris on the day prior are currently almost wholly unavailable, it was suggested by Stella that those too fitted this pattern, and that Leclerc's was particularly competitive. As for Hamilton versus his Mercedes replacement Antonelli, they are close in their respective first stint (on the same C3 compound), with Hamilton starting faster but his pace dipping enough for Antonelli to make up the difference at the end of the stint.
Antonelli is then quicker initially in the second stint, and notably so, but because of the timing crash we do not know what the pay-off is. However, cutting off the available Friday race runs at the Antonelli mark of around 28 relevant laps in (but only those that only used two sets up to that point) does paint a good picture for Mercedes.
‘Test laptime analysis is precarious’;
https://www.the-race.com/formula-1/w...e-sims-so-far/
5 key takeaways from first F1 2026 pre-season test in Bahrain
From driver frustrations to early performance clues, Bahrain testing revealed how dramatically Formula 1 could change in 2026
13 Feb 2026
John Smith
Total Motorsport
Formula 1’s bold new era finally hit the track in Bahrain, offering the first real glimpse of how radically the 2026 regulations could reshape the sport.
1. Drivers divided over the feel of new cars: Perhaps the most striking takeaway is how differently drivers perceive the new machinery. Some view the 2026 cars as technically fascinating, while others believe the emphasis on energy recovery has diluted the essence of flat out racing.
2. Red Bull’s new engine has everyone talking: Beyond philosophical debates, competitive intrigue centered on Red Bull’s in house power unit. Rivals observed that the engine appeared capable of deploying electrical energy more consistently over a lap, particularly on straights, raising suspicions that the team may hold an early advantage.
3. Aston Martin emerges as the biggest concern: While several teams left Bahrain optimistic, Aston Martin departed facing difficult questions. Despite enormous investment, the arrival of design legend Adrian Newey and a new works partnership with Honda, the AMR26 appeared significantly off the pace.
4. The midfield battle is tightly packed: Behind the leading quartet of Mercedes, Red Bull, Ferrari and McLaren, the midfield appears closer than ever. Teams such as Haas, Alpine and Audi demonstrated respectable pace and solid reliability, positioning themselves to capitalize on any mistakes from the front runners.
5. Testing politics remain as fierce as on track battles: One of the most enduring truths of Formula 1 testing is that appearances deceive. Throughout the week, teams repeatedly praised rivals while downplaying their own performance, a classic tactic designed to deflect pressure and scrutiny.
‘5 key takeaways’;
https://www.total-motorsport.com/f1-...key-takeaways/
10 things we learned from the first Bahrain F1 2026 test
Feb 13, 2026
The Race
Teams are desperate not to be favourite: Mercedes left Barcelona as the champion of pre-season. Red Bull took that mantle on Wednesday in Bahrain. Ferrari was turning heads on Thursday. By Friday it was Mercedes again.
What the laptimes tell us: Persistent timing system crashes and Red Bull not doing a race simulation on the final day mean the race sim picture is incomplete - but at least there is a picture. What is clear enough is that the McLaren was a step back, across all stints, maybe by as much as half a second.
Red Bull engine a 'reality check': Red Bull has been winning praise for the work done on its first F1 engine since the Barcelona test, but that was mainly because it was surprisingly reliable straight away.
Starts are a 'recipe for disaster': What first emerged in early testing as a bit of intrigue about the high-revving nature of F1 2026's race starts has turned into a full-on safety issue.
Williams recovery has a pace question mark: Having failed to make the Barcelona test, Williams achieved its primary objective for Bahrain by completing more laps than anyone else.
The team in the most trouble: Brand new car and engine rules meant there was a good chance a ‘crisis team’ emerged in testing this year. Aston Martin might not go quite that far, but it is the team most in trouble. After the bold AMR26 turned heads when it appeared in Spain, its only headlines have been for negative reasons here.
‘The best midfield team…by default, Cadillac's had the best start possible, The real Audi isn't amazing - but isn't bad, Qualifying prep tactics are odd’;
https://www.the-race.com/formula-1/b...gs-we-learned/
F1 Insider Says One Team Has 'Really Impressed' Everybody During Bahrain Test
The second F1 test, in Bahrain, ended on Friday evening.
13 Feb 2026
Ryan Smart
SPORTbible
One F1 team has 'really impressed' members of the paddock during the first Bahrain test, according to commentator Alex Brundle. The Sakhir International Circuit has hosted the second test before the 2026 season between Wednesday and Friday. Mercedes topped the timesheets on day three, with Kimi Antonelli finishing ahead of team-mate George Russell. In fact, the Silver Arrows pair were the only two drivers in the field to record a lap time under one minute and 34 seconds over the three days.
But with another test in Bahrain still to come later this month, and with teams having ran different stint plans, fuel loads and tyre compounds over the past three days, it is still not clear as to which teams will arrive at the Australian Grand Prix with the quickest cars - even if Mercedes appear to be in a good position. Brundle, who was a co-commentator on the Bahrain test for Sky Sports F1, says a lot of the talk in the paddock has not been about Mercedes, but Red Bull.
He explained that 'many' in the paddock believe that Red Bull have set the 'benchmark' for others to follow in Bahrain. "So much of a discussion point about this Red Bull, and how strong it's been over these couple of days of testing," Brundle said. "It's been really impressing the paddock, this Red Bull, and many voices in the paddock are saying it is the benchmark at the moment."
‘Red Bull have set the benchmark';
https://www.sportbible.com/f1/bahrai...61125-20260213
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Ted Kravitz says McLaren’s problems are the ‘top story’ in F1 after the Bahrain test.
“That is the top story for me. Last year’s runaway champions, with the same engine as Mercedes, are fourth in the pecking order; that is what we are being told.” Ted Kravitz.
14 Feb 2026
Luke Newman
F1 Oversteer
McLaren have been ranked as the fourth-best team in Formula 1 after the first three-day test at the Bahrain International Circuit. Sky Sports’ Craig Slater and Ted Kravitz discussed the Formula 1 pecking order. Kravitz said, “At the moment, it is Ferrari one, and Mercedes two, but sandbags? There are also question marks about Red Bull being third or fourth, and which Red Bull? “We have seen from this test that it is the case again that when you talk about Red Bull and the pecking order, there is Red Bull Max and Red Bull Isack.”
“Some people are putting Red Bull Max as equal to Mercedes in second, if not very close behind. But Mercedes are saying their energy recovery system is the best out of anybody’s and is delivering good power without having any kind of drawback of where it generates, it generates very efficiently and deploys brilliantly. They are also saying, we have not seen a definitive race run for Max Verstappen, in the same conditions that we saw from: Lewis Hamilton, Charles Leclerc, Kimi Antonelli, and George Russell.”
Slater added, “It is difficult to say whether Red Bull is a little bit higher than they potentially are, or if they are ahead of McLaren at this stage.” Kravitz went on to say, “But McLaren, by Andrea Stella’s own admission tonight, are fourth. With the caveat that he is not quite sure about Verstappen, but he is sure that Ferrari and Mercedes are ahead of McLaren. That is the top story for me. Last year’s runaway champions, with the same engine as Mercedes, are fourth in the pecking order; that is what we are being told.”
