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Antonelli keeps Mercedes on top as Aston Martin stop again on penultimate test day.
Andrea Kimi Antonelli lowered the best time seen so far in testing to 1’32.803, getting within three seconds of last year’s pole position time at the Bahrain International Circuit.
19th Feb 2026
Keith Collantine
RaceFans
Max Verstappen was the first driver to improve on the quickest time from the first part of the day’s test. He went on to cover the highest mileage of any driver on the penultimate day. Oscar Piastri eventually returned McLaren to the top of the times with a best lap of 1’32.861. However with less than an hour remaining Antonelli narrowly beat that in his Mercedes.
Having done only five laps in the morning, Lewis Hamilton was quick to rejoin the track when the session resumed. Ferrari switched back to their conventional rear wing design having tested an unusual new model which rotated its main flap 180 degrees when activated. With around 20 minutes left, Hamilton moved up to fourth place in the times. The Ferrari arguably looked best when teams performed their practice starts at the end of the session, Hamilton pulling off the line noticeably more smoothly than his rivals and arriving at the first corner before them.
Only nine cars participated in the race start test at the end of the day. It briefly looked like there would only be eight, as Piastri had trouble changing up from first gear as he left the pits and temporarily parked in the turn one bypass before rejoining.
‘Antonelli keeps Mercedes on top’;
https://www.racefans.net/2026/02/19/...mate-test-day/
Test Times: Bahrain 19-02
19/02/2026
Pitpass
Today's Times - All Times Unofficial
Name Team Tyres Laps Time Gap
Antonelli Mercedes C3 79 1:32.803 129.548 mph
Piastri McLaren C3 86 1:32.861 0.058
Verstappen Red Bull C3 139 1:33.162 0.359
Hamilton Ferrari C3 78 1:33.408 0.605
Norris McLaren C4 72 1:33.453 0.650
Colapinto Alpine C5 120 1:33.818 1.015
Hulkenberg Audi C4 73 1:33.987 1.184
Russell Mercedes C3 77 1:34.111 1.308
Ocon Haas C4 58 1:34.201 1.398
Lawson Racing Bulls C4 106 1:34.532 1.729
Best Times To Date
Date Driver Team Tyres Time Gap
19-Feb Antonelli Mercedes C3 1:32.803 129.548 mph
19-Feb Piastri McLaren C3 1:32.861 0.058
19-Feb Verstappen Red Bull C3 1:33.162 0.359
19-Feb Hamilton Ferrari C3 1:33.408 0.605
19-Feb Norris McLaren C4 1:33.453 0.650
18-Feb Russell Mercedes C3 1:33.459 0.656
18-Feb Leclerc Ferrari C3 1:33.739 0.936
19-Feb Colapinto Alpine C5 1:33.818 1.015
19-Feb Hulkenberg Audi C4 1:33.987 1.184
18-Feb Norris McLaren C3 1:34.052 1.249
‘Test Times’;
https://www.pitpass.com/82071/Test-Times-Bahrain-19-02
Max Verstappen leads the way on laps, while Ferrari hit problems on Day 2 in Bahrain
19 Feb
Henry Eccles
GPblog.com
Max Verstappen led the way on laps completed on Day 2 of the final week of winter testing in Bahrain, the four-time world champion was the sole Red Bull driver on track on Thursday, completing 138 laps in total.
Bahrain Test 2, Day 2: lap count per driver
1 Verstappen 139
2 Colapinto 120
3 Albon 117
4 Lawson 106
5 Piastri 86
6 Antonelli 79
7 Hamilton 78
8 Russell 77
9 Hulkenberg 73
10 Norris 72
‘Lap count’;
https://www.gpblog.com/en/news/max-v...y-2-in-bahrain
Antonelli quickest on Day 2
19/02/2026
Pitpass
It's been said that the upgrades will come thick and fast this season, and Red Bull has already introduced a new floor, engine cover and sidepods, with other teams also adding new bits here and there as the data is analysed.
Yesterday, Lawrence Stroll was spotted in conversation with Adrian Newey and Enrico Cardile. Nothing strange about that you might say, but the discussion was outside the team's motor home on the veranda, which allowed at least one enterprising soul to use AI to try and lipread their conversation.
"Red Bull looked really good until we started talking about their power unit and they turned it down, which is amusing," said James Vowles. "Of course, it is never that simple," he admitted, "but it is true the moment one team appears to be cranking up the pace, they immediately reverse into the pack to try to hide again.”
‘Upgrades will come thick and fast this season’;
https://www.pitpass.com/82072/Antone...ckest-on-Day-2
Seven things we learned from day two of F1 2026's final pre-season test
19 Feb 2026
The Race
Ferrari's taken everyone by surprise
Two lessons from race start practice
Aston Martin is only fighting Cadillac right now
Mercedes angry but still ominous
F1's 'big four' have a big margin
Trials for energy management fixes
Overtake mode isn't worth much
‘Seven’;
https://www.the-race.com/formula-1/s...e-season-test/
Mercedes too strong for Verstappen and Red Bull in bizarrely fast long runs
19 Feb 2026
Shanna Lutgert
GPblog.com
Max Verstappen set the benchmark during the first test week in Bahrain, but it was shattered on day five by George Russell. On Thursday, Mercedes appeared to be a step ahead, while Ferrari also joined the party. George Russell also chose three stints and ran slightly longer runs than Verstappen. Norris completed one longer long run on the medium tire. What immediately stands out is that Mercedes is significantly faster than Verstappen this time around.
Does Wolff have nothing to fear anymore? Last week, the four-time world champion was over a second quicker than the German team, but now it’s the other way around. At the start of test week one, Toto Wolff still feared that Red Bull Racing would pull far ahead of Mercedes. For now, that doesn’t seem to be the case. Wolff sounded much more positive on Thursday in Bahrain.
‘Wolff positive’;
https://www.gpblog.com/en/analysis/m...fast-long-runs
David Croft calls Lewis Hamilton’s Ferrari a ‘rocket launcher’ after F1 testing practice start
19 Feb 2026
David Comerford
F1 Oversteer
David Croft raves about Ferrari launches in F1 testing. Hamilton cleared Racing Bulls’ Liam Lawson, Mercedes’ Kimi Antonelli, Haas’ Esteban Ocon and Red Bull’s Max Verstappen at the second simulated start. World feed commentator Croft couldn’t help but get excited. “Lewis Hamilton, as he did at lunchtime, getting the best start of all and takes the lead into the first corner from Kimi Antonelli and Esteban Ocon,” he said. “That Ferrari, for the second practice start in a row, has been the rocket launcher, as it were, on the grid.”
‘Ferrari a rocket launcher’;
https://www.f1oversteer.com/news/dav...ractice-start/
Adrian Newey is ‘convinced’ Aston Martin will emerge with the best chassis despite Bahrain test woes
19 Feb 2026
Ashley Hambly
F1 Oversteer
Adrian Newey is ‘convinced’ that the AMR26 will have the best chassis on the grid by round eight. David Croft has full faith in Adrian Newey turning Aston Martin’s issues around, and the man himself already has a plan to do exactly that.
According to a report by DAZN commentator Antonio Lobato from inside the pit-lane at pre-season testing in Bahrain, Newey has now set a timeline for when he expects Aston Martin to emerge with the “best chassis on the grid”. Despite the Silverstone-based team looking like the weakest outfit among their rivals, the team principal is reportedly “convinced” that Aston Martin will be a step ahead of the competition in “six, seven or eight” races’ time.
‘Round eight’;
https://www.f1oversteer.com/news/adr...ain-test-woes/
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‘Total utter bulls**t’: Mercedes boss unloads over bitter F1 feud... and immediately regrets joke.
“We were told that the (engine’s) compression ratio was something illegal, which is total bullshit, utter bulls**t,” thundered Wolff during a press conference on the sidelines of F1 pre-season testing in Bahrain.
20th Feb 2026
AFP from Afp
Fox Sports (Australia)
Mercedes boss Toto Wolff on Thursday vigorously defended accusations of irregularities regarding the engine and fuel of his cars for the 2026 Formula One season, going so far as to joke sarcastically about being involved in the Epstein affair. For some weeks, Mercedes has been suspected by some of its rivals of having found a loophole in the new engine regulations concerning the measurement of the compression ratio and therefore the car’s power.
“We were told that the (engine’s) compression ratio was something illegal, which is total bullshit, utter bulls**t,” thundered Wolff during a press conference on the sidelines of F1 pre-season testing in Bahrain. “Then they come up with a story claiming our fuel is illegal,” he continued. “I don’t know where that comes from and it starts spinning again. “Maybe tomorrow we’re inventing something else? I don’t know, I’ve been on the Epstein files, God knows what.”
Moments later Wolff appeared to backtrack on his reference to the billionaire paedophile Jeffrey Epstein. “You’re not happy with me saying that, no?,” he appeared to ask his media representative. “I was too young. What? Oh, yeah, I must not say that.” The US Justice Department last month released the latest cache of so-called Epstein files -- more than three million documents, photos and videos related to its investigation into sex criminal Epstein, who died from what was determined to be suicide while in custody in 2019.
‘Total utter bulls**t’;
https://www.foxsports.com.au/motorsp...cc8607fb4d89eb
Red Bull engine emerges as wild card from pre-season testing
19 Feb 2026
Last Word On Sports
Red Bull have changed the narrative about their chances of being competitive in 2026, with their first ever F1 power unit exceeding expectations. The more pessimistic forecasts about Red Bull have been discarded, with the RB22 showing a solid baseline in Barcelona and Sakhir.
The question is now whether Red Bull’s package is strong enough to set the pace. At present, Laurent Mekies’ personnel are expected to be in the top four group with Mercedes, Ferrari and McLaren. Of course, being at the front and having the fastest car are two very different things. Whilst the Milton Keynes outfit continue to downplay their chances, rivals believe Red Bull are hiding their potential.
Aside from the Red Bull engine’s top speeds and horsepower, its electrical harvesting and energy saving is very strong. The Austrian machine is capable of recharging their battery extremely quickly, and – according to some analysts – faster than the other manufacturers. Although lower engine modes can hide a power unit’s brute strength, electrical efficiency is harder to obscure – and in this sense Red Bull are not going unnoticed.
‘Wild card’;
https://lastwordonsports.com/motorsp...eason-testing/
What explains 'rocket' Ferrari 2026 race starts
19 Feb 2026
Scott Mitchell-Malm
The Race
Ferrari-engined cars have turned heads at Formula 1 testing after taking off “like rockets” in the end-of-season collective practice race starts. Lewis Hamilton in the works car and Esteban Ocon in the Ferrari-powered Haas comfortably made the best getaways on Thursday evening in Bahrain, where these dress rehearsals are inconclusive but still indicative.
“I think everyone is taking it seriously, it looks like, because they were doing pre-start revs etc,” said Ocon when asked by The Race about how much could be read into the starts. “And yes, me and Lewis we rocket past everybody, pretty much. On my side they’ve put some safety before Turn 1 so I clipped after 200 metres! I was a bit frustrated, let’s say, that I had to reach the boost button to go faster. But it’s only testing and the important was the first 200 metres.”
Ocon is pleased with how repeatable the Ferrari starts are, as while it is “not quite yet the same as last year” it is already “nowhere near how it was in the beginning of the test and when we tried these cars for the first time”. “That was pretty strong the last two days, the way we started,” he said. “We're happy with it. We need to see when we go into tracks where there is much more grip on the line.”
'Rocket Ferrari’;
https://www.the-race.com/formula-1/f...ing-explained/
Hamilton starts add to mounting Ferrari evidence as rotating rear wing spotted – roundup
19 Feb 2026
Oliver Harden
PlanetF1.com
Thursday’s fast-paced F1 news includes Lewis Hamilton’s practice start in Bahrain adding to the growing evidence that Ferrari could have a key advantage at the start of F1 2026. With Ferrari debuting an innovative new rear wing design in Bahrain, here’s today’s roundup… Lewis Hamilton’s impressive practice starts in Bahrain testing has added to the theory that Ferrari could have an advantage off the line in F1 2026.
Mercedes driver George Russell claimed last week that Ferrari could have an edge with race starts due to the team’s smaller turbo compared to the opposition. F1 is trialling a revised practice start procedure in this week’s Bahrain test amid safety concerns over the F1 2026 cars, with Hamilton impressing off the line on Thursday.
‘Ferrari could have a key advantage’;
https://www.planetf1.com/news/lewis-...ahrain-testing
What we learned from Day 2 of the second 2026 pre-season test in Bahrain
F1.com’s Lawrence Barretto examines the key developments from Day 2 of the second 2026 pre-season test in Bahrain.
19 Feb 2026
Lawrence Barretto
Formula One - Official Site
The top four appear to still be the top four
Ferrari cause a scene with innovative rear wing
Aston Martin's woes continue
Mercedes enjoy ruthlessly efficient day
‘Key developments’;
https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/a...99M5uL35BLatxF
Is Aston Martin in big trouble after F1’s first Bahrain test?
Late start, new Honda engine and major changes combine to create a worrying picture
19 Feb 2026
Ewan Gale
Total Motorsport
Four seconds is a metaphorical age in Formula 1, yet that was the time gap that Lance Stroll believes his Aston Martin has to overcome after a day behind the wheel at the Bahrain International Circuit. The issue facing the entire team is that if it is that far behind in what is expected to be an immense development race, it could be out of the hunt before it has even really started.