“McLaren, by Andrea Stella’s own admission tonight, are fourth”;
https://www.f1oversteer.com/news/ted...-bahrain-test/
Lando Norris: We're not quick enough | 'McLaren not close to Ferrari right now'
12 Feb 2026
Sky Sports
Lando Norris says his McLaren was not close to Ferrari's pace during the second day of testing in Bahrain.
“We're not quick enough”;
https://www.skysports.com/f1/video/3...rari-right-now
Lando Norris admits Red Bull ‘a good step ahead of us’
13 Feb 2026
James Phillips
Motorsport Week
Norris cut a relaxed figure at the end of day two, confirming McLaren is still in a data gathering phase, and he is happy with progress. “I think so,” he confirmed to a question from Motorsport Week on car progression vs simulator data. “I feel like we made some steps from yesterday to today. The biggest thing is hopefully until next week we can make a bit more progress and make something of all the data we’ve been getting over the last few days.”
“There might be some little things I can do better, but that’s certainly not going to make the difference to what they’re doing. They have a very good power unit by the looks of things. They deploy and have a lot of efficiency.We need to understand how they have that. There’s always things I can maybe do a little bit. There’s some things as a McLaren side we can do a little bit, but also from a McLaren HPP side, and Mercedes, I think that they know there’s certainly areas we need to improve.”
“The Red Bulls seem to have done a very good job and the Ford powertrain seems to be very strong, so fair play to them. But at the minute, they’re a good step ahead of us. It’s tricky. Also, Australia is a very different track at the same time. But when someone just has a deployment advantage, that’s just a beautiful bit of lap time to have in your pocket. Without trying, you can just go quicker. We’ll see.”
“They’re a good step ahead of us”;
https://www.motorsportweek.com/2026/...p-ahead-of-us/
Norris offers worrying McLaren assessment in major Red Bull, Ferrari claim
13 Feb 2026
Samson Ero
GPblog.com
Lando Norris believes McLaren is currently behind both Red Bull Racing and Scuderia Ferrari in terms of pace with the start of the season on the horizon. Speaking to GPblog after his run on the second day of testing at the Bahrain International Circuit, the British driver acknowledged Red Bull’s clear advantage thanks to a highly efficient power unit.
“There might be some little things I can do better, but that's certainly not going to make the difference to what they're doing. They have a very good power unit by the looks of things; they deploy well and have a lot of efficiency. We need to understand how they have that,” Norris explained. Norris continued by highlighting that, despite a few areas McLaren can improve on regarding their powertrain, the Red Bull team appears to have executed their development exceptionally well.
“There are always things I can maybe do a little better, and there are some things we as a McLaren team can improve, but also from a McLaren HPP side, there's Mercedes. I think they know there are certainly areas we need to improve. But the Red Bulls seem to have done a very good job, and the Ford powertrain seems to be very strong, fair play to them. At the minute, they're a good step ahead of us,” he added.
“They deploy well and have a lot of efficiency. We need to understand how they have that”;
https://www.gpblog.com/en/news/norri...-ferrari-claim
McLaren’s hidden worry revealed as Lando Norris questions pace
Champion admits rivals may hold hidden advantage despite strong testing mileage
13 February 2026
John Smith
Total Motorsport
For all the encouraging signs coming out of the McLaren garage, the early 2026 testing picture is far more complicated than the timesheets suggest. Norris completed nearly a race weekend’s worth of distance in a single day, giving engineers valuable insight into tyre behaviour, software calibration, and energy usage patterns across different scenarios.
“There’s still plenty of things we need to get our head around, but I would say today was a good day for me in terms of understanding a lot of things and feeling more confident in the car,” Norris explained. “It’s fun looking into the details from today, looking at the information that we gathered, and them trying to turn it into a better power unit altogether.”
Norris also acknowledged that Ferrari appears competitive, suggesting McLaren may be facing pressure from multiple directions rather than a single dominant rival. “Also from a car point of view, they seem to be performing well, and we don’t seem to be quite at the level of the Ferrari either at the minute. I know we are going to improve, but I’m sure they are as well. We’ve got a pretty big step to make to be confident of beating them, that’s for sure.”
‘McLaren’s hidden worry’;
https://www.total-motorsport.com/mcl...cerns-bahrain/
McLaren put ‘pressure’ on Oscar Piastri to change his management before 2026 F1 season
14 Feb 2026
David Comerford
F1 Oversteer
F1-Insider put forward a different view of the situation. They say Piastri’s new direction ‘was not entirely voluntary’. One source told the publication that McLaren exerted ‘pressure’ after ‘tensions’ with the driver’s camp last year. The relationship was more ‘turbulent’ than it appeared from the outside.
There was a feeling that Webber was letting his own experiences, above all his title battle with Sebastian Vettel at Red Bull, unduly shape his advice to Piastri. Piastri says McLaren treated him fairly last season when he fought teammate Lando Norris for the world championship, shutting down any external accusations of bias. F1Oversteer has contacted McLaren for comment.
‘Piastri’s new direction was not entirely voluntary’;
https://www.f1oversteer.com/news/mcl...026-f1-season/
Aussie F1 star Oscar Piastri loses legendary driver Mark Webber as part of his trackside support team
Announcement comes less than a month out from 2026 F1 season
13 February 2026
MICHAEL PONTICELLO FOR DAILY MAIL AUSTRALIA
MailOnline
Aussie F1 star Oscar Piastri will begin the 2026 season without former Red Bull driver Mark Webber by his side on track. Webber, a five-time race winner, has stepped back from his trackside support role.
The 24-year-old finished third in the 2025 World Drivers’ Championship after leading the way for most of the season. Piastri has since tweaked his team behind the scenes. The McLaren driver is set to add Pedro Maria, his race engineer from his title-winning 2021 F2 season, to his network. Webber will also give up his on-track position within Piastri’s team.
‘Oscar Piastri will begin the 2026 season without former Red Bull driver Mark Webber’;
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/fo...port-team.html
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Vasseur downplays Ferrari hype | 'I don't think others are at the maximum'.
Fred Vasseur has downplayed the hype around Charles Leclerc's fast race simulation on day two of Bahrain, as he believes other teams are 'not at the maximum'.
13 Feb 2026
Sky Sports
‘Vasseur downplays Ferrari hype’;
https://www.skysports.com/f1/video/3...at-the-maximum
Vasseur explains why Ferrari achieved its target in Bahrain
14 Feb 2026
Balazs Szabo
F1 Technical
The Scuderia's team principal Frédéric Vasseur expressed clear satisfaction with the team’s approach, emphasising that Ferrari achieved exactly what it set out to do during this first phase of preparation for the 2026 season. Vasseur made it clear that Ferrari entered the test with a specific priority: mileage and understanding. As he explained, “Going into the season, the target was to make the most of the first test sessions by accumulating mileage and collecting as much data as possible.”
He stressed that the team had succeeded in this objective, adding, “So far, everything has gone well from an operational point of view, with good reliability and plenty of laps completed, which is important both for our preparation and to analyse the data back in the factory.” The Ferrari boss highlighted that the information gathered in Bahrain will play a crucial role in the team’s development path over the coming weeks. He stated, “We will use this information to continue improving the car and our understanding of all procedures.”
His comments underline Ferrari’s methodical approach: the team is not chasing lap times at this stage but building a foundation for performance later. Vasseur also made a point of separating early test mileage from outright competitiveness. He cautioned that performance is not yet the focus. “Performance is a separate matter: the priority at this stage is to build knowledge and put ourselves in the best possible position ahead of Melbourne, knowing that we still have time to make further steps forward.”
‘Ferrari achieved its target’;
https://www.f1technical.net/news/28225
Ferrari anticipate 'very intense' period after Barcelona shakedown findings
2 Feb 2026
Fergal Walsh
RacingNews365
Ferrari team principal Fred Vasseur is expecting his squad to endure a “very intense” period as it pores over the data collected from the Barcelona shakedown. Outlining what's upcoming on Ferrari's agenda, Vasseur said: “Next week, we'll be back at home. It will be very intense to have a look at what we collected the last couple of days, all the data, all the improvements that we have to do.”
As Ferrari prepares for the test, Vasseur asserted there are many items the Maranello-based squad will seek to get through. “We have tons of open topics for Bahrain,” he said. “In Bahrain, you have two times three [test] days. As usual, it will be very intense because it is just before race one, then we'll fly to Melbourne. It will probably be much more representative in Bahrain than it was this week.”
'Very intense';
https://racingnews365.com/ferrari-an...edown-findings
Ferrari highlight a 'mega good' aspect after Bahrain testing: 'I like this situation'
15 Feb 2026
Tobia Elia
GPblog.com
Frederic Vasseur believes it is “mega good” that Ferrari are flying under the radar during pre-season. “What is mega good is that nobody is speaking about us. I like this situation. We can be focused on ourselves” - Frederic Vasseur.
For Vasseur, who spoke with GPblog among other media, that is no bad thing at all: “What is mega good is that nobody is speaking about us. I like this situation. We can be focused on ourselves. Nobody knows the long stint of the Mercedes, if they are pushing or not, and nobody knows on the one-lap stint if we have 20 kilos, 40 kilos or 60 kilos. This is much more than the difference between the cars. The best way today is to shut up and to be focused on ourselves.”
'Mega good';
https://www.gpblog.com/en/news/ferra...this-situation
Lewis Hamilton reveals Ferrari ‘discoveries’ amid productive F1 test
15 Feb 2026
Jack Oliver Smith
Motorsport Week
Lewis Hamilton has revealed that Ferrari “made some good discoveries” in the first Formula 1 pre-season test in Bahrain, after what was a productive week for the Scuderia. “It’s been a positive week overall,” the seven-time World Champion said. “We completed a lot of laps and went through the full programme, which allowed us to gather plenty of useful data and learn more about the car.”
“The SF-26 has felt generally good, but this generation of car is quite complex and finding the right operating window, especially with the tyres, is key. We’ve made some good discoveries and also identified areas where we can improve. We still have another test ahead of us, which will be important to build on what we’ve learned and continue making progress.”
‘Discoveries’;
https://www.motorsportweek.com/2026/...ctive-f1-test/
George Russell suggests Ferrari may hold edge in F1 2026 race starts
15 Feb 2026
Jamie Woodhouse
PlanetF1.com
George Russell has observed that Ferrari can seemingly “run higher gears than other manufacturers,” which could benefit its launches. Race starts are a major topic ahead of the first race in Melbourne, with Oscar Piastri having raised safety concerns. Russell believes the sport has moved past that level of severity, but, the new engines are currently serving as an “engineering nightmare” for team personnel.
Russell suggested that Ferrari is seemingly at an advantage in that regard. With such sweeping regulation changes for F1 2026 on the chassis and engine side, drivers are having to adapt to various aspects of new F1 life. One area which is generating talk in the paddock, and concern in some quarters, is the race starts. Launching a Formula 1 car has become more complicated in F1 2026 with the new power units.
‘Ferrari may hold edge’;
https://www.planetf1.com/news/george...26-race-starts
Charles Leclerc sounds early alarm as Ferrari chase Red Bull and Mercedes in F1 2026
13 Feb 2026
John Smith
Total Motorsport
As Formula 1 edges closer to the start of its most radical rules overhaul in decades, Charles Leclerc has delivered a candid assessment of the F1 2026 pecking order that will concern Ferrari supporters. “It’s so difficult to understand,” Leclerc admitted.
“It was difficult with the previous generation of cars, but now with the hybrid and especially the electrical engine being so much more powerful, there are so many small tweaks that you can do, and you can hide the real potential of the car in many, many different ways now. So, it’s very, very difficult for us to understand exactly where we stand. What I’m happy of is that we are going through our programme. We didn’t have any reliability issues so far, and this is a good start.”
“Everything stacks up with what we expected. So that’s a good base to then start to work on and to improve. I think everybody is trying to throw the ball to the other guys, it’s normal at that point of the season,” Leclerc said. “I think Red Bull have shown very impressive things power unit wise since the start of the test, especially here. Mercedes are showing some very impressive things as well sometimes. But I would say they are hiding a lot more.”
“It’s so difficult to understand”;
https://www.total-motorsport.com/cha...bull-mercedes/
Ferrari man says Lewis Hamilton has now found a ‘comfortable’ driving style after one year
14 Feb 2026
David Comerford
F1 Oversteer
Lewis Hamilton is now setting top lap times ‘with ease’, says Marc Gene. Speaking to Sky Italy, Ferrari’s Marc Gene sounded hugely encouraged by Hamilton’s performance. He can now lap at an elite pace ‘with ease’. Last year, Hamilton was a level below teammate Charles Leclerc, who scored all seven Ferrari podiums and won the overall head-to-head 44-12.
Ferrari are naturally trying to downplay the growing hype, arguably a departure from tradition at Maranello. Gene suspects that pre-Bahrain favourites Mercedes are ‘hiding’ some performance. “Looking at Hamilton’s times on day three, I see he’s comfortable with his driving style,” the former F1 driver said. “You can see he’s setting times with ease. And that’s very positive for Ferrari, which needs two top-level drivers. Then there are the others, and you don’t know how much they’re hiding, especially Mercedes.” Lewis Hamilton can finally be ‘aggressive under braking’ in 2026 Ferrari, as Journalist Federico Albano has been studying Hamilton’s telemetry and has spotted another encouraging trend.