With Fernando Alonso already making his quips – suggesting a chef could drive his car after his day of running in Bahrain – and Lance Stroll already disgruntled, how patient will his father be? The businessman walked out of the paddock last week with a face like thunder as it became apparent this was not the season he would have hoped for.
While the hope will be that Newey can work his magic, there is precedent in history that this isn’t always the case. His design work on the MP4-18 led to serious issues at McLaren in 2003 that meant the car never actually raced that season, the team instead continuing with a developed iteration of its 2002 machinery. Uncompromising in so many areas, it remains to be seen if the AMR26 is the same story or suffers from other ailments.
‘Worrying picture’;
https://www.total-motorsport.com/ast...-bahrain-test/
WATCH: What we learned from Day 2 of the second pre-season test in Bahrain
The F1 TV crew break down what happened during Day 2 of the second pre-season test in Bahrain.
19 Feb 2026
Formula One - Official Site
As the second day of the final 2026 pre-season test at the Bahrain International Circuit drew to a close, the F1 TV crew assembled to run through the key talking points. On the track, it was Kimi Antonelli who set the pace for Mercedes, leading the way from McLaren rival Oscar Piastri, the Red Bull of Max Verstappen and the Ferrari of Lewis Hamilton.
How are those respective squads looking as testing draws to a close? What about the rest of the teams up and down the pit lane? And can we start to predict a pecking order for the season opener in Australia? Also on the agenda is the rear wing element – which flips upside down in Straight-Line Mode – debuted by Ferrari, prompting plenty of chatter in the paddock.
‘Key talking points’;
https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/a...CQvqCemNA7Oa7l
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Leclerc fastest midday in Bahrain on final day of testing.
Ferrari laid down another statement in the opening session of Friday’s final day of pre-season testing in Bahrain, with Charles Leclerc surging to the top of the timesheets while Mercedes endured its first on-track breakdown of 2026.
20/02/2026
Michael Delaney
F1i.com
Ferrari laid down another statement in the opening session of Friday’s final day of pre-season testing in Bahrain, with Charles Leclerc surging to the top of the timesheets while Mercedes endured its first on-track breakdown of 2026. Leclerc was in commanding form from the outset, clocking a 1m33.689s inside the first hour that would remain unbeaten through to the chequered flag. More impressively, the Monegasque racked up 80 laps in four productive hours, giving Ferrari both pace and mileage as testing entered its final stretch.
It was a sharp contrast to Mercedes, which had quietly impressed across the winter despite downplaying its prospects. With just under two hours remaining, Andrea Kimi Antonelli ground to a halt between Turns 10 and 11, triggering a red flag. The stoppage was brief, but terminal for the Italian’s morning. Mercedes later confirmed a loss of pneumatic pressure caused the shutdown. Although Antonelli still secured second place on the timesheets with a 1m33.916s from 49 laps, he did not return to the track and will next drive the car in FP1 in Melbourne on March 6.
Bahrain Test - Day 5: Provisional times midday
# Driver Team Gap Time Laps
1 Charles Leclerc Ferrari — 1:33.689 80
2 Andrea Kimi Antonelli Mercedes +0.227 1:33.916 49
3 Oscar Piastri McLaren +0.663 1:34.352 66
4 Esteban Ocon Haas +0.805 1:34.494 82
5 Isack Hadjar Red Bull +0.822 1:34.511 59
6 Pierre Gasly Alpine +1.157 1:34.846 57
7 Arvid Lindblad Racing Bulls +1.549 1:35.238 77
8 Carlos Sainz Williams +1.563 1:35.252 66
9 Nico Hulkenberg Audi +2.330 1:36.019 64
10 Sergio Pérez Cadillac +7.153 1:40.842 61
11 Lance Stroll Aston Martin — 6:56.931 2
‘Ferrari laid down another statement’;
https://f1i.com/news/559538-leclerc-...f-testing.html
Mercedes reliability issue strikes Kimi Antonelli as red flag flies
20 Feb 2026
Samuel Coop
RacingNews365
Kimi Antonelli brought out the red flag just after the halfway stage of the final morning of F1 pre-season testing at the Bahrain International Circuit. The Italian driver's Mercedes ground to a halt soon after Turn 10, with an apparent lack of energy deployment from his W17, although the specific problem is not yet known.
Enjoying a strong morning up to that reliability issue, the three-time podium finisher had completed 49 laps and currently sits second on the time sheets, with a 1:33.916 — just over two-tenths of a second slower than Charles Leclerc's leading time of 1:33.689.
Antonelli still holds the fastest time across both official tests in Sakhir so far. He set the 1:32.803 yesterday evening, with Mercedes remaining the favourites through pre-season, despite the controversy surrounding the compression ratio of its power unit.
‘Mercedes reliability issue’;
https://racingnews365.com/mercedes-r...red-flag-flies
Honda issue statement amid Aston Martin F1 pre-season disaster
20 Feb 2026
Jake Nichol & Samuel Coop
RacingNews365
Honda has issued a statement in the midst of Aston Martin's dismal F1 pre-season after a major failure for Fernando Alonso. After completing just 268 laps across the Barcelona shakedown and first Bahrain test, the team's testing plans suffered a serious setback on Thursday during Alonso's race simulation.
As such, Honda has released a statement, and confirmed that only "very limited" and "short stints" could be completed on Friday. "Our last run with Fernando Alonso yesterday showed a battery-related issue that impacted our test plan with the Aston Martin Formula 1 Team," read the statement.
"Since then, we have been carrying out simulations on the test bench in HRC Sakura. Due to this and a shortage of power unit parts, we have adapted today's run plan to be very limited and consist only of short stints."
‘Battery-related issue’;
https://racingnews365.com/honda-issu...eason-disaster
Fernando Alonso reacts to latest Aston Martin misery after Honda failure
Fernando Alonso has shared a bleak outlook on the current situation at Aston Martin as the Honda misery continues.
20 Feb 2026
Samuel Coop
RacingNews365
Reflecting on another frustrating day, the two-time F1 drivers' champion said: "It was not the easiest day with a few disruptions. It was important to get some mileage in, but it wasn’t enough, and we couldn’t complete our run plan due to a PU-related issue that caused an early finish to the afternoon session."
The Spaniard was forthright in his appraisal of the situation, adding: "There are many things we need to fix, but I know everyone at the track and at the campus is working at 100% capacity to find solutions."
‘Latest Aston Martin misery’;
https://racingnews365.com/fernando-a...-honda-failure
De la Rosa admits Aston Martin ‘not where we want to be’ as he opens up on team’s pre-season
20 Feb 2026
Formula One - Official Site
Aston Martin Team Representative Pedro de la Rosa has made clear that Aston Martin are “not where they want to be” amid a difficult pre-season period, with the squad working “flat-out” to get on top of their issues. Expanding on that in a conversation with F1 TV, former F1 driver De la Rosa said: “Yesterday we had some battery issues on Fernando’s car, and therefore Honda is carrying out test simulations on the test bench in Sakura.
“Due to this fact, and also the fact that we have a shortage of parts, we will be doing very limited runs today. They will be short and they will be separated by a minimum of half an hour so that it allows us to really look into the data, and be able to test some things in these few runs. We won’t be doing long runs today, for sure.”
He added: “Definitely we are not where we wanted to be. We have been the team with the [fewest] number of laps during pre-season testing. We would have preferred to do a lot more. But despite the fact that we haven’t done a lot of laps, we have an enormous amount of data to look into and to prepare ourselves for Australia.”
“Not where they want to be”;
https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/a...z8amwC9YZdwFGj
The disastrous Honda F1 spiral that Aston Martin’s now trapped in
20 Feb 2026
Scott Mitchell-Malm
The Race
Aston Martin and Honda have had nothing short of a disastrous start to 2026 with a Formula 1 pre-season beset by persistent technical problems. Honda’s engine is down on power and efficiency and is also encountering various problems across the internal combustion engine and battery. The problem is a negative spiral for Honda that Aston Martin’s been trapped in across this test, but began in Spain.
Aston Martin’s car was finished late and it only completed its first shakedown laps at the end of the penultimate day of that test, then had restricted running on the final day. As reliability problems have continued, and fresh ones emerged, in Bahrain the car has spent significant amounts of time in the garage not logging vital laps. This kicks off a hugely problematic cycle: Honda suffers a problem, which costs mileage and vital learning, so they cannot make enough progress and when the car goes back out, another problem is suffered. Then it repeats.
The upshot is just over 240km per day completed on average across eight-and-a-half days of possible testing. To put it in a 2026 context, a Mercedes-engined car manages just over 600km a day on average based on the 8.5 days of testing so far while Ferrari almost hits 600km per day as well and Red Bull (570km) and Audi (540km) are in a similar ballpark. The immediate priority is to establish a baseline level of reliability to complete laps and simply target finishing the season opener in Australia. Only then can Honda and Aston Martin really know how much of a problem they will carry into the season, and what kind of recovery is possible in the short-term.
‘Disastrous Honda F1 spiral’;
https://www.the-race.com/formula-1/t...ow-trapped-in/
Honda battery issue adds to Aston Martin's testing woes
20 Feb 2026
The Straits Times
Aston Martin's woes deepened on Friday after a Honda power unit issue sidelined the team on the final day of Formula One's pre-season testing in Bahrain. Engine partner Honda said in a statement that a battery-related issue had impacted Fernando Alonso's stint in the Adrian Newey-designed car on Thursday.
Alonso told reporters on Thursday that he had no doubt about Newey's abilities. "We need to unlock more performance," said the double world champion. "We're still going step-by-step into the car. We are a little bit on the back foot, we have to admit that, but hopefully there is time to improve.”
"On the chassis there is no doubt, we have the best with us. After 30-plus years of Adrian Newey dominating the sport, I think no one will doubt that we will find a way to have the best car eventually," added the Spaniard. "On the power unit, we need to wait and see when we unlock all the performance, where we are and what is missing, and then work hard."
‘Aston Martin's testing woes’;
https://www.straitstimes.com/sport/f...s-testing-woes
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Ferrari's Leclerc dominates final day of testing in Bahrain.
The Scuderia charger’s relentless pace culminated in a blistering 1m31.992s late in the session, almost a full second clear of second-placed Lando Norris, as Ferrari’s SF-26 racked up over 130 laps.
20/02/2026
Michael Delaney
F1i.com
By the final hour, conditions at the Bahrain International Circuit were ideal, and the Ferrari driver delivered a performance run that firmly stamped his authority on the pre-season. Leclerc had already set the tone early, topping the first hour with a 1m33.689s and improving to 1m33.162s in hour two.
McLaren Struggles Amid Vital Track Time Lost: Reigning world champion Lando Norris finished second with a 1m32.871s, but his afternoon was hampered by cooling issues on the McLaren. He didn’t hit the track until the final two hours, limiting valuable preparation time. Despite this, the Briton managed nearly 50 laps, adding to teammate Oscar Piastri’s 66 earlier in the day.
‘Scuderia charger’s relentless pace’;
https://f1i.com/news/559557-ferraris...n-bahrain.html
Ferrari dominates final day of 2026 F1 testing as McLaren misses track time.
Ferrari and Charles Leclerc dominated the final day of the 2026 Bahrain Formula 1 pre-season test by almost a second, as McLaren missed vital track time.
20 Feb 2026
Lewis Duncan
Crash.Net
With track conditions at their absolute best in the final hour of the second Bahrain test, Ferrari and Charles Leclerc went for a true performance run. Having topped the first session with a 1m33.689s, which kept him fastest after hour one of the afternoon session, Leclerc strengthened his position with a 1m33.162s inside hour two.
With just under an hour remaining, Leclerc lit up the timing screens and produced a test-best 1m31.992s to move 0.879s clear of the field. That time came under no threat as the session drew to a close, with Leclerc putting over 130 laps on the SF-26 on Friday.
The Ferrari driver bested reigning world champion Lando Norris, who was second with a 1m32.871s after a troubled afternoon in the McLaren. The Briton did not emerge inside the first two hours of the afternoon session as McLaren worked on an apparent cooling issue. Missing crucial track time, Norris still managed almost 50 laps to add to team-mate Oscar Piastri’s 66 from earlier in the day.
‘Ferrari dominates’;
https://www.crash.net/f1/news/109001...ses-track-time
F1 Testing: Leclerc strengthens Ferrari hype as Honda issues halt Aston Martin.
20 Feb 2026
Jamie Woodhouse
PlanetF1.com
Charles Leclerc wrestled the Ferrari SF-26 at times to an impressive P1 on the final day of F1 Testing in Bahrain. Leclerc set an untouchable pace on Day 3 in Bahrain, his 1:31.992 proving the benchmark by nine tenths of a second. However, the likes of Lando Norris, Max Verstappen and George Russell did not take a final, qualy run shot at Leclerc. Aston Martin meanwhile completed just six laps all day, as Honda battery and spare engine parts issues bit.