Hamilton is able to be ‘aggressive under braking’ in the SF-26, ‘something that was seen very little’ in 2025. This has historically been regarded as one of his main strengths. Hamilton is working with an interim engineer, Carlos Santi, in Bahrain… A permanent replacement, expected to be ex-McLaren man Cedric Grosjean, should arrive at the start of the season. The disruption will undoubtedly make Hamilton’s life harder, but if he and Ferrari can sustain their current level next week, he is sure to head to Melbourne with genuine optimism.
‘Lewis Hamilton can finally be aggressive under braking’;
https://www.f1oversteer.com/news/fer...fter-one-year/
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Ted Kravitz says Adrian Newey ‘has a plan’ to fix Aston Martin after poor Bahrain test showing.
Newey gave a ‘really direct and positive’ speech to the team about how he ‘has a plan’, according to Sky Sports Formula 1 Reporter, Ted Kravitz.
14 Feb 2026
Luke Newman
F1 Oversteer
During ‘Ted’s Testing Notebook‘, Kravitz said, “Adrian Newey is here, we have not seen him, he has been keeping very quiet in the back of the garage, and in the engineering office. He held a big debrief meeting the other day, and was apparently really direct and positive to everybody. The team are saying he said, ‘Right, I know this is not working at the moment, it is partly the Honda engine, it is a bit of the gearbox, it is a bit of aero, it is a bit of tyres, it is a bit of everything’.”
“Adrian Newey was being very positive in terms of this is how I am going to get us out of this mess. Because it is a bit of a hole that Aston Martin are in. Aston Martin might be behind Audi and just ahead of Cadillac in tenth place in the pecking order at the moment. But Newey has a plan!” After a difficult testing period across the Barcelona and Bahrain Formula 1 Tests, there have reportedly been explosive behind-the-scenes discussions. There have been rumours in the Formula 1 paddock that Stroll gave the Aston Martin engineers ‘a real dressing-down’ after their woes were made obvious at the Bahrain Test.
‘Newey gave a ‘really direct and positive’ speech’;
https://www.f1oversteer.com/news/ted...-test-showing/
Fernando Alonso: Aston Martin driver says team boss Adrian Newey gives him confidence they will eventually have 'the best car' in F1
Fernando Alonso is confident Aston Martin will achieve their long-term goals despite an underwhelming start to 2026 pre-season testing
15 Feb 2026
James Rees
F1 Chronicle
Fernando Alonso has no doubt that Aston Martin’s long term destination is clear. Asked what Newey is already contributing, Alonso was unequivocal.
“He has the experience. He has been in better times and tougher times, and I think we have a clear path of improvement,” Alonso said. “There are a lot of things we need to unlock. For us, this is really the first proper test because missing Barcelona was not ideal. We are going step by step and we’ve already identified areas to improve.”
“We said from the beginning that we might start on the back foot and be much stronger in the second part of the season, and I still believe that,” Alonso explained. “The second half of the year is when we need to be where we want to be.” Before then, change is coming quickly. Newey has already indicated that the car Aston Martin bring to the season opening Australian Grand Prix will be significantly different from the version seen in testing.
“Melbourne’s car will be very different,” Alonso confirmed. “I’ve seen some pictures and Adrian said the same at the launch. He’s someone who, for more than 30 years in Formula One, has been dominating this sport. Eventually, we will have the best car. It’s just a matter of time, and we want that time to be as short as possible.”
‘Alonso was unequivocal’;
https://f1chronicle.com/fernando-alo.../?nowprocket=1
Is Adrian Newey hiding true Aston Martin AMR26 until Melbourne?
17 Feb 2026
Jamie Woodhouse
PlanetF1.com
Juan Pablo Montoya believes Adrian Newey is holding something back – and that Aston Martin’s true AMR26 will not be revealed until Melbourne. Montoya is predicting that the AMR26 which we have seen in Barcelona and Bahrain is not the package which will be sent into battle at the season-opening Australian Grand Prix. Does Newey have a trick up his sleeve for the first race in Melbourne? Montoya, who worked with Newey at McLaren, reckons so.
“Apart from the Aston, you look at every car, they all look the same,” claimed Montoya via Vision4Sport. “So, it means either nobody figured it out or everybody’s sandbagging because they have figured something out. The aero packages are going to change a lot from now into Melbourne and knowing Adrian Newey, he is going to wait in Melbourne to run the package. Adrian is not going to run anything in the test.”
Montoya added: “Adrian Newey is a pessimist! So, it’s really hard to judge. And I worked with Adrian. Adrian will say things are okay, but he’s never happy. When he built the Red Bull that won every race a couple of years ago, he didn’t think they had such a great car. And he won 90 per cent of the races. Reading Adrian is very difficult because Adrian is never happy and I think that’s one of the key reasons why Adrian is so good, because he’s never satisfied with what he has.”
‘Juan Pablo Montoya believes Adrian Newey is holding something back’;
https://www.planetf1.com/news/adrian...oya-prediction
David Croft backs Adrian Newey to solve Aston Martin’s 2026 development problems
13 Feb 2026
Tyler Rowlinson
F1 Oversteer
David Croft tells F1 fans to watch Adrian Newey ‘work his magic’ amid Aston Martin struggles. But F1 commentator David Croft backs Newey to solve Aston Martin’s issues and build them towards the front… “He was, he admits it himself, four months late coming to the party to design this year’s car and they suffered a little bit, because the wind tunnel wasn’t online straight away, and they’re playing catch-up,” he said.
“So don’t expect Aston Martin to be out of the box, fastest car in Australia. That I think, is a hope that you can all have, but an unrealistic hope, given what the team are predicting for 2026. But in a development race for this season, watch this car throughout the year and watch Adrian Newey try and work his magic. So I think the car looks spectacular. I’m led to believe it’s a little bit heavy and the power unit is down on power. But once they fix a few bugs and get the weight down a bit, well, that’s when I think you’ll see Aston Martin come into form.”
Anthony Davidson then said: “Honda have done it before in the past and I’m sure they’ll do it again. It’s now, by all accounts, a brand-new team of people that have been working on that power unit.” To which Croft added: “Well, they all got scattered to the wind, didn’t they, when they pulled out, before they then said: ‘Oh no, we’ll stay in it’, and actually, we’ve got no one left.”
‘Work his magic’;
https://www.f1oversteer.com/news/dav...ment-problems/
Explained: The issue that hit Adrian Newey’s radical Aston Martin in F1 testing
Aston Martin had limited running on Wednesday at the Bahrain F1 test
12 Feb 2026
Lewis Duncan
Crash.Net
Adrian Newey’s aggressive Aston Martin Formula 1 car managed only limited mileage on the opening day of the 2026 Bahrain test due to a “data anomaly” in the engine. Aston Martin turned heads late last month when the team’s aggressive AMR26 hit the track in the Barcelona shakedown.
Aston Martin has confirmed that an “anomaly” was detected in the power unit, which required investigation and kept Stroll sidelined for some time in the afternoon. “The Honda team detected a data anomaly with the power unit in the afternoon, which required further analysis and limited Lance’s running.” As a result of the limited track running, Stroll was second-to-last in the standings with a 1m39.883s compared to a 1m34.669s from pacesetter Lando Norris in the McLaren.