Full Bahrain F1 Testing day 3 timesheet
1. Charles Leclerc Ferrari 1:31.992, 132 laps
2. Lando Norris McLaren 1:32.871, 47
3. Max Verstappen Red Bull 1:33.109, 65
4. George Russell Mercedes 1:33.197, 82
5. Pierre Gasly Alpine 1:33.421, 118
6. Oliver Bearman Haas 1:33.487, 88
7. Gabriel Bortoleto Audi 1:33.755, 71
8. Kimi Antonelli Mercedes 1:33.916, 49
9. Arvid Lindblad Racing Bulls 1:34.149, 165
10. Carlos Sainz Williams 1:34.342, 141
11. Oscar Piastri McLaren 1:34.352, 66
12. Esteban Ocon Haas 1:34.494, 82
13. Isack Hadjar Red Bull 1:34.511, 59
14. Valtteri Bottas Cadillac 1:35.290, 38
15. Nico Hulkenberg Audi 1:36.019, 64
16. Sergio Perez Cadillac 1:40.842, 61
17. Lance Stroll Aston Martin NO TIME, 6
‘Ferrari hype’;
https://www.planetf1.com/news/charle...artin-six-laps
Ferrari fastest by eight-tenths as F1 pre-season testing ends in Bahrain
20th Feb 2026
Keith Collantine
RaceFans
Ferrari ended pre-season testing with comfortably the quickest time around the Bahrain International Circuit. Charles Leclerc used the softer C4 tyres to set the benchmark lap time of 1’31.992 less than half an hour before the chequered flag fell. Most teams used harder rubber to set their best times.
The second-fastest time of the test was Andrea Kimi Antonelli’s 1’32.803, which the Mercedes driver set yesterday. A loss of pneumatic pressure cut his running short today, but team mate George Russell joined the track soon after the lunch break finished. He ended the day fourth in the times sheets. Lando Norris was second-fastest for McLaren but, like Mercedes, they did not improve on their best time on the final day. Max Verstappen took five-hundredths of a second off Red Bull’s quickest lap, leaving him third.
‘Ferrari fastest by eight-tenths’;
https://www.racefans.net/2026/02/20/...ds-in-bahrain/
Lewis Hamilton still lacks the ‘right feeling’ with Ferrari’s 2026 F1 car at the Bahrain test
20 Feb 2026
Kyle Archer
F1 Oversteer
Ivan Capelli believes Lewis Hamilton still lacks the “right feeling” with the front-end of the Ferrari SF-26 after watching the seven-time F1 champion at the 2026 Bahrain test. Lewis Hamilton lacks ‘smoothness’ driving the Ferrari SF-26 at the 2026 F1 Bahrain test. While Ferrari’s updates have impressed, Capelli believes Hamilton is still trying to find an improved “feeling” with the front-end of the SF-26 after watching him over F1’s two tests in Bahrain. Capelli has especially seen Hamilton struggle amid his attempted high-speed runs.
Capelli told Sky Sports Italy: “It is certainly an opportunity that he wants to seize, this radical change in regulations that makes him put his bitter memories of the ground-effect cars in a drawer and start a season where he wants to get back to being competitive. We haven’t seen how competitive everyone is yet. I saw him on the track last week, and I still think he hasn’t found the right feeling at the front to get into, at least in the fast practice sessions where I was, the smoothness of driving. He has to find that transition.”
Hamilton is said to have particularly found braking to be an issue in Ferrari’s 2026 car, as he either tries to brake too late or cannot tell when to brake and get back on the throttle. His issues are largely similar to the problems that frustrated him during F1’s ground-effect era. Ruth Buscombe believes Ferrari are trying to help Hamilton with their “clever” rear diffuser upgrade in Bahrain, too. Their addition of a small plate that blankets off half of the exhaust has the potential to improve how the SF-26 acts and bring it more towards Hamilton’s style.
“He has to find that transition”;
https://www.f1oversteer.com/news/lew...-bahrain-test/
Aston Martin's final day of F1 testing over early after six laps
Feb 20, 2026
Jon Noble
The Race
Aston Martin's troubled second Formula 1 test in Bahrain came to an early end on Friday, with the team abandoning running after just six laps. Having missed all but 15 minutes of track action in the first four-hour session of the day - as Aston Martin sat out until shortly before the lunch break to sort out a problem on the AMR26 in the garage - Lance Stroll barely got much more running done in the afternoon.
With around two hours and 20 minutes of running remaining, and the AMR26 up on stands in the garage, the team issued a statement saying its programme was done. Aston Martin had been braced for a challenging time already, with engine supplier Honda saying that a lack of spare parts would severely hamper the mileage it could do. But the day turned out worse than expected, as Stroll's six-lap tally has left Aston Martin and Honda facing a huge mountain to climb ahead of the start of the season in Australia next month.
Team representative Pedro de la Rosa: "Definitely, we are not where we wanted to be," he told F1TV. "We have been the team with [the] less number of laps during pre-season testing. Obviously, we would have preferred to do a lot more, but despite the fact that we haven't done a lot of laps, we have an enormous amount of data to look into and prepare us for Australia."
‘Six laps’;
https://www.the-race.com/formula-1/a...-end-six-laps/
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10 things we learned from F1 2026 pre-season testing Week 2.
So what did we actually learn, once you strip away the sandbagging talk and focus on the themes that repeated themselves across the grid?
21 Feb 2026
John Smith
Total Motorsport
1) Ferrari looks properly quick
2) Mercedes the team to beat
3) McLaren quietly cautious
4) Red Bull power unit looks the real deal
5) The grid already looks split
6) Aston Martin’s winter was a disaster
7) Innovation is alive
8) The performance target
9) Haas the most convincing midfield team so far
10) Two rule concerns moved forward
‘Once you strip away the sandbagging talk’;
https://www.total-motorsport.com/10-...-testing-2026/
F1 predicted running order for 2026: Who is on top of the new cars?
Feb 21, 2026
Laurence Edmondson
Nate Saunders
ESPN.co.uk
1. Mercedes
Bahrain testing laps completed: 714 (6th most)
Bahrain testing best time: 1:32.803; +0.811 (2nd quickest)
2. Ferrari
Bahrain testing laps completed: 744 (4th)
Bahrain testing best time: 1:31.992 (1st)
3. McLaren
Bahrain testing laps completed: 817 (1st)
Bahrain testing best time: 1:32.861; +0.869 (3rd)
4. Red Bull
Bahrain testing laps completed: 672 (7th)
Bahrain testing best time: 1:33.109; +1.117 (4th)
5. Haas
Bahrain testing laps completed: 794 (2nd)
Bahrain testing best time: 1:33.487; +1.495 (6th)
6. Alpine
Bahrain testing laps completed: 667 (8th)
Bahrain testing best time: 1:33.421; +1.429 (5th)
7. Audi
Bahrain testing laps completed: 639 (9th)
Bahrain testing best time: 1:33.755; +1.763 (7th)
8. Racing Bulls
Bahrain testing laps completed: 723 (5th)
Bahrain testing best time: 1:34.149; +2.157 (8th)
9. Williams
Bahrain testing laps completed: 790 (3rd)
Bahrain testing best time: 1:34.342; +2.350 (9th)
10. Cadillac
Bahrain testing laps completed: 586 (10th)
Bahrain testing best time: 1:35.290; +3.298 (10th)
11. Aston Martin
Bahrain testing laps completed: 334 (11th)
Bahrain testing best time: 1:35.974; +3.982 (11th)
‘Predicted running order’;
https://www.espn.co.uk/racing/f1/sto...6-top-new-cars
Mercedes are ‘attracting interest’ at F1 testing after unveiling ‘extremely’ bold rear wing solution
20 Feb 2026
Kyle Archer
F1 Oversteer
Mercedes stun with two ‘horns’ on their rear wing at the 2026 F1 Bahrain pre-season test. Mercedes hit the circuit with Antonelli in the morning session with two ‘horns’ on the edges of their rear wing. The concept, ‘never seen before’ in F1 let alone on Mercedes’ car, has got the paddock talking owing to the aerodynamic gains from the ‘extremely interesting’ design.
The Silver Arrows have been able to anchor two flaps on the top element of their rear wing as F1 created more freedom for intelligent designs with the 2026 regulations that were not previously possible. And by anchoring the flap to the fixed part, Mercedes satisfy the rules. Having the additional flaps on the edges of their rear wing appeals to Mercedes as they can create more downforce when the wing is set to corner mode without substantially creating more drag. The flaps can thus help enhance the W17’s stability in the corners and traction.
‘Attracting interest’;
https://www.f1oversteer.com/news/mer...wing-solution/
Russell admits Mercedes 'stumbling' as Ferrari gain key early advantage in Bahrain
21 Feb 2026
Henry Eccles
GPblog.com
George Russell has admitted his concern that Mercedes are “stumbling” behind Lewis Hamilton’s Ferrari on race launches, revealing he has made his “worst-ever” practice starts this week in Bahrain testing. “I think two starts I've made this week were worse than my worst ever start in Formula 1.” - George Russell.
“I think we've got a lot of potential beneath us, but to win a race you've also got to get off the line quite well and I think two starts I've made this week were worse than my worst ever start in Formula 1. And Lewis, down in P11, got into P1. At this stage, I don't think it matters how quick you are, the thing that's going to trip you up is going to be that tallest hurdle and that's what we're trying to get our heads around right now and we're stumbling on something at the moment.” George Russell.
‘Mercedes stumbling';
https://www.gpblog.com/en/news/russe...age-in-bahrain
Fred Vasseur has changed Ferrari’s Australian Grand Prix objective after impressive testing
21 Feb 2026
David Comerford
F1 Oversteer
Fred Vasseur now says Ferrari are going to Australian Grand Prix to win. In an interview late last year, Vasseur said it ‘didn’t matter’ if Ferrari were ‘P10’ in Australia. It appears that the team are now feeling more ambitious heading to Melbourne. While Bahrain is regarded as a ‘power track’ dominated by low-speed corners, Albert Park is a fast, flowing circuit. That’s why Vasseur is wary of drawing too many conclusions from testing.
Ferrari have only won the opening round twice since 2010 (Sebastian Vettel in 2018, Charles Leclerc in 2022) but they believe they can start 2026 on the top step. Vasseur told Canal+: “Are we going to Melbourne to win? Yes, but so are McLaren, Mercedes and Red Bull. “We know very well that the Bahrain test results aren’t necessarily representative of the season. We have to stay calm, and that’s what we did today. I’m happy – especially happy that we did a lot of laps – and we’ll see in Melbourne!”
Before any testing had taken place, Vasseur was clearly expecting the pecking order to be somewhat fluid at the start of the ruleset. But most predictions now put Ferrari in the top two. Ferrari’s 2026 car has been called a ‘rocket-launcher’ at race starts, which could be a gamechanger in the early rounds. Even if they qualify behind favourites Mercedes, they could storm into the lead on lap one. Ferrari’s smaller turbo is helping them achieve the rapid launches, though there is a concern it could lead to a power deficit at engine-dominant tracks.
‘Ferrari’s 2026 car has been called a ‘rocket-launcher’!’;
https://www.f1oversteer.com/news/fre...ssive-testing/
Is Ferrari pulling a poker face over its true F1 2026 pace?
21 Feb 2026
James Phillips
Motorsport Week
Bahrain testing has seen the continuation of a long standing trend: the Tifosi has hope that the curse of ineptitude will end, and this will be the team’s year. Normally, this would be a seen as clutching at straws, but the SF-26 is demonstrating reasons for optimism. Ferrari appears confident, but is pulling a poker face. Sat in a high stakes game with its rivals in a dimly li room, it is biding its time, hiding its hand from the other teams with a wry smile on its face.
To understand Ferrari’s true pace in the baking Bahrain sun, we have to go deeper. Any analysis of testing has to be taken with a pinch of salt, but consistent patterns have emerged during both tests in the Middle East. Short run and qualifying pace look to be behind Mercedes, but comfortably ahead of Red Bull, and having a slight advantage over reigning champions McLaren. While not the best news for the Tifosi, it shows a remarkable improvement compared to the nadir of 2025, when the car dropped off a competitive cliff consistently in Q3.
Lewis Hamilton DNA and Ferrari ingenuity. Another factor behind Ferrari’s potential jump towards of the front of the pack is arguably one of its biggest detractors from 2025: Hamilton himself. The Hamilton DNA in the SF-26 may have brought the Briton’s competitive edge and chances back to life. His poker face is perhaps the most obvious of the Ferrari camp so far in 2026. The final piece of Ferrari’s hand comes in the details of the SF-26 itself. The car that launched in Maranello was very much an A-Spec car, Ferrari promising updates being added to the car during the Bahrain tests, and we got far more than we asked for
‘A poker face’;
https://www.motorsportweek.com/2026/...026-true-pace/
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Which 'big four' team is the one to beat in F1 2026?
Mercedes heads into the year as favourites, but the situation is closer than initially anticipated.
21 Feb 2026
RacingNews365 Staff
RacingNews365
F1 pre-season is over, and one thing is clear: the 'big four' teams have remained at the sharp end through the regulations overhaul that took place over the winter. No team appears to have mobilised and moved out of the midfield, and none of the leading quartet seems to have fallen back, as has been the case with previous regulations resets. But which of the 'big four' is the team to beat is not yet clear.
Mercedes heads into the year as favourites, but the situation is closer than initially anticipated. Red Bull set tongues wagging during the first week of testing at the Bahrain International Circuit, with a surprisingly impressive showing given its power unit programme — created in collaboration with Ford — is in its infancy.