‘Limited running’;
https://www.crash.net/f1/news/108923...tin-f1-testing
Why Newey’s 2026 Aston Martin is so far behind already
Feb 13, 2026
Scott Mitchell-Malm
The Race
Aston Martin is "clearly behind" at the start of its new Honda-powered era under the leadership of Formula 1 technical great Adrian Newey. "Looking back is always easy, in terms of how we should have, shouldn't have – it doesn't work in motorsport," said Team representative Pedro de la Rosa. "But if we had possibly started earlier, if Adrian would have been here not March 2, but a few months earlier, if Honda wouldn't have gone and then come back - it's ifs and buts.”
"Bottom line is we are slow, we're not where we want to be, let's get a plan together. We know exactly what's wrong, and work on it. So let's look ahead, not look back at what went wrong, what we didn't [do]. It's very easy to blame the time and that we started late. It was many reasons. The important thing is that we know what they are, really. That's what gives us the confidence that slowly, gradually, the difference will shrink. We are clearly behind and when you are losing or you're missing that amount of time, it's clearly the overall package.”
“You cannot say it's this or the other, because a lot of areas where we have already identified clearly and we are already working in Silverstone to address them. It won't be an overnight fix, it's not a five-minute job, it's obviously a lot of work involved, a lot of learning, a lot of optimising. But we have the confidence that we have the team, have the resources, we have everything in place. So yes, we are not where we want to be, but we have the people. And this is the most important thing."
“It won't be an overnight fix, it's not a five-minute job”;
https://www.the-race.com/formula-1/w...ehind-already/
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Leclerc sets the pace on first morning of the second pre-season test in Bahrain.
Charles Leclerc set the benchmark on Wednesday morning in Bahrain, clocking a 1:33.739 to top the timesheets as pre season testing resumed. His lap put him three tenths clear of Lando Norris, while Mercedes rookie Kimi Antonelli followed another tenth behind.
18 Feb 2026
Balazs Szabo
F1 Technical
The morning opened with Esteban Ocon immediately heading out when the pit lane went green at 10:00 local time, beginning a productive run that placed him seventh on the timesheet. Several teams ran with large aerodynamic rakes, prioritizing data collection during their early laps.
As the track evolved, drivers began pushing harder. Nico Hülkenberg briefly dipped two wheels into the gravel, while Fernando Alonso and 2026 rookie Arvid Lindblad each had lively moments at the final corner. Despite the scare, Lindblad logged the highest lap count of the morning, completing a full race distance for Racing Bulls.
‘Leclerc sets the pace’;
https://www.f1technical.net/news/28256
Ferrari’s Leclerc tops leaderboard mid-day in Bahrain
18/02/2026
Michael Delaney
F1i.com
Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc laid down an early marker as Formula 1’s second and final 2026 pre-season test burst into life under the Bahrain sun on Wednesday morning, with teams wasting no time in exploring the limits of their radically new machinery. The morning proved more challenging for others. Red Bull’s programme was disrupted by a water system issue that sharply limited Isack Hadjar’s track time, leaving him with only a handful of laps compared to his rivals.
Aston Martin also encountered technical gremlins tied to its new Honda power unit, sidelining Fernando Alonso for extended periods and restricting his overall mileage. Esteban Ocon quietly put together a solid session for Haas, finishing ahead of Alonso on the timesheets, while Nico Hulkenberg delivered steady progress for Audi in ninth.
Bahrain test - Day 4: Session times mid-day
# Driver Team Gap Time Laps
1 Charles Leclerc Ferrari - 1:33.739 70
2 Lando Norris McLaren +0.313 1:34.052 54
3 Andrea Kimi Antonelli Mercedes +0.419 1:34.158 69
4 Alex Albon Williams +1.951 1:35.690 55
5 Pierre Gasly Alpine +2.159 1:35.898 61
6 Isack Hadjar Red Bull +2.449 1:36.188 13
7 Esteban Ocon Haas +2.679 1:36.418 65
8 Fernando Alonso Aston Martin +2.797 1:36.536 20
9 Nico Hulkenberg Audi +3.002 1:36.741 49
10 Arvid Lindblad Racings Bulls +3.030 1:36.769 75
11 Sergio Pérez Cadillac +4.452 1:38.191 24
‘Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc laid down an early marker’;
https://f1i.com/news/559294-ferraris...n-bahrain.html
Lewis Hamilton ‘more connected’ to 2026 car as he delivers positive F1 testing verdict
18 Feb 2026
Ian Mangan
Crash.Net
“I generally feel personally in the best place that I've been in a long, long time with rearranging things within my team.” Lewis Hamilton said. “And then, with the car, I think we started off quite well so far. And it's an exciting time with this new generation of car as well because it's all brand new.
“We're all trying to figure it out on the go. And as where last year we were locked into a car that ultimately I inherited, this is a car that I've been able to be a part of developing on the simulator for the last, you know, 10 months, 8 months. And, and so like a bit of my DNA is within it. So I'm more connected to this one for sure.”
"My belief in the team is still absolutely the same. 100% faith in this team and what they're capable of. And that's why I joined the team. I knew it wasn't going to be an overnight thing where we'd have success immediately. That's why I signed a longer deal"
‘More connected’;
https://www.crash.net/f1/news/108972...ive-f1-testing
Mercedes rivals hold ‘cloak and dagger’ meeting in F1 paddock as alliance forms in engine dispute
18 Feb 2026
Luke Newman
F1 Oversteer
The meeting was discussed on X on Wednesday morning, when Planet F1 journalist Thomas Maher posted about its occurrence. Of the five power unit suppliers, four were present at the meeting, as Audi, Ferrari, Honda and Red Bull discussed Mercedes’ power unit without the German manufacturer present. The FIA cleared Mercedes’ engine in ‘secret checks’ ahead of the Bahrain Test, but it will once again be discussed as Ferrari and Red Bull are pushing for further examinations.
Maher said, ‘All very cloak and dagger in the paddock this morning. ‘Aside from the F1 commission meeting, we’re hearing there is an unofficial meeting of the power unit manufacturers, rather than the full PUAC. But said meeting won’t have Mercedes at the table…’
‘Cloak and dagger’;
https://www.f1oversteer.com/news/mer...ngine-dispute/
Red Bull hit major issue in Bahrain as Isack Hadjar is forced to stop testing immediately
18 Feb 2026
Samson Ero
GPblog.com
Red Bull Racing driver, Isack Hadjar, witnessed his running come to an abrupt halt during the morning session on Day 1 at the Bahrain International Circuit after suffering a water system issue with his car, GPblog can confirm. The young French driver, who is scheduled to run the RB22 throughout the opening day, managed just 13 laps before the problem struck.
Prior to the setback, Hadjar’s best time was a 1:36.188, placing him sixth on the timing sheets at the time of the stoppage.