Ferrari, courtesy of Charles Leclerc, set the quickest time across the six days of track action in Sakhir and is increasingly thought of as the pace setter on longer runs, too. McLaren, of course, is also sporting Mercedes power, so the Woking-based squad will be looking to get the better of its power unit supplier yet again.
‘Closer than initially anticipated’;
https://racingnews365.com/which-big-...eat-in-f1-2026
‘Everyone’ in the F1 paddock has picked Mercedes over Ferrari as the fastest team after Bahrain testing
21 Feb 2026
Luke Newman
F1 Oversteer
Mercedes did not top the time sheets at the Bahrain Formula 1 test, but they have been labelled as the team to beat. During The Race F1 Podcast, Edd Straw revealed that the entire Formula 1 paddock believes that Mercedes are the team to beat at the opening round. There has been speculation that Mercedes were sandbagging during the final week of the Bahrain test after they did not set their fastest time of the test on the final day on Friday.
Straw said, “Mercedes are looking very, very strong. Anyone you speak to in the rival teams, everybody is saying their analysis says Mercedes are the team to beat.” Kanal agreed with the idea that Mercedes are the fastest constructor, “Absolutely, the weirdest thing though, is we haven’t actually seen them doing much race simming on second week. They kind of showed theirs in the first week, but have we seen enough of them in the second week? And is that sandbagging?”
Straw responded by saying, “I am always wary of sandbagging, and I think there is an element of that there. There have been some long runs, and points where their race pace does look very good, but it has been untidy in that regard. If you look at it, Mercedes had the second fastest time of the Bahrain test, eight tenths off the pace setter, which was Charles Leclerc for Ferrari. The Mercedes fastest time came on Thursday rather than Friday, so there is no question that they can go a lot quicker.”
‘Labelled as the team to beat’;
https://www.f1oversteer.com/news/eve...hrain-testing/
F1 'fear' addressed as 'pretty sensible' solution found
There may be some fine tuning but what was a major concern last week appears to have been taken care of.
21 Feb 2026
Ian Parkes & Jake Nichol
RacingNews365
Throughout the current test week in Bahrain, mock practice starts were carried out, and although there were varying rates at which all drivers got up to speed, nobody was left behind on the grid. McLaren's Temple highlighted that the trouble-free nature of the test was a good sign for the season ahead.
"There's been a review of starts and some discussion on how do we ensure that, firstly, they're as safe as possible," Temple told media including RacingNews365. "That is the most important thing and there were some concerns that were voiced previously, so it was a chance to put a number of cars together to go through what we expect the start procedure to actually be. Certainly, what I saw, it all looked pretty normal, and pretty sensible.”
"There were one or two cars weaving around, perhaps more than they should have done for a practice start, but actually, I think that helps allay some of those fears when everyone is ready, everyone knows what they're doing and the procedures are followed. I don't think it is a big issue, I think it is going to be perfectly reasonable. I'm sure there may be a little bit more fine-tuning, and there'll be feedback from Formula 1, from the drivers, from the teams, and that will be revisited."
'Pretty sensible';
https://racingnews365.com/f1-fear-ad...solution-found
‘Angry’ Carlos Sainz must activate Williams exit clause after seeing 2.5-second gap in F1 testing
21 Feb 2026
David Comerford
F1 Oversteer
Carlos Sainz has an exit clause in his Williams contract, and based on the team’s rather bleak performance in F1 testing, he needs to activate it. Williams missed the Barcelona Shakedown entirely due to production delays, so from that standpoint their total mileage in Bahrain was encouraging. They completed a healthy 368 laps during the second test, placing them in the middle of the pack. But the consensus is that Williams have dropped into the lower midfield, with several experts placing them eighth in the pecking order. In practice, that means fighting just to escape Q1.
Sainz won’t accept a long-term spell in the midfield, and nor should he, as a four-time Grand Prix winner with 29 podiums. There could be openings at all of the top teams in this year’s driver market, and he may already be considering his future. “I think, to be very frank, that step forward isn’t likely to happen anytime soon,” Sainz said. “The initial impression from testing is that the top four teams from last year are even better than they were last year, while the midfield is even more midfield than it was last year. Unfortunately, I think the rule change has widened the gap between teams, as often happens.”
“We thought we could close that gap with a rule change, but the reality is that perhaps the rule change has exposed exactly the areas where we’re still not at the level we need to be, and at least the beginning of the season will be tough. But it’s also what they always say: it’s not how you start, it’s how you finish. What matters most to me from now on, after having a better look at the situation, is seeing how much we can improve during the year and how much we can start closing the gap again.”
‘2.5-second gap in F1 testing’;
https://www.f1oversteer.com/features...in-f1-testing/
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Lewis Hamilton closed the gap to Charles Leclerc in testing after Ferrari listened to his feedback.
Lewis Hamilton has closed the gap ‘massively’ to Charles Leclerc during Bahrain testing.
22 Feb 2026
Ben Evans
F1 Oversteer
Charles Leclerc might have set the fastest time during Bahrain pre-season testing, but Lewis Hamilton will be full of confidence heading into the 2026 F1 campaign. Ferrari have stood out as one of the teams to beat during testing, with their race starts in particular catching the eye. The hope is that the 2026 regulations will give Hamilton the boost he needs after never fully unlocking the performance of the ground-effect cars. After watching testing in Bahrain, journalists Edd Straw and Samarth Kanal noticed an improvement in Hamilton across the two weeks that suggests Ferrari have started to take his feedback on board.
Speaking on The Race F1 Podcast, Straw was reflecting on Ferrari’s performance in testing and explained: “Charles Leclerc was quickest by eight tenths with a lap set towards the end of today. The car just looks so responsive and sharp on track. It’s really interesting because the car at the start of Bahrain testing, it looked pretty good. It didn’t look like it was struggling like say Mercedes did initially, but it had weaknesses, their instabilities and it’s just got better and better and better and better and better. It looked really, really lively on track and in a good way. It’s responsive, it’s turning in, they’re carrying the speed, they’re getting that punch off the corners.”
‘Ferrari listened’;
https://www.f1oversteer.com/news/lew...-his-feedback/
Guenther Steiner explains the ‘problem’ with backing Ferrari to win the 2026 F1 title after testing
22 Feb 2026
Kyle Archer
F1 Oversteer
Guenther Steiner believes Ferrari proved during pre-season testing in Bahrain that the SF-26 is a “good” car, but he cannot back them to contend for the 2026 title just yet. Steiner believes it is a classic Ferrari trait to show some encouraging signs in testing but then fail to build on that promise when the lights go out and every team reveals their actual potential. So, while the signs are promising, Steiner will only rank Ferrari among the big four.
“Ferrari is Ferrari, I’d say,” Steiner told sport.de. “You never really know where they stand. They’re up there, but are they right at the front? That’s always the problem with Ferrari. You can see the car is good. They’re in the top four. I’m sure Charles Leclerc wants to be the world champion. And if the car is capable of it, he’ll fight very hard to finally bring this championship home for Ferrari.”
“Ferrari is Ferrari, I’d say”;
https://www.f1oversteer.com/news/gue...after-testing/
Gary Anderson: Test disaster is the kick Honda needed
22 Feb 2026
Gary Anderson
The Race
During my days as Jordan Formula 1 team technical director, I worked with Honda. Following pre-season testing for 2026 showed that the years may have rolled on, but the problems remain more or less the same. That means I have sympathy for the situation Aston Martin finds itself in.
Until you have a really bad day like Aston Martin had at the end of testing when running was limited to a few out and in laps, Honda would have thought improvement was potentially just around the corner. You could probably say the same about the problems it had with McLaren, particularly in 2015 and 2017.
Once Honda reacts, there will be no power unit manufacturer better or faster at taking the required steps. It just needs that kick up the ass to get it going. And I think everyone at Sakura just had that.
‘That kick up the ass’;
https://www.the-race.com/formula-1/g...-honda-needed/
Adrian Newey privately told Aston Martin’s rivals that Honda can’t hit ‘lower’ energy recovery limit
21 Feb 2026
Kyle Archer
F1 Oversteer
Adrian Newey fears Aston Martin’s 2026 Honda energy recovery cannot hit 250kw let alone 350kw. There is also a big risk that Aston Martin may fail to meet the 107% rule in Australia, as their 2026 car was so far off the pace of the top teams during testing. Aston Martin arrived late to the Barcelona shakedown and were never able to find their footing at the two Bahrain tests.
Aston Martin ultimately completed the fewest laps of any team in Bahrain, and Newey even told their rival outfits at the F1 Commission meeting on Wednesday that their Honda engine cannot even recover energy at the ‘lower limit’ of 250kw, let alone the maximum of 350kw.
That is according to BBC Sport, which reports that the V6 internal combustion engine (ICE) and hybrid elements of the 2026 Honda power unit are ‘well behind’ the best. Aston Martin were even down to their final Honda battery before the team opted to call time on the test.
‘Big risk that Aston Martin may fail to meet the 107% rule in Australia’;
https://www.f1oversteer.com/news/adr...ecovery-limit/
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McLaren expecting Australian GP ‘performance bump’ after using ‘lesser’ Mercedes engine in testing.
McLaren didn’t have the ‘latest spec’ Mercedes engine available for 2026 Bahrain testing.
23 Feb 2026
Ben Evans
F1 Oversteer
The Race team rated McLaren as the third-best manufacturer after testing, and explaining their reasoning, journalist Ben Anderson said: “Last year’s world champion is not going to be the early 2026 benchmark, but it is at least mixing it with the works teams.
“By the end of the second week in Bahrain, McLaren felt tentatively confident it was competitive against Red Bull and maybe slightly ahead. Its car was certainly improved and looked a lot more consistent, but a lingering deficit seems to exist on the energy management side as McLaren’s not quite wrapped its head around what Mercedes is able to do.”
“That said, a small performance bump is expected in Australia when it gets the latest spec Mercedes engine, having run a slightly lesser version in testing. This little bit of performance limitation, easily rectifiable, is what nudges McLaren ahead of Red Bull in this ranking as they otherwise seem neck and neck by the end of the test.”
‘Latest spec Mercedes engine’;
https://www.f1oversteer.com/news/mcl...ne-in-testing/
Norris sees no carry-over of this McLaren’s 2025 major advantage on MCL40
23 Feb 2026
Tobia Elia
GPblog.com
Lando Norris believes the MCL40 currently does not have the same tyre management advantage as last year’s car. Speaking about the topic during the press conference at the Bahrain test, the Briton admitted that, for now, that advantage has not yet carried over to the 2026 car: “Last year we also had just a pace advantage, so going into the race it was always, we could almost drive slower, things worked better, and then we could drive quicker.”
“At the minute we're a little bit off, so to match the race pace of some of the others, we have to push a bit more, and then we have more degradation. So not entirely, but I'm sure there are some things. I know there are some things that our strengths last year that will continue to be our strengths this season.”
“The car worked very well last year. It was difficult to understand it worked well. And it's still just very, very early days, but it's currently moving. The team are working hard on every area. That includes race pace, tyre cooling, all of those things. At the minute, we're just kind of improving in most areas.”
“At the minute we're a little bit off’;
https://www.gpblog.com/en/news/norri...ntage-on-mcl40
Andrea Stella makes startling McLaren pace admission ahead of F1 Australian GP
21 Feb 2026
James Phillips
Motorsport Week
Team Principal Andrea Stella has now confirmed the team has slipped back in the competitive with an alarming admission over its true pace. “Very difficult to say,” he said to media, including Motorsport Week on whether McLaren is ahead of Mercedes and Ferrari. “There is a race simulation that I was, I think, yesterday, Oscar, and Verstappen.”
“It happened at a similar time of the day, and it was a similar pace.Often, the race simulation is actually where you can more accurately see what the genuine performance of cars is. The reason why I think we have to be careful is that depending on the time of the day, then the race simulation may be quite a lot faster.”
“Like now, Lando, he was performing pretty strongly in a race simulation, but at the same time, probably the end of day three was the fastest time the track has been across the six days.So, difficult. I think McLaren and Red Bull are probably very similar. Ferrari and Mercedes are a step ahead.”
‘Startling McLaren pace admission’;
https://www.motorsportweek.com/2026/...australian-gp/
Honda have now risked making the same disastrous mistake with Aston Martin as McLaren in 2015
23 Feb 2026
Tyler Rowlinson
F1 Oversteer
Honda hope to solve Aston Martin’s problems by the Chinese GP, saying that the ‘root causes have been identified’ and ‘project leaders are becoming increasingly optimistic’ that a solution can be found. Now, if that sounds familiar, it is because it is the exact same situation that Honda faced with McLaren back in 2015. During testing, Alonso, who had just joined from Ferrari, was last on the timesheets after suffering ‘electrical and control systems problems’.
Speaking via Autosport, then-Honda boss Yasuhisa Arai claimed that the issues were ‘already fixed’ after testing: “I cannot say the detail but there was small electrical trouble and also some control trouble, but not so big. We have already fixed it. We have found out what has happened, and tonight we change something and tomorrow will be much better.”
As it would turn out, McLaren’s issues got worse during the season, with Alonso and Jenson Button finishing in the points just six times between them. 2015 was the team’s worst season in their history, finishing ninth in the standings with just 27 points.