‘Red Bull hit major issue’;
https://www.gpblog.com/en/breaking-n...ng-immediately
Jolyon Palmer says Alex Albon’s Williams looked like an ‘absolute dog’ from trackside in F1 testing
18 Feb 2026
Ben Evans
F1 Oversteer
Jolyon Palmer described Williams’ 2026 Formula 1 car as an ‘absolute dog’ after watching Alex Albon during the first morning of Bahrain testing. Williams had the slowest start to 2026 of any team after failing to make it to the Circuit de Catalunya at the end of January. However, Alex Albon and Carlos Sainz did plenty of running during the first week of testing in Bahrain, completing as many laps as McLaren over all three days.
Williams are facing issues reaching the minimum weight limit, but appear to be a step ahead of the likes of newcomers Cadillac and Aston Martin. Jolyon Palmer was watching on the first morning of testing from the inside of turn four, and wasn’t particularly encouraged by what he saw from the FW48. “Let’s have a look at Charles Leclerc then, because I think the Ferrari looks really impressive here.”
“We can see him coming in towards turn four, barrelling in speed, and then you can see it getting a little bit light on the exit as he heads up towards turns five, six, and then seven. This is my first experience watching these new cars out on track. I mean, some of them look quite tricky. The Williams, Albon just came through, and it looked like an absolute dog on the entry, nearly had a full spin of the car on the way into the apex.”
‘Absolute dog’;
https://www.f1oversteer.com/news/jol...in-f1-testing/
Dramatic Aston Martin spin causes first red flag of final F1 test
18 Feb 2026
Jack Cozens
The Race
Lance Stroll brought out the first red flag of Formula 1's final pre-season test in Bahrain as his Aston Martin ended up in the gravel trap one hour into Wednesday's second session. The AMR26 snapped to the left as Stroll approached the Turn 11 left-hander, with the car spat out into the gravel as a result.
Replays appeared to suggest that the car lost drive as Stroll went to downshift for the corner under braking. The car was removed via a recovery crane while the session was neutralised, with the red flag lasting for seven minutes.
‘Dramatic Aston Martin spin’;
https://www.the-race.com/formula-1/a...test-red-flag/
Bernie Collins thinks Honda camera inspection found ‘detrimental’ issue for Aston Martin in Bahrain
18 Feb 2026
Kyle Archer
F1 Oversteer
Former Aston Martin strategist Collins saw Honda’s engineers use a borescope to look inside the engine in Alonso’s car, before team bosses then quickly gathered to discuss the findings. The mood in the Aston Martin garage also gave Collins the feeling that there was a big issue.
Collins said on the official F1 broadcast (18/02, 09:11): “Well, I have a theory, more than a line, if you like.”
“We’ve just been stood outside Aston Martin. We were having a little look around. But as we did that, the screens pulled across in front of us in full blockage. I think what’s happened at Aston, just from observing, is that they had a borescope out of the back of the engine. So, that was the Honda mechanics and engineers sort of using a little camera to look inside the engine and see what’s going on there. I think they found something quite detrimental.”
“And that sounds like that could stop the car for quite a while if they find an issue internally in the engine. As they sort of looked at the screen, there was a little bit of discussion in the garage about it. Then the screens came across, and I think that will curtail their running significantly as we just watched the engineers step off the pit wall and into the garage.”
‘Honda camera inspection found ‘detrimental’ issue’;
https://www.f1oversteer.com/news/ber...in-in-bahrain/
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Russell edges out Piastri as testing resumes.
George Russell sets the initial pace in Bahrain as the FIA trials a revised starting procedure. 21 of this season's drivers were on duty today as testing resumed in Bahrain…
18/02/2026
Pitpass
Between them the drivers completed 1,156 laps, the second fewest since the first day of testing last Wednesday. Pace-setter Russell completed the most (76), ahead of Arvid Lindblad (75) and Valtteri Bottas (71), while Sergio Perez (24) completed the fewest. Mercedes (145) was the team with the most laps under its belt, ahead of Racing Bulls (136) and McLaren (124), while Red Bull completed just 66, Cadillac 59 and Aston Martin 54.
Like last week we saw lock-ups and offs aplenty, however there was only one red flag over the course of the day, Lance Stroll going off at Turn 11 an hour into the afternoon after his rears locked in what some saw as a gearbox related issue. We saw lots of drivers trying to see how close they can follow rivals under the new regs, with Kimi Antonelli pulling off one of the best moves of the day when he nailed Alex Albon in Turn 13.
We saw lots of drivers trying to see how close they can follow rivals under the new regs, with Kimi Antonelli pulling off one of the best moves of the day when he nailed Alex Albon in Turn 13. As ever, the start of the day saw the aero sensors in use, while flo-vis was in evidence throughout the session, Ferrari, in particular using it right up until the chequered flag.
‘Russell edges out Piastri’;
https://www.pitpass.com/82067/Russel...esting-resumes
F1 testing: Day 1 results from second Bahrain test
18 Feb 2026
Henry Valantine
PlanetF1.com
The first day’s running is complete in the final week of F1 testing, with 21 of the 22 drivers having taken to the track in Bahrain. Charles Leclerc topped the morning session, before George Russell took over as 21 of the 22 drivers got behind the wheel on the fourth day of official testing
It was the first day of the second official test in Bahrain, but the fourth day overall as the teams look to finetune their packages and get on top of things as best they can ahead of the new season. Only Red Bull’s Isack Hadjar had a full day behind the wheel, but after being limited to 13 laps in the morning, faced a catch-up battle in the afternoon to clock as many laps as he could.
F1 results: Bahrain pre-season test: Day 4
1. 1. George Russell Mercedes 1:33.459 (76 laps)
2. 2. Oscar Piastri McLaren +0.010 (70 laps)
3. 3. Charles Leclerc Ferrari +0.280 (70 laps)
4. 4. Lando Norris McLaren +0.593 (54 laps)
5. 5. Kimi Antonelli Mercedes +0.699 (69 laps)
6. 6. Isack Hadjar Red Bull +0.801 (66 laps)
7. 7. Lewis Hamilton Ferrari +0.840 (44 laps)
8. 8. Carlos Sainz Williams +1.654 (56 laps)
9. 9. Franco Colapinto Alpine +1.795 (60 laps)
10. 10. Gabriel Bortoleto Audi +1.804 (71 laps)
11. 11. Alex Albon Williams +2.231 (55 laps)
12. 12. Liam Lawson Racing Bulls +2.294 (61 laps)
13. 13. Ollie Bearman Haas +2.319 (42 laps)
14. 14. Pierre Gasly Alpine +2.439 (61 laps)
15. 15. Lance Stroll Aston Martin +2.515 (26 laps)
16. 16. Esteban Ocon Haas +2.959 (65 laps)
17. 17. Fernando Alonso Aston Martin +3.077 (28 laps)
18. 18. Nico Hulkenberg Audi +3.282 (49 laps)
19. 19. Arvid Lindblad Racing Bulls +3.310 (75 laps)
20. 20. Valtteri Bottas Cadillac +3.339 (35 laps)
21. 21. Sergio Perez Cadillac +4.732 (24 laps)
‘Day 1 results’;
https://www.planetf1.com/news/f1-tes...6-bahrain-test
What we learned from Day 1 of the second 2026 pre-season test in Bahrain
18 Feb 2026
Lawrence Barretto
Formula One - Official Site
Ferrari's form gets people talking. Ferrari have gone under the radar a little in pre-season testing, with rival Mercedes saying Red Bull are favourites while Red Bull were calling the Silver Arrows the ones to beat – but on Day 1 in Bahrain, the Italians joined the party with an impressive showing.