‘Same disastrous mistake’;
https://www.f1oversteer.com/news/hon...laren-in-2015/
Aston Martin planning Australian GP update package that’s ‘not expected’ to fix testing issues
22 Feb 2026
Ben Evans
F1 Oversteer
Aston Martin planning ‘new plans’ to arrive at the Australian Grand Prix after testing issues. Sengul provided an update on Aston Martin’s progress on X ahead of the opening race of the season, but it wasn’t laced with the level of positivity that Alonso and Stroll would like. He said: “Aston Martin is racing against time to prepare for the Australian Grand Prix. There are currently numerous issues to be resolved on both the engine and chassis sides.”
“In addition to reliability issues, there are problems with the gearbox, cooling issues, and the engine’s drivability is also not good. Moreover, as the engines will be approved on 1 March, solutions must be found within this one-week period. Therefore, Honda is working extra hard. New parts are expected for both the chassis and the engine for Australia, but it is not expected that all issues will be resolved. That is the latest information.”
‘New plans’;
https://www.f1oversteer.com/news/ast...esting-issues/
Honda are ‘increasingly optimistic’ they can solve Aston Martin’s woes before Chinese Grand Prix
23 Feb 2026
Ashley Hambly
F1 Oversteer
Sources in Japan have revealed that Honda are now becoming increasingly optimistic that they can find a solution to Aston Martin’s engine issues following a dismal showing from the British constructor during F1’s pre-season tests.
Honda personnel have since been working around the clock to solve the issue, and project leaders are reportedly becoming ‘increasingly optimistic’ over the matter. During the Bahrain test, the AMR26 was some 38kph behind the benchmark Ferrari engine in the speed traps, which has raised some concerns over whether Aston Martin will even be able to qualify for the season-opener due to the FIA’s 107% rule. The report also states that Honda are ‘internally’ eyeing to introduce a more ‘complete package’ in time for the Chinese Grand Prix, which will be taking place just one week after the season-opener in Melbourne.
Adrian Newey is delegating his duties as Aston Martin’s team principal to focus on his expertise. In an attempt to keep things from spiralling out of control on the media front, Newey has delegated responsibility to Pedro de la Rosa, a former F1 driver turned ambassador for the team. It allows the 66-year-old to focus on his own tasks, but it also doesn’t look good on his part due to the fact that it is one of the main duties of an F1 team principal.
‘Increasingly optimistic’;
https://www.f1oversteer.com/news/hon...se-grand-prix/
Red Bull accused of F1 sandbagging by ‘turning down power’ in Bahrain
23 Feb 2026
Jack Oliver Smith
Motorsport Week
Red Bull turned its new Formula 1 power unit down “quite a bit” after observations about its competitiveness, according to Williams boss James Vowles. The team has continued to play down its competitiveness, insisting rivals Mercedes, Ferrari and McLaren are clear of them, but Vowles was metaphorically stroking his chin with suspicion at that prospect.
“There are games being played,” the Williams Team Principal told F1TV. “Red Bull looked really good until we spoke about their power unit. Then they’ve turned it down quite a bit since then.”
‘Red Bull accused of F1 sandbagging’;
https://www.motorsportweek.com/2026/...er-in-bahrain/
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Charles Leclerc is trying to ‘subdue’ his excitement over Ferrari’s F1 car ahead of 2026 season.
F1 CEO and former Ferrari boss Stefano Domenicali says Leclerc and Hamilton feel more confident heading into 2026. The team have listened to their feedback and have thus provided them with a much more comfortable car.
24 Feb 2026
Tyler Rowlinson
F1 Oversteer
Jolyon Palmer said Leclerc is still happier than Hamilton at Ferrari, given his experience with the team and how accustomed he is to the setup. But many people in the paddock believe the Monegasque driver is hiding his true excitement over the package. Journalist Samuel Coop noted via RacingNews365 that many people got the impression that Leclerc was trying to ‘subdue’ his excitement. He thinks that Ferrari might have ‘nailed’ the new regulations.
“Ferrari will be feeling very pleased with themselves,” he said. “They will argue that they don’t have the strongest power unit, that it’s still Mercedes, but the long-run pace was very strong. And from some accounts that I’ve seen online of people in the paddock, and maybe Ian, you can corroborate this, people were saying that you got the impression that, particularly Charles, was trying to kind of subdue this… You just almost could feel this smile trying to escape from him, burst out of: ‘Yeah, I think we might have in the early stages of this nailed it a little bit and this could be a really good opportunity.”
‘The team have listened to their feedback’;
https://www.f1oversteer.com/news/cha...f-2026-season/
The clever Ferrari F1 2026 innovation its rivals cannot copy
Ferrari caught the eye with two intriguing innovations during F1 2026 pre-season testing.
24 Feb 2026
Lewis Larkam
Crash.Net
Ferrari has come up with a clever interpretation of the 2026 Formula 1 rules that its rivals will struggle to copy. On the opening day of running at the second Bahrain test, the Ferrari was spotted with a small wing in front of the exhaust pipe. This solution exploits the gas flow through medium-to-low-speed corners and provides an aerodynamic benefit. “Another really interesting area of the Ferrari that a lot of people have commented on, and it is well-worth looking at, is the plate that’s appeared behind the exhaust tail-pipe,” F1 technical expert Sam Collins said.
“What it’s exact purpose is? That would require a wind tunnel and some CFD. Bou can get a little hint at what’s going on when you look at the little plume of vapour that comes out of the oil system breather pipe, and how it’s being pulled almost vertically upwards, suggesting there’s a bit more aerodynamic influence going on with that plate and it’s a pretty powerful tool.”
“As I understand it, very, very difficult for anybody not using the Ferrari gearbox to copy, because it’s related to the position of the differential in the gearbox casing,” F1 technical expert Sam Collins continued. “How that extra plate is made legal in the aerodynamic regulations is a really clever bit of lateral thinking there from the engineers at Maranello.”
‘Small wing in front of the exhaust pipe’;
https://www.crash.net/f1/news/109035...ls-cannot-copy
Carlos Sainz admits Williams endured a ‘complicated winter’ ahead of the 2026 F1 season
24 Feb 2026
Aaditya Krishnamurthy
F1 Oversteer
Carlos Sainz gets brutally honest about Williams’ struggles in pre-season. In a promotional interview with Estrella Galicia, Carlos Sainz was asked about his impressions and takeaways from Williams’ pre-season testing. “The conclusions from preseason are that we’ve had a complicated winter as a team – more complicated than we expected. The season hasn’t started yet, but we’ve already been able to sense and understand that the beginning of the year is going to be tough.”
“We’ll have to push very hard to keep improving the car throughout the season and, hopefully, finish the year in a better position than the one we’ll start in. That said, we need to go to the first race, see where everyone stands, see how the cars behave under these new regulations, and understand what we can get out of it. From there, it will become a development race to see who can improve their cars the most over the course of the year.”
‘Carlos Sainz gets brutally honest’;
https://www.f1oversteer.com/news/car...026-f1-season/
David Coulthard is already ‘concerned’ about Sergio Perez after Bahrain pre-season testing
24 Feb 2026
Ben Evans
F1 Oversteer
David Coulthard has admitted that the time Sergio Perez has taken out of Formula 1 could harm his chances against Valtteri Bottas at Cadillac this year. David Coulthard thinks Valtteri Bottas is ‘better prepared’ than Sergio Perez at Cadillac. Coulthard was speaking about Formula 1’s newest team on the Stay on Track Podcast and explained: “I don’t think there’s anything wrong with the two drivers they’ve got there.”
“It’s not the fastest driver pairing in Formula 1 as established by their career so far. But safe pair of hands, they don’t need to be breaking cars with rookies, you know? They need to be just getting up to speed with the operation of the team and the new regulations and things like that. So I actually think they’ve made a smart choice. I think Bottas is better prepared because he’s coming with that Mercedes information. He’s been working with Mercedes all last year, simulator work and the like. I’m a little bit concerned for Perez, who’s really enjoyed the siesta of a year off. I don’t doubt his commitment, but can you switch it back on when you’ve switched it off?”
‘The time Sergio Perez has taken out of Formula 1’;
https://www.f1oversteer.com/news/dav...eason-testing/
Can Adrian Newey save Aston Martin-Honda?
24 Feb 2026
Oliver Harden
PlanetF1.com
Aston Martin’s slow start to its new partnership with Honda was the biggest talking point during F1 2026 pre-season testing in Bahrain. But the presence of Adrian Newey, who helped turn a misfiring Honda into a title winner with Red Bull, should calm any nerves ahead of the Australian Grand Prix. It was Newey, after all, to whom Honda turned after it finally parted ways with McLaren at the end of 2017.
Only when it fell into the hands of Newey and his technical team at Red Bull – first via Toro Rosso in 2018 (a car in which Newey had no input) before linking up with the senior team the following year – did Honda rediscover its self-worth and a sense of direction. The rate of progress, in an environment more accommodating and patient than Honda ever found at an already underachieving McLaren, was astonishing.
Never let it be forgotten that, four years after its split from McLaren, that same engine won the world championship in the back of Max Verstappen’s Red Bull. This is what Honda is capable of when it is managed correctly and with no small degree of emotional intelligence. In Newey, there is nobody better placed in the entire paddock to harness its potential. His very presence at Aston Martin, knowing what he has achieved with Honda not so long ago, should cushion the disappointment at the start of this season.
‘What Honda is capable of when it is managed correctly and with no small degree of emotional intelligence’;
https://www.planetf1.com/features/ad...-alonso-rescue
Honda turbo problem in testing could make ‘everything worse’ for Aston Martin, claims Mike Hezemans
24 Feb 2026
Kyle Archer
F1 Oversteer
Honda’s turbo is particularly a cause for concern at Aston Martin, Hezemans claims, as Stroll and Fernando Alonso seemed to be revving their engine at lower speeds during the Bahrain tests. And if Honda do not improve the turbo, then Aston Martin might struggle to improve. He told RacingNews365: “They’ll probably manage that, but I do think they will be three to four seconds too slow.”
“You have Adrian Newey, and with Lawrence Stroll, they have this whole new factory. On paper, you think it will all work out if you put all those elements together. But not that much has changed on that engine, so I don’t understand why they’re so far behind. It seems to rev at lower speeds. And when you rev at lower speeds, the turbo also works less effectively. Everything gets worse, and then the thing just won’t run.”
‘Cause for concern’;
https://www.f1oversteer.com/news/hon...mike-hezemans/
F1 could lose a manufacturer amid lingering issues, and sooner than you think
Honda’s engine has been underwhelming to open the 2026 Formula 1 season, severely hindering Aston Martin’s performance.
24 Feb 2026
Siddharth Bharani-Dharan
Beyond the Flag (Weblog)
While Honda had a strong tenure with Red Bull from 2019 to 2025, these major early blunders are still concerning, especially after the manufacturer's ill-fated McLaren stint. If the struggles continue throughout the 2026 season and even into 2027, the paddock could lose trust in Honda entirely, ultimately pushing them out of Formula 1 for good.
‘Severely hindering Aston Martin’s performance’;
https://beyondtheflag.com/formula-1-...k-01kj3dgk4vzn
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The 8 F1 2026 circuits where battery regeneration could be a nightmare.
The first problem comes immediately with Melbourne. A battery likes a heavy braking zone, ideally one coming from a big speed, to give it sufficient recharge. If you look at a map of the Albert Park Circuit, you will see this occurs almost never.
26 Feb 2026
Sam Cooper
PlanetF1.com
F1 drivers and teams are preparing for a markedly different season as they become more concerned than ever with just how much charge the car’s battery has. The 50/50 split between the internal combustion engine and the battery has seen plenty of drivers warn that racing will fundamentally change, with drivers potentially having to ease off the accelerator on the straights to manage the charge state of their battery.
That will be very circuit specific, with such venues termed ‘harvest poor’ by teams. Here are the tracks which are predicted to cause problems.
Australian Grand Prix
Japanese Grand Prix
Saudi Arabian Grand Prix
Canadian Grand Prix
Belgian Grand Prix
Italian Grand Prix
Azerbaijan Grand Prix
Las Vegas Grand Prix
‘The 50/50 split’;
https://www.planetf1.com/features/f1...d-be-nightmare
Bernie Ecclestone warns 2026 rules risk turning Formula 1 into engineers’ championship
26 Feb 2026
Sam Cooper
PlanetF1.com
There has been no shortage of critics over the rule changes which kicked in ahead of this season with four-time World Champion Max Verstappen the most prominent amongst them. The Dutchman described the rules as his “least favourite” yet and has previously hinted regulations like this will only speed up his F1 retirement.
Now, former F1 chief Ecclestone suggested the rules fundamentally changed the nature of F1. “There will be chaos and confusion at the start of the season – everyone will have to learn Formula 1 all over again,” he told RTL. “The new rules certainly don’t favour Max Verstappen and his driving style. It’s not so much about the racing. Developments are moving toward ever-greater restrictions for drivers, but the essence of Formula 1 is that it’s a world championship for drivers, not engineers.”
“Modern Formula 1 is more competitive with Formula E. The danger is that we could lose fans. I sincerely hope that doesn’t happen. Mercedes has the advantage,” he said. “Russell has talent, but he needs to demonstrate his killer instinct throughout the season to become champion. I see Lewis [Hamilton] not giving up, not wanting to stop before achieving his goal. Maybe this year will be a success. That would be a great story.”
‘Engineers’ championship’;
https://www.planetf1.com/news/bernie...ules-engineers
Formula 1 revenues soar to $4bn as sport cashes in on popularity
26 Feb 2026
Matt Hardy
City AM
Formula 1 is closing on annual revenues of $4bn after their recent accounts recorded a 14 per cent increase to $3.9bn. The healthy spike comes as Formula 1 parent company Liberty Media reported a rise in team payouts – by 11 per cent – to $1.4bn ahead of the 2026 season, which will see Cadillac added to the grid as the sport’s 11th team.
The annual report, posted by the firm that acquired the highest level of global motorsport in 2017, shows operating income rose from $492m in the year to 31 December 2024 to $632m for 2025. MotoGP, in its first season with Liberty Media as its controller, raised $325m in revenue across 2025. The two-wheeled discipline’s operating.
“Formula 1 finished another record-breaking season, marking an exceptional 75th anniversary year for the sport,” Stefano Domenicali, Formula 1 president and chief, said. “The next chapter of F1 brings on-track excitement with a new race in Madrid, the debut of Cadillac and Audi and the return of Honda and Ford to the grid. Our sport has never been stronger, as evidenced by our roster of marquee partners, including Disney, Lego, Pepsi, Apple and Standard Chartered.”
‘$4bn’;
https://www.cityam.com/formula-1-rev...on-popularity/
Bernie Ecclestone sends major F1 warning ahead of 2026: 'Danger is we lose the fans'
26 Feb 2026
Lydia Mee
Motorsport.com
Ecclestone responded to the concerns, arguing that while every regulation change brings a period of adjustment for fans, the 2026 changes could drive some fans away.
“There will be confusion at the start of the season because everyone has to relearn Formula 1.” Ecclestone told Sport.de.
‘Period of adjustment’;
https://www.motorsport.com/f1/news/b...fans/10800450/
Lawrence Stroll blamed for creating 'huge problem' at Aston Martin
Lawrence Stroll's autocratic nature poses a "huge problem" for Aston Martin, according to former F1 driver Ralf Schumacher.
26 Feb 2026
RacingNews365 Staff
RacingNews365
Former F1 driver Ralf Schumacher has cast doubt over the structure and leadership of Aston Martin under owner Lawrence Stroll, warning that mounting pressure could expose deeper cracks within the Silverstone-based squad. "I have to say: we are not always the biggest supporters of the whole project," Schumacher began. "And sometimes I also have to say: Lawrence Stroll has his own way of doing things.”
"He doesn't really talk to anyone. You see him, but he hardly gives interviews. But he hasn't earned this by a long shot. Even Newey said beforehand: we have a problem in the wind tunnel. We are three to four months behind, the car is no good, and the engine is bad. It could hardly be worse. I wonder if they will be able to finish the races at all at the beginning of the season, when you see what needs to be fixed in such a short time.”
"It obviously creates a huge problem within the team. I think Lawrence is under enormous pressure because he more or less acts as an autocrat. I am curious to see if he can withstand the pressure from the investors, because seemingly he is making the decisions on his own. Aston Martin is currently moving sideways rather than forwards," said Schumacher. "And then now such a dramatic start. I can only hope — I believe Stroll has made good decisions — that people give him and the team, including Adrian Newey, time."
“Under enormous pressure”;
https://racingnews365.com/lawrence-s...t-aston-martin
Aston Martin embracing Adrian Newey culture shift despite testing setbacks
26 Feb 2026
James Rees
F1 Chronicle
Team ambassador Pedro de la Rosa explained that while the personnel remain largely unchanged, the clarity of direction has shifted significantly. “Since Adrian arrived, his leadership is unquestionable,” de la Rosa said. “After a difficult day in Bahrain, he joined the technical debriefs and was very clear about what had to be done. Everyone is now working in the same direction.”
He added that Newey’s presence has been particularly important during challenging moments. “When things go right, you don’t need a leader. It’s when things go wrong that leadership matters. Having Adrian in the team is a turning point.”
‘Clarity of direction’;
https://f1chronicle.com/aston-martin.../?nowprocket=1
The mountain Hamilton must climb to win over the tifosi in 2026
26 Feb 2026
Motor Sport
At 41 and fresh from a bruising first year at Ferrari, Lewis Hamilton must rediscover the mental steel and on-track authority that once defined his era. “He must climb an Everest this year,” Italian journalist Roberto Boccafogli writes in the latest issue of Motor Sport. That Everest includes proving that, at 41, he can still define an era rather than simply survive in it.
The tifosi, who had greeted Hamilton’s arrival with an outpouring of emotion not seen in Italy since F1’s great eras, gradually lost interest. McLaren dominated and Ferrari struggled, and the question of how Hamilton and Leclerc were getting along was largely forgotten amid more pressing disappointments. To win back the tifosi, Hamilton does not merely need to be competitive. He needs to be the Hamilton of old: the driver who imposed himself on races, who made things happen, who left opponents and team-mates alike with no answer.
“He must climb an Everest this year”;
https://www.motorsportmagazine.com/a.../?nowprocket=1
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What we've learned about Honda's 'abnormal' F1 engine problem.
Honda's reliability problems in Formula 1 testing have been attributed to abnormal vibrations that damaged the battery system although a root cause has not been identified.
Feb 27, 2026
Scott Mitchell-Malm
The Race
Speaking at an annual F1 pre-season briefing with Japanese media, not an emergency press conference as has been interpreted, Honda Racing Corporation leaders Koji Watanabe and Ikuo Takeishi admitted to suffering a "number of issues" in Bahrain, the most severe of which relates to the battery. Honda observed abnormal vibrations that caused damage to the battery, although it is not sure whether the battery system itself is the initial problem.
What Honda can see is the battery pack is being shaken because the structure it is attached to is vibrating more severely than expected. Honda is investigating a combination of factors that likely caused these vibrations to emerge and running virtual track testing at its Sakura base with a chassis, engine and gearbox combined, but is yet to pinpoint the root cause.
"If we could identify a single cause, it would be easier to fix, but because multiple linked factors generate the vibration, we don't know whether fixing just one will solve it," said Takeishi. "There is a possibility it takes time." "The wall we face as a result of these tests is certainly a high one," said Watanabe. "At this stage, our priority is to solve the current issue," said Takeishi. We are looking ahead, but right now we're fully focused on the immediate problems. Whether we introduce a major update or not is something to be discussed later."
‘Abnormal vibrations’;
https://www.the-race.com/formula-1/h...ot-identified/
Adrian Newey asked Honda to change ‘almost everything’ when he joined Aston Martin
27 Feb 2026
David Comerford
F1 Oversteer
Adrian Newey forced Honda to overhaul their 2026 power unit vision when he joined Aston Martin last year, according to the Japanese manufacturer. The brand-new partnership between Aston Martin and Honda got off to a disastrous start during pre-season testing. A succession of technical problems severely restricted the AMR26’s mileage and top speed. However, blame cannot solely be directed at the engine suppliers.
Newey’s aggressive chassis design has caused overheating, which is why the Aston Martin is now ‘riddled’ with cooling vents. A report this week suggested Newey was ‘shackling’ Honda’s efforts to improve by adopting an uncompromising philosophy. After leaving Red Bull in 2024, Newey wasn’t eligible to start work at Aston Martin until March 2025. By that point, engine development was already well advanced. Satoshi Tsunoda, the general manager of Honda’s F1 engine project, has revealed that the legendary designer ordered sweeping changes after his arrival.
There were indications even before testing that Honda were behind schedule, and perhaps this was the reason why. “Since Mr. Newey joined Aston Martin in March 2025, almost everything we’ve done up until now has changed,” Tsunoda explained, via Autosport Web. “We haven’t changed the engine structure, of course, but everything else, including the peripheral equipment and how it’s attached to the car body, has changed. Newey asked us, ‘Can’t you do it this way?’ and we were running out of time.”
‘Ordered sweeping changes’;
https://www.f1oversteer.com/news/adr...-aston-martin/
Bernie Ecclestone warns Lawrence Stroll that Ferrari prove you ‘can’t buy’ the F1 title
27 Feb 2026
Kyle Archer
F1 Oversteer
Bernie Ecclestone feels ‘sorry’ for Lawrence Stroll after Aston Martin’s dire start to 2026. Former F1 supremo Ecclestone likens Aston Martin’s early struggles with the AMR26, which seldom produced many laps in Bahrain owing to Honda’s reliability problems, to Ferrari and their 18-year wait to win the F1 drivers’ championship again, despite their raft of resources.
Ecclestone told Blick: “The fact that there’s always a missing piece in the title puzzle is best illustrated by Ferrari. They’ve been searching for the missing pieces for almost 20 years, despite having the best prerequisites, drivers and the necessary money.”
“You can’t buy the Formula 1 world championship title. If everything doesn’t come together, you will spend your whole life chasing that big success. That’s why I feel sorry for Lawrence Stroll.”
‘Title puzzle is best illustrated by Ferrari’;
https://www.f1oversteer.com/news/ber...-the-f1-title/
Martin Brundle says Aston Martin are in ‘dire trouble’ and raises Honda cost-cap concern
27 Feb 2026
David Comerford
F1 Oversteer
Martin Brundle says Aston Martin and Honda are facing a ‘snowball effect’ after what he called a ‘dire’ pre-season for the new partnership. “As you said, new everything,” Brundle told Simon Lazenby. “It’s clear to me that the correlation between the wind tunnel, the CFD and the stopwatch on the race track looks like it’s miles out. The car didn’t exactly look stuck to the road when it was running.”
“Honda were pulling out, they came back in, they seemed a long way behind on battery recovery and reliability. They’re churning through their cost cap on the motor side already. The big problem they have is that there are four teams charging round with the Mercedes power unit. Can you imagine, after nine days of testing, how much data Mercedes have?”
“Ferrari have three teams. Audi have done well, but they’ve only got themselves. Honda have only got Aston Martin. If the Aston Martin isn’t going round the track, which it wasn’t by and large, they’ve got no data. It’s a snowball effect for them, and they’re in dire trouble at Aston Martin. I’m sure they’ve got the resource and the brainpower to do something about that, but it’s going to take time.”
‘Snowball effect’;
https://www.f1oversteer.com/news/mar...t-cap-concern/
Aston crisis deepens, Stroll pressured on and off track
27 FEB 2026
GrandPrix.com
Aston Martin's difficult start to 2026 has been compounded by serious turmoil in its road car division, intensifying scrutiny on team owner Lawrence Stroll. On track, Aston Martin's new era - built around Adrian Newey, Fernando Alonso and a works Honda power unit - has so far failed to deliver. Sky Deutschland pundit Ralf Schumacher believes the pressure is mounting.
The German warned that internal tensions could become the bigger danger. “They must avoid destroying each other internally. This will be a huge test of patience. Alonso is probably enormously frustrated. Lance isn't someone who stays cheerful when things don't go his way. And Adrian is certainly disappointed - he imagined it would all be much better. The pressure is enormous.”
“Must avoid destroying each other internally”;
https://www.grandprix.com/news/aston...off-track.html
Adrian Newey has no immediate solution for his Aston Martin concept failing to meet expectations
25 Feb 2026
Kyle Archer
F1 Oversteer
Newey’s design is hurting Honda’s efforts to improve Aston Martin’s engine, as well, as the Japanese brand agreed to build their power unit around the F1 design guru’s concept. But Aston Martin have not sufficiently designed their cooling for the engine and its peripherals. Honda’s reliability problems were the dominant reason why Aston Martin struggled to post many laps during the Bahrain test. Also, Aston Martin face a six-month timeframe to build a new gearbox, as they even encountered a flurry of problems with their first in-house design.
Aston Martin previously bought their gearboxes from Mercedes as part of their power unit supply deal, which the team scrapped to link up with Honda from 2026. But Aston Martin’s gearbox repeatedly broke, selected the wrong gears and caused rear-end locking in Bahrain. Newey and owner Lawrence Stroll will hope Aston Martin get on top of their issues quickly, as their early problems to start 2026 are making the team less and less appealing. It is said that Max Verstappen has no interest in joining Aston Martin in 2027 after seeing their woes.
‘No immediate solution’;
https://www.f1oversteer.com/news/adr...-expectations/
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Fred Vasseur ‘only has until this summer’ to save his Ferrari job as F1 driver headache emerges.
Fred Vasseur ‘only has until this summer’ to convince Ferrari not to sack him according to F1 paddock rumours.
1 March 2026
Ben Evans
F1 Oversteer
Journalists Rebecca Clancy and Mark Mann-Bryans were speaking on the Inside the Piranha Club Podcast about Ferrari. Clancy suggested: “I think Fred Vasseur is under pressure as well. You mentioned there about the talk last year about his job not being safe, and then obviously they gave him a new contract in July. But obviously the rumours in the paddock now are that actually he still only has until this summer, and if the car isn’t performing by the summer then his job is at risk.”
“So I think if only he had the headache of whether to pick Leclerc or Hamilton, he would love that; otherwise, I think we could see more change and more disruption within Ferrari.” Mann-Bryans replied: “Nothing but winning is enough, is it for Ferrari? Let’s be honest. It doesn’t matter really. You can take as many podiums as you like. But to the tifosi, it’s all about being on the top step and winning those championships.” A report from the Swiss outlet Blick has also suggested that Vasseur is ‘under pressure’, with the Italian media ‘sharpening their knives’ already.