The Scuderia brought a neat little wing that sat behind the exhaust in a bid to add more downforce and stability. It's one of a number of new parts they are expected to bring to Bahrain this week as they finalise their 'race one' spec car for the opener in Australia.
Seven-time World Champion Lewis Hamilton lost around 90 minutes of track time in the afternoon while the team sorted an issue, but he was able to get back out for the final hour or so of running before the FIA carried out a start procedure test.
‘Ferrari's form gets people talking’;
https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/a...RM2yPHXsSqyMCs
Mercedes' best day? Final F1 2026 pre-season test long runs so far
18 Feb 2026
Valentin Khorounzhiy
The Race
The Mercedes W17 looked in strong shape in Kimi Antonelli's hands in the morning and George Russell's hands later on. Particularly in the most representative conditions, across the penultimate and final hour, Russell was the fastest and most consistent on track.
A couple of runs here (notably Oscar Piastri's best and Franco Colapinto's best) are seemingly flattered by drivers starting them with a fast flying lap, but this isn't the case for the Mercedes cars. Red Bull should like what it saw from Hadjar, more on the C3 than the C4 (which in any case is of dubious value as a long-run tyre).
Leclerc's five-lap effort from the very start of the day for Ferrari is also quite reasonable, but the sample size there just isn't as robust as it is for Mercedes and its extensive selection of long runs. Of the other teams, it remains notable that the late-arriving Williams just hasn't done any meaningfully fast long runs across the two Bahrain tests so far, and that Aston Martin still cannot stay on track for long enough to be included in any of our calculations.
‘Mercedes' best day?’;
https://www.the-race.com/formula-1/m...g-runs-so-far/
HIGHLIGHTS: Catch up on the action from Day 1 of the second 2026 pre-season test in Bahrain
18 Feb 2026
Formula One - Official Site
George Russell and Mercedes topped the timesheets as the second and final pre-season test of 2026 kicked off in Bahrain. Russell worked his way down to a best time of 1m 33.459s across Wednesday afternoon’s session, putting him just 0.010s clear of Piastri, and just under three-tenths up on Leclerc.
There were plenty of slips and slides throughout the day as drivers pushed the limits of their new cars, including a spin for Aston Martin’s Lance Stroll that brought out the red flags. Watch the highlights from Day 1 of the final 2026 pre-season test in Bahrain at the top of the page.
‘Catch up on the action’;
https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/a...nkOxASFJ73Y0NF
Russell smashes Verstappen's benchmark in new race simulations
18 Feb 2026
Shanna Lutgert
GPblog.com
The opening day of week two of Bahrain testing is now in the books, and across the paddock teams appear to be steadily turning up the wick. This time around, Mercedes have gone quicker than the benchmark Verstappen set last week. Time to dig into the numbers.
The table below shows the long runs from the morning session of day 1 in the second test week in Bahrain, compared with Verstappen’s benchmark from the week before.
Lap VER M benchmark week 1 VER H benchmark NOR (H) ANT (M) LR1 ANT (M) LR2 LEC (M) LR1 LEC (M) LR2
1 1:38,184 1:37,427 1:39,301 1:37,421 1:37,585 1:38,716 1:38,092
2 1:38,458 1:37,734 1:39,544 1:37,497 1:37,758 1:38,616 1:38,598
3 1:38,926 1:38,066 1:40,136 1:37,637 1:37,612 1:38,755 1:38,209
4 1:38,551 1:37,867 1:40,645 1:37,514 1:37,657 1:38,363 1:38,448
5 1:39,318 1:37,845 1:40,375 1:37,694 1:37,763 1:38,640 x
6 1:38,838 1:37,865 1:40,790 1:37,818 1:37,857 1:38,525 1:39,052
7 1:39,079 1:38,059 1:41,552 1:37,838 1:38,135 1:39,227 1:39,183
8 1:39,094 1:38,148 x 1:38,120 1:37,778 1:39,249 1:39,894
9 1:38,991 1:39,397 x x 1:39,665 1:40,049
10 1:39,593 1:39,459 1:38,519 1:37,532 1:39,434 1:39,965
11 1:39,610 1:39,536 1:37,735 1:39,659 1:40,752
12 1:39,708 1:37,699 1:39,637
13 1:40,707 1:37,595 x
14 1:39,763 1:37,705
15 1:39,917 1:37,414
16 1:40,684 1:37,749
17 1:37,691
18 1:37,731
Average 1:38,803 1:37,876 1:40,106 1:37,959 1:37,823 1:39,041 1:39,224
‘Russell smashes Verstappen's benchmark’;
https://www.gpblog.com/en/analysis/r...ce-simulations
Bernie Collins declares Aston Martin the ‘slowest’ car in testing despite interesting rake solution
18 Feb 2026
Ben Evans
F1 Oversteer
Aston Martin’s 2026 F1 car the ‘slowest’ during Bahrain testing despite Adrian Newey’s rake solution. Collins, the former strategist was standing on the inside of turn five. Reviewing the cars as they came past, Collins said: “You’ve got the McLaren here coming through slowly.
“The Racing Bulls here is very put together, it’s very stable through that corner every lap that I’ve seen him [Liam Lawson] come through. The car that’s looked the slowest, so far, I would say, is actually the Aston Martin. But one thing we noticed through this part of the track in particular is how much rake the Aston Martin car has. It’s very down at the front compared to the rear…”
‘Bernie Collins declares Aston Martin the ‘slowest’ car’;
https://www.f1oversteer.com/news/ber...rake-solution/
-
Norris leads Verstappen and Russell on second morning of final Bahrain test.
McLaren topped the times from Red Bull and Mercedes during Thursday morning’s session in the Sakhir desert.
19 Feb 2026
Formula One - Official Site
Lando Norris posted the fastest time as pre-season testing continued at the Bahrain International Circuit on Thursday, leading the way from Max Verstappen and George Russell. McLaren driver Norris clocked a 1m 33.453s during the first four-hour session of the day, putting him just over a tenth ahead of Red Bull rival Verstappen, and some six-tenths up on Mercedes man Russell.