‘Only has until this summer’;
https://www.f1oversteer.com/news/fre...dache-emerges/
Lando Norris issues McLaren rally call over F1 title defence
Lando Norris enters the 2026 F1 season aiming to defend his drivers' championship.
1 March 2026
Fergal Walsh
RacingNews365
Lando Norris has suggested McLaren is not in a position to compete for an F1 title with its current car following the end of pre-season testing. When asked if he feels a responsibility to defend his title this year, Norris told media including RacingNews365: "Honestly, I don't think there's a responsibility... I mean, there's a responsibility always in life.
"But I'll do my best to defend it and continue it. But it's a new season with loads of new challenges. So it's not as simple as just continuing from last year and saying it's the same thing again. At the minute we have to, from what we see, improve the car quite a bit if we want to compete a bit more, to be confident for the first race."
"I feel confident. I feel better than I've ever done," he said. "Certainly, after last year and winning the championship last year, that's given me the confidence. So it's reassuring to know that I've done it once and therefore I believe I can do it again. So that's a good thing. But it's a long season, and I'll make sure I do my part. And together as a team, we'll make sure we give ourselves the best opportunity to do it again."
‘McLaren is not in a position to compete for an F1 title’;
https://racingnews365.com/lando-norr...-title-defence
McLaren have sacrificed downforce to build ‘more agile’ 2026 F1 car on the minimum weight limit
1 March 2026
Ben Evans
F1 Oversteer
McLaren have built their car slightly differently to the rest of the grid to create a ‘more agile’ machine compared to their rivals. Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri will both have their sights set on the drivers’ championship again after two years of having the quickest car on the grid. However, McLaren have already acknowledged that they don’t expect to be the leaders in the paddock at the beginning of 2026 due to the changing regulations. Mercedes already have a power unit advantage over McLaren due to their familiarity with the new engine.
However, there are suggestions that McLaren’s gearbox is class-leading this year, and with drivers looking set to spend far more time in first gear to charge up their batteries, being able to put that extra load through the gearbox is going to be essential. Journalist Mark Hughes has now had confirmation that McLaren have shortened their wheelbase this year. It makes Andrea Stella’s team an outlier in the paddock and comes with its own pros and cons.
‘More agile 2026 F1 car’;
https://www.f1oversteer.com/news/mcl...-weight-limit/
What repeat of Honda's last F1 nightmare means for Aston Martin
1 Mar 2026
Scott Mitchell-Malm
The Race
If or when Honda sorts things out, objectively assessing the quality of the car will be critical. Newey's delayed arrival played a role in the chassis being at least somewhat compromised at the start of this year. Aerodynamic development was some kind of combination of paused/reset/delayed in the first months of 2025 until he came in. That means three or four months were effectively lost, whether because previous work was reconsidered or because development was consciously held back to avoid wasting allocation before he could validate it.
Organisational changes followed and that may be to Aston Martin's advantage long term, but it does not create extra time in the short term or the stability that top teams thrive on. There's bound to be some kind of clash between expectations and reality - or in other words a gap between what kind of progress Aston Martin demands and what Honda can deliver. It'll be a matter of striking a sensible compromise.
But even if there is low-hanging fruit, climbing from where Honda is now to a midfield baseline by the second half of the year would represent significant progress. A podium-contending package within one year would require an extraordinary turnaround. The more plausible arc, if the base architecture is right, is gradual: stabilise this year, build a stronger performance and reliability platform into the next, and only then think about sustained frontrunning potential. That's how it played out post-2017, after all. It's whether Honda has the time and the resources to do it again.
‘Striking a sensible compromise’;
https://www.the-race.com/formula-1/h...-consequences/
Alpine admits to concerns over unique new F1 car feature
28 Feb 2026
Anirban Aly Mandal
Motorsport Week
Alpine boss Steve Nielsen has said the team is “nervous” over its unique interpretation of Formula 1 rear-wing design for 2026. Speaking to media including Motorsport Week, Nielsen admitted that it does make the team nervous, especially when no other team has decided to approach their rear-wing designs in a similar vein.
“Of course it does,” he admitted. “It would probably be a better question to answer later in the season, but when you’ve had the year we had last year, of course, you take comfort from that, and with the many. When something is unusual, it doesn’t mean that it is wrong, and we did it for our own reasons, but of course, you do think: ‘Wow, that’s not the same.’”
“It is an obvious difference, but whether it is the right direction or the wrong direction, who knows? We are evaluating everything, absolutely everything, together with what we see on other cars. If we see something, we model it, and we try to reproduce it.”
“Nervous”;
https://www.motorsportweek.com/2026/...1-car-feature/
Gary Anderson surprised more F1 teams didn’t copy Ferrari’s 2026 power unit solution
1 March 2026
Ben Evans
F1 Oversteer
One of the biggest talking points during pre-season has been the power units, with the FIA announcing changes to the way compression ratios are going to be measured midway through the 2026 season and then again in 2027. However, Gary Anderson has admitted that Ferrari’s turbo solution could be a masterstroke, and he’s surprised no other power unit manufacturers considered the same solution.
Anderson was speaking about Ferrari’s new power unit on The Race F1 Tech Show and explained: “This turbo, the requirement for the drivers to put 11,000 RPM on the engine to get turbo speed up and the fact that Ferrari seem to have an advantage in that area with what’s called a smaller turbo. The thing about this is that all of the PU manufacturers, all of the teams, even will know how much electrical energy they used last year driving the MGU to get that turbo up to speed for the start line because last year it was invisible, but you had the electric motor on the turbo. So they will know how much they had to do that on a start line for their given turbo size.”
“I’m surprised that some PU manufacturers don’t seem to have ever looked at that at all, or even car constructors haven’t looked at that at all. Ferrari, if they’ve done this because they’ve actually looked at it all and said this is what we need, then fantastic, pat on the back to them all. If it’s just because their philosophy is running the smaller turbo, which it has been for the last few years, and by luck, it’s ended up helping them off the start finish line, then that’s fine. It’s interesting that the other teams didn’t have a look at it because if you’ve got the big turbo, you need to run higher RPM to get the exhaust flow and get the turbo speed up.”
‘Ferrari’s turbo solution could be a masterstroke’;
https://www.f1oversteer.com/news/gar...unit-solution/
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F1 teams in Bahrain at a standstill due to Middle East unrest: here's the latest.
Mercedes, McLaren and Pirelli are working intensively to evacuate their personnel from Bahrain, where a tyre test had originally been scheduled. So far, however, all attempts have been unsuccessful, GPblog understands.
1 Mar 2026
Ludo van Denderen
GPblog.com
According to sources directly involved, repatriating team personnel remains the absolute priority. The specific measures under consideration are being deliberately kept out of the public domain for security reasons. At the same time, Mercedes, McLaren and Pirelli are aware that facilitating the departure of Formula 1 teams and drivers is not among the local authorities’ immediate priorities.
When will the airspace reopen? The key question now is when Bahrain’s airspace will reopen — and, crucially, when airlines will feel confident enough to resume flights to the country. Several Middle Eastern media outlets suggest air travel may not restart until March 7 at the earliest.
For now, however, that remains pure speculation. Teams find themselves at the mercy of rapidly evolving geopolitical developments, with no clear indication of when the attacks might come to an end. What is certain is that all teams and drivers are safe. For the time being, they remain confined to their hotels with little to do but wait. Nyck de Vries — who had been scheduled to test with McLaren — shared updates on social media showing him staying active in the gym and making the most of the unexpected downtime.
‘Mercedes, McLaren and Pirelli are working intensively to evacuate’;
https://www.gpblog.com/en/exclusive-...heir-situation
F1 chiefs issue statement on Australian GP following Middle East bombings
Formula One announced that an event in Bahrain was cancelled and have now put a second statement out ahead of the Australian Grand Prix.
28 Feb 2026
Josh Lawless
SPORTbible
Formula One have responded with a response about the upcoming Australian Grand Prix after bombings in the Middle East. The 2026 season kicks off next week with the first race in Melbourne as McLaren's Lando Norris begins the defence of his crown. However, a F1 event in Bahrain has been cancelled days before the opener because of ongoing tensions in the Middle East. A two-day Pirelli tyre test was set to take place and collate important data but the event at the Sakhir International circuit, had to be postponed due to missiles in the region.
In a statement given to RacingNews365. Pirelli explained: "The two days of development tests for wet-weather compounds, scheduled for today and tomorrow at the Bahrain International Circuit, have been cancelled for security reasons following the evolving international situation. All Pirelli personnel currently in Manama are safe in their hotels. The company is working to ensure their safety and arrange their return to Italy and the UK as soon as possible."
Many F1 staff members have had to re-route their travel to Australia as a result, with major airports like Dubai and Doha closed for security purposes. Airport Hong Kong and Singapore are being used for alternative connecting flights but F1 officials may be forced to further shift plans if the conflict continues. An F1 spokesperson told The Sun: "Our next three races are in Australia, China and Japan, not in the Middle East – those races are not for a number of weeks. As always, we closely monitor any situation like this and work closely with relevant authorities.”
‘Many F1 staff members have had to re-route their travel to Australia’;
https://www.sportbible.com/f1/f1-aus...28352-20260228
Unrest in the Middle East: Are the Grands Prix in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia at risk?
28 Feb 2026
Kada Sárközi
Ludo van Denderen
GPblog.com
The United States and Israel's attack on Iran (and the latter's response) do not, for now, give Formula 1 cause for concern about the fast-approaching Grands Prix of Bahrain and Saudi Arabia going ahead. The unrest may, however, lead to some inconvenience.
The United States and Israel have announced that the military strike on, among other things, nuclear targets in Iran will last 'a few days'. Although a missile from Iran has landed in Bahrain, there is, as yet, no reason to cancel the Grand Prix in the Gulf state.
The FOM's statement reads: "Our next three races are in Australia, China and Japan, not in the Middle East - those races are not for a number of weeks. As always, we closely monitor any situation like this and work closely with relevant authorities." Should the situation at any point become such that the safety of the teams and the public is at risk, measures can still be taken. That is not the case at this time.
‘Unrest in the Middle East’;
https://www.gpblog.com/en/news/unres...arabia-at-risk
McLaren trailing ‘clear group’ at the front ahead of Australian Grand Prix
1 Mar 2026
Michelle Foster
PlanetF1.com
Former Ferrari race engineer Rob Smedley says there is a “clear group” that emerged off the front during pre-season, and reigning world champion McLaren is a bit behind it. “From the Bahrain test, there was, we saw a little bit of Barcelona then and then more so in the Bahrain test, a clear group emerging at the front,” he told Motorsport Week. “Definitely Mercedes look very strong to start the season. Red Bull look very strong, they’re up there with them, and probably have the edge on race pace.”
“Ferrari have done a great job, it’s really nice to see some of the innovations on that car. I think Ferrari will be there or thereabouts.” “McLaren,” he continued, “from the testing, were probably just a little bit off the back of that top three but not far away,” he said. “They’re still in the mix and then it’s good to see the midfield as well, the midfield was a little bit shaken-up and possibly, let’s see in Australia, edging towards that top four as well.”
“But I think what you have to take into account is this ruleset is so immature, that the development is all-important,” he said. “It’s good to start the season with a good car, but [in] Formula 1, what the pecking order is in Australia, won’t be the case, more than likely, won’t be there, won’t be the case by the time we get to Abu Dhabi, just because the development curve will be so strong.”
‘McLaren trailing’;
https://www.planetf1.com/news/f1-202...-pecking-order
Damon Hill thinks Lewis Hamilton is ‘in the mix’ with Ferrari after watching him during F1 testing
1 March 2026
Ben Evans
F1 Oversteer
Damon Hill and Johnny Herbert have been very positive about Lewis Hamilton’s chances with Ferrari ahead of the 2026 Formula 1 season. Damon Hill thinks Lewis Hamilton is enjoying the ‘driving experience’ of Ferrari’s 2026 F1 car. Hill was speaking to Herbert about Hamilton on the Stay on Track Podcast ahead of the season opener in Australia.
The 1996 world champion said: “I think Ferrari are very interesting. I think they seem to be quite happy with where they are.” Herbert replied: “Lewis has been positive with his comments about how happy he is with the car.” Hill continued: “I think there weren’t any long faces, so I think he’s happy with it as far as the driving experience goes. I think he seems to be liking it. They’re in the mix, they’re in the top four.”
“But it’s picking the winner from that, and the feeling is that the Mercedes have been hiding their light under a bushel. How many times have we been to Bahrain in pre-season testing and Ferrari have looked good, or Barcelona for that matter? This is the slight worry with Ferrari, they kind of get themselves too far ahead too soon, but anyway, it was a good performance. They weren’t breaking down all the time; there’s a difference, the drivers looked happy driving the cars.”
‘In the mix’;
https://www.f1oversteer.com/news/dam...ng-f1-testing/
The critical new trick F1 teams are racing to understand
Technical analyst Paolo Filisetti breaks down everything you need to know about the latest F1 buzzword: 'Super-clipping'.
28 Feb 2026
Paolo Filisetti
RacingNews365
Battery charging in F1 was the dominant theme of pre-season testing, during which time, it emerged that one charging mode in particular could be the best way for drivers to harvest energy, whilst not ruining the competition on track: 'super-clipping'. It has become the preferred method of energy recovery, although it is still not optimal.