Norris and Russell both worked their way past race distances in productive outings, before they move aside for team mates Oscar Piastri and Kimi Antonelli this afternoon – five teams opting to swap drivers over lunch, and six sticking with a single driver all day. Alex Albon, Ollie Bearman and Franco Colapinto also got a solid amount of mileage on the board for Williams, Haas and Alpine, placing fourth, sixth and seventh respectively, and sandwiching the Audi of Gabriel Bortoleto.
‘Lando Norris posted the fastest time’;
https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/a...zOdaSertYVBl9c
Norris blasts to P1 in Bahrain as Hamilton, Ferrari hit chaos
19 Feb 2026
Samson Ero
GPblog.com
Lando Norris topped the timing sheet in the morning session in Bahrain, edging out Max Verstappen and George Russell. The McLaren driver, who started the day much like he did yesterday, set the fastest lap at 1:33.453, just over a tenth quicker than Verstappen.
Bahrain testing – Day 2 morning session: full results
POS Driver Time Gap
1 Norris 1:33.453 —
2 Verstappen 1:33.584 +0.131
3 Russell 1:34.111 +0.658
4 Albon 1:35.130 +1.677
5 Bortoleto 1:35.263 +1.810
6 Bearman 1:35.279 +1.826
7 Colapinto 1:35.506 +2.053
8 Lawson 1:36.959 +3.506
9 Alonso 1:37.472 +4.019
10 Hamilton 1:39.670 +6.217
11 Bottas 1:40.193 +6.740
‘Norris blasts to P1’;
https://www.gpblog.com/en/breaking-n...rari-hit-chaos
F1 engine saga 'solution' creates more questions than answers
19 Feb 2026
Jon Noble
The Race
This year, as part of the F1 2026 regulations, engine manufacturers have been given the means to make improvements to their power units if they are well behind. Under what is known as the Additional Development and Upgrade Opportunities (ADUO) system, those that are behind can implement upgrades, extend usage of test benches and adjust cost spending.
There are three periods - races 1-6, 7-12 and 13-18 – when engine performances will be measured. If the FIA deems a manufacturer to be between 2% and 4% off the best, then it will be allowed one additional upgrade in-season; if it is more than 4% off by the FIA's test parameters then it will get two upgrades. But with the first period ending after the Miami Grand Prix in early May, any manufacturer that falls within the 2-4% window set out by the FIA will then face a call on what to do in terms of committing to compression ratio exploitation.
Does it introduce something early that pushes things to the max but could struggle with the new August 1 checks, or does it do something that it knows is good for the long haul? So rather than the looming compression ratio rule change bringing the flag down on the controversy, it appears instead to have fired the starting gun on even more development headaches.
‘More questions than answers’;
https://www.the-race.com/formula-1/f...-than-answers/
Ferrari’s new rear wing gives Lewis Hamilton ’10km/h’ speed boost in ‘first telemetry data’
19 Feb 2026
David Comerford
F1 Oversteer
Craig Scarborough had to check it wasn’t ‘April 1st’ after seeing Ferrari rear wing. Writing on X, F1 technical expert Craig Scarborough said, ‘I’m just checking the date isn’t April 1st’, in response to a screenshot of the Ferrari wing. Bizarrely, the logos of title sponsor HP had flipped.
While Scarborough was clearly joking, his remark underlines just how radical Ferrari’s approach really is. In further encouragement for Ferrari, Anthony Davidson said Hamilton finally looked ‘at home’ in the car during Wednesday’s running. Hamilton was only seventh-fastest but Davidson said the ‘body language’ of the car suited Hamilton, who never looked comfortable in the SF-25 last season.
Ferrari unlock more straight-line speed with radical F1 testing wing. While Hamilton’s stint was brief, journalist Simone Peluso noticed an immediate uptick in the ‘first telemetry data’. He apparently gained ‘8-10km/h’ on the straights relative to the earlier spec. The sample size is too small to draw any firm conclusions, but if the design is genuinely that potent, other teams are bound to copy it immediately.
‘Lewis Hamilton ’10km/h’ speed boost’;
https://www.f1oversteer.com/news/fer...elemetry-data/
Blistering Lewis Hamilton practice start adds more weight to Ferrari F1 2026 theory
19 Feb 2026
Michelle Foster
PlanetF1.com
Lewis Hamilton’s blistering practice start in Bahrain testing has added to the theory that Ferrari could have an advantage off the line in the F1 2026 season. The Ferrari driver lined up behind George Russell on the grid with Lando Norris on the other side.
Hamilton had to dive to his right to avoid the Mercedes driver, such was his leap off the line. Russell spun his tyres as the lights went out, while Norris didn’t even move off the line. Launches have emerged as a contentious issue this pre-season as the drivers are struggling to get their new F1 2026 power units into the ideal start configuration.
It stems from the removal of the MGU-H, which previously helped cover up turbo lag across the lower rev range, and without it, the cars are taking more time to prepare for launch. The FIA announced on Thursday morning that the drivers could practice starts on the grid at the Bahrain International Circuit at the end of both sessions on Thursday, as well as Friday.
‘Blistering Lewis Hamilton’;
https://www.planetf1.com/news/lewis-...practice-start
No respite for Alonso as yet another AMR26 failure triggers red flag in Bahrain
19 Feb 2026
Tobia Elia
GPblog.com
Alonso triggered the first red flag of day two in Bahrain testing after being forced to pull over and park his AMR26. Another unlucky day for Aston Martin on the reliability front, after yesterday saw Lance Stroll caught out by an unusual spin caused by a technical issue that left him beached in the gravel and cost the team significant track time before he could rejoin.
A similar story unfolded for Alonso, with the Spaniard encountering an as-yet unidentified problem on the exit of Turn 2, losing the driveshaft completely and being forced to pull over and park his AMR26 at the exit of Turn 3. Up to that point, Alonso had completed 45 laps — 40 of them during the morning session — and it remains unclear whether the mechanics will be able to repair the car in time for the final three hours of running.
‘No respite for Alonso’;
https://www.gpblog.com/en/news/no-re...lag-in-bahrain
Aston Martin have ‘a lot of work ahead’ after falling behind rivals in Bahrain
19 Feb 2026
Luke Newman
F1 Oversteer
After four days of testing at the Bahrain International Circuit, there have been many concerned faces in the Aston Martin garage. Albert Fabrega discussed what he has noticed from watching Aston Martin throughout the Bahrain test so far. Fabrega said, “It seems that at Aston Martin, they are not getting themselves out of the hole that they have gotten themselves into for several reasons.”
“Not only because of the power unit, but also due to what we are seeing when the car is on the track. The lock-ups, the track exits, as we have seen from Lance Stroll, which does not help the few laps that they are doing. Or how badly the car behaved when Fernando Alonso tried to push this morning.”
“Things are being unlocked as we have seen a bit more speed across a lap, but it seems when they push the accelerator a little, it does not work, it breaks, and it is difficult to drive. They have a lot of work ahead.” Claims in the paddock suggest Aston Martin are disappointed in Adrian Newey.
‘Concerned faces in the Aston Martin garage’;
https://www.f1oversteer.com/news/ast...ls-in-bahrain/