Super-clipping is essentially the engine starting to harvest electrical energy whilst the driver is at full throttle. When it is being used, it can recapture 250kw of energy, with the new beefed-up batteries capable of holding the 350kw which is recaptured by the MGU-K under braking.
Teams are starting to gravitate towards super-clipping as the method for harvesting owing to the fact that, compared to lift and coast, there is no sudden slowdown of the car, something with strong implications for safety, with drivers also able to enjoy a more natural driving style.
'The latest F1 buzzword: SUPER-CLIPPING';
https://racingnews365.com/the-critic...-to-understand
-
Martin Brundle warns of ‘wild’ start to F1 2026 season.
Formula 1 could be braced for a “slightly wild” start to 2026 as drivers grapple with battery harvesting, boost management and inevitable reliability gremlins.
3 Mar 2026
Michelle Foster
PlanetF1.com
Martin Brundle expects unpredictable opening to F1 2026 “It’s a dramatic change, the biggest ever in Formula 1, and we’re right at the very beginning of it,” Brundle told Sky F1. “Teams have got to find ways of replenishing the battery and for it to not dominate the lap so much, but I think they’ll quite quickly do that and migrate together in terms of how they want to charge and use their power.”
“But, in the beginning, it’s going to be slightly wild. We’re going to get unreliability as well, much more than we’ve seen in the last few years, when the last hybrid engines became bulletproof, really, and so did the cars. I think you’ll not think you have won a grand prix until you literally see the chequered flag.”
“We’re going to see a lot of variability but we’re in a massively better place than we were in 2014 when the hybrid engines first came in because only Mercedes got it right then and everybody else was floundering around. This is much closer.”
“Slightly wild”;
https://www.planetf1.com/news/martin...f1-2026-season
Jos Verstappen says ‘everyone laughed’ when Max Verstappen warned them about 2026 F1 rules
3 Mar 2026
David Comerford
F1 Oversteer
Why the Australian Grand Prix could be a farce. In an interview with Viaplay, via RacingNews365, Max’s father Jos Verstappen said that these complaints weren’t taken seriously at the time. In fact, ‘everyone laughed’. Verstappen feels that his son has been proven right by pre-season testing and accused the sport’s bosses of ignoring their drivers.
“They simply don’t listen,” he said. “Max was already negative about certain things based on the data, but everyone laughed at him at the time. Now they see the results, and everyone can see it. They should listen to the drivers more often, but they don’t.”
‘Could be a farce’;
https://www.f1oversteer.com/news/jos...2026-f1-rules/
Charter flights put on as F1 bosses try to keep Australian Grand Prix on track
3 Mar 2026
PA News Agency
News Shopper
Formula One has kept Sunday’s season-opening Australian Grand Prix alive by using charter planes to fly hundreds of affected members of the sport’s travelling circus to Melbourne. Following the travel chaos caused by airspace closure in the Middle East, the Press Association has been told that two chartered aircraft departed London on Monday night.
A British Airways plane, which stopped at Singapore, and a business-class only Air X flight via Tanzania, carried staff from 10 of the grid’s 11 teams as well as F1 officials to Australia. The eleventh-hour flights were coordinated by sports travel agency, Travel Places. The affected personnel are due to land in Melbourne on Wednesday morning, 48 hours out from the opening practice session of the season at Albert Park.
Roughly 2,000 people work at every F1 race, and it is thought at least a quarter had been due to travel to Australia via travel hubs such as Doha and Dubai. However, the conflict in the Middle East caused hundreds of staff to re-route or take chartered flights. One leading UK-based team told PA that more than 50 per cent of its travelling staff had been affected.
‘Charter flights put on’;
https://www.newsshopper.co.uk/sport/...nd-prix-track/
Why Red Bull are the biggest wild cards for the 2026 season
3 Mar 2026
Jaden Diaz-Ndisang
Last Word On Sports
According to some engineers int he paddock, Red Bull could be the benchmark in terms of harvesting energy. Upon realising how competitive their engine was, Laurent Mekies’ personnel swiftly turned it down. Over the remaining weeks of testing, the RB22 was consistently at the bottom of the timing sheets.
Of course, this deliberate attempt to conceal performance did not go unnoticed by rivals. Mercedes have been particularly vocal about their suspicions regarding the Austrian team’s true speed. Suggestions that Red Bull’s engine could be the best on the grid – though perhaps just mind games – are evidence that the Austrian squad are already giving rivals headaches. Whilst it is impossible to say exactly where Red Bull sit in the pecking order, one thing is certain. The RB22 is seen as a threat.
Putting engine performance to one side, Red Bull’s 2026 challenger also impressed with its aerodynamic characteristics. The RB22 was a compliant and consistent machine in testing, demonstrating a strong platform to start these regulations. Perhaps unsurprisingly, Max Verstappen is convinced that Mercedes have a huge amount of performance in reserve: “I can tell you one thing. Just wait until Melbourne and see how much power the suddenly find – I already know.” The Dutchman is not the only person to make this kind of suggestion about the Silver Arrows. Looking to the entirety of 2026, the Austrian team fancy themselves to beat their rivals in a mid-season development race.
‘One thing is certain. The RB22 is seen as a threat.’;
https://lastwordonsports.com/motorsp...e-2026-season/
Adrian Newey made a sarcastic dig about Honda’s 80hp deficit as Aston Martin face reliability crisis
3 Mar 2026
Kyle Archer
F1 Oversteer
Adrian Newey has sarcastically claimed Aston Martin’s Honda engine is not powerful enough to charge the battery. Aston Martin have sent chief strategy officer Andy Cowell, who Newey has replaced as team principal for the 2026 season, to Japan to help Honda fix their engine. But Autosport reports that ‘time is running out’ for Honda to find ‘basic reliability’ before looking for performance.
Newey is far from happy with the situation, and is even said to have ‘sarcastically’ taken aim at Honda by suggesting that the Japanese brand’s new V6 engine is not powerful enough to recharge the battery. Honda’s engine is thought to lack 80hp when it is charging the battery. Honda’s problems also ensured Aston Martin were unable to gauge the actual performance levels of the AMR26 over the two three-day tests in Bahrain. The Silverstone team will now head to Melbourne largely hoping to just avoid their image being undermined even further.
‘Honda’s 80hp deficit’;
https://www.f1oversteer.com/news/adr...bility-crisis/
‘Things might bubble over’: Davidson fears Alonso’s frustration
03/03/2026
Phillip van Osten
F1i.com
Davidson highlighted the gravity of the situation. "They're in a technically challenging position right now, as a whole collective,” he explained in an interview with RacingNews365. “Fernando is very much part of that team, and will be working in the background, trying to get things up to speed, quite literally, and [for the car] to be more reliable."
"He's not blessed with a huge amount of time on his side anymore, and as a driver that's been there and done it, it all might become too frustrating, perhaps," Davidson noted. While the prestige of the project is clear, the current setbacks are impossible to ignore.
"But he's a hard worker, and I'm sure he wants, more than anybody, for this to succeed as an operation, and on paper, you'd have to say that all the ingredients are there. So give it time, and I'm convinced that it will come good, but it comes back to my first point. Time isn't really on his side."
‘Things might bubble over’;
https://f1i.com/news/560022-things-m...ustration.html
Honda preparing Aston Martin updates for the Australian GP with ‘no 100% guarantee’ they will work
3 Mar 2026
Ben Evans
F1 Oversteer
Adrian Newey has his work cut out, while Fernando Alonso must be wondering when, if ever, his luck is going to change in Formula 1, 20 years on from his second championship victory. Both Aston Martin and Honda know they can’t afford to slow down the work they’re doing behind the scenes, and journalists Kemal Sengul and Thomas Maher have shared more details about what both parties are planning on bringing to the Australian Grand Prix this weekend.
‘No 100% guarantee’;
https://www.f1oversteer.com/news/hon...hey-will-work/
Aston Martin and Adrian Newey are racing to sort out a dud car as F1 season begins
3 March 2026
ASSOCIATED PRESS
MailOnline
The big problem is that there isn't one big problem. The Honda engine seems to lack power, but Aston Martin's exclusive works relationship with the Japanese auto giant means there's no other team with a Honda engine to compare it with, or learn from.
The Aston Martin is also unreliable and undercooked after arriving late to the first test and missing valuable time due to breakdowns. Battery problems limited testing time in Bahrain as Honda worked on the issue. Aston Martin also seemed to have gearbox trouble and a shortage of parts.
‘Racing to sort out a dud car’;
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/wires/ap...on-begins.html
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F1 suspends curfew rules for Australian GP due to travel disruption.
Formula 1 has suspended its curfew rules for the Australian Grand Prix due to the travel disruption caused by the conflict in the Middle East.
4th Mar 2026
Keith Collantine
RaceFans
The FIA advised teams: “We wish to inform you that, following consultation with the stewards of the meeting, due to force majeure and specifically ongoing travel and freight disruptions experienced in the preparation of the Australian Grand Prix, the provisions of Article B9.5.1a i.e. ‘Restricted Period 1’ and Article B9.5.1b i.e. ‘Restricted Period 2’ shall not apply at this Competition,” race director Rui Marques told teams in an official communication.
The two periods last 13 and 14 hours respectively and apply to the 60 staff members defined as “Operational Personnel”, plus a further 16 designated “Training Personnel”, whose work on the cars is restricted to control costs. It does not apply to drivers or team members whose work involves media, marketing or similar.
‘F1 suspends curfew rules’;
https://www.racefans.net/2026/03/04/...el-disruption/
How F1 teams pulled out all stops to reach Australia in time for the Grand Prix after Iran war threw their plans into chaos
3 Mar 2026
AUSTRALIAN ASSOCIATED PRESS
MailOnline
'You're talking about teams, drivers, Formula 1 personnel,' Australian GP CEO Travis Auld told Nine's Today show. 'I'm guessing there'd be close to 1,000 people that would have already booked their flights and would be landing somewhere between sort of today, tomorrow, Wednesday. So they had to all be changed, but a lot of people around the world are on the same thing and so you're competing obviously with that increase in demand. But they've been able to sort it out, which is the important part.'
'All the freight is here and ready to go and so we're in a space where we're really confident there'll be no impact (on the race by the travel disruption from the conflict),' Auld added. 'The drivers will be here, the engineers will be here, the team principals will be here - they're the ones that have been prioritised.'
‘F1 teams pulled out all stops’;
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/fo...ans-chaos.html
Major change announced for Australian Grand Prix
The pit lane speed limit has been reduced for this weekend’s Australian Grand Prix as Albert Park adjusts to Formula 1’s expanded 11-team grid.
4 Mar 2026
Ben Waterworth
Speedcafe
With Cadillac making its debut as the sport’s newest entrant, organisers have confirmed the pit lane limit will drop from 80km/h back to 60km/h for the 2026 season opener at Albert Park. The change comes as the Melbourne venue works to accommodate the additional garage, freight and hospitality demands created by Cadillac’s arrival, which expands the grid for the first time in a decade.
Construction on a new $350 million paddock building is due to begin after this weekend’s race, with the existing pit complex to be demolished as part of a broader redevelopment plan. The current pit building, which dates back to 1995, is set to be replaced with a modern complex featuring upgraded garages, race control, hospitality and media facilities.
‘Pit lane speed limit has been reduced’;
https://speedcafe.com/f1-news-2026-a...dillac-update/
The craziest F1 start ever? Why Australian Grand Prix might see chaos from the off
3 Mar 2026
Laurence Edmondson
ESPN.com
What's the issue? The main problem is a phenomenon known as turbo-lag, which manifests itself as delayed acceleration when the driver hits the throttle. Turbo-lag exists because turbocharged engines need to produce enough exhaust gas pressure to spin the turbo before it can deliver the power advantage of compressed air to the engine. Put simply, it's a very noisy chicken and egg situation.
Under the last set of turbo-hybrid regulations, the complex Motor Generator Unit-Heat (MGU-H) held the answer. The MGU-H was a remarkable part of the hybrid system that not only generated electricity from the spinning turbo, but could also be used as an electric motor to spin the turbo in lieu of exhaust gas pressure.
Under F1's new regulations for 2026, the fiddly and expensive MGU-H technology has been removed from the power units to make the challenge of entering the sport easier for newcomers Audi and Red Bull. All well and good, but it means the relatively large turbos in F1 now have to rely purely on exhaust gas from a 1.6-litre engine to hit the optimum boost pressure for acceleration.
‘Turbo-lag’;
https://www.espn.com/f1/story/_/id/4...-see-chaos-off
Martin Brundle predicts Australian Grand Prix podium with Charles Leclerc winning
4 Mar 2026
David Comerford
F1 Oversteer
Martin Brundle has talked up George Russell’s title chances and he believes the Mercedes driver will finish second. He rounds off his prediction with Oscar Piastri, who is bidding to end Australia’s long wait for a home podium. In Brundle’s eyes, there is no place on the podium for Lando Norris, the reigning world champion and last year’s Melbourne winner. He also leaves out Red Bull’s Max Verstappen and Ferrari’s Lewis Hamilton. Indeed, it would be particularly painful for Hamilton’s podium drought to continue if his teammate were able to win in the sister car.
Karun Chandhok disagrees with Martin Brundle’s Charles Leclerc prediction. Turning to Brundle’s colleagues, Karun Chandhok left both Ferrari drivers off the podium entirely. He’s going for Russell to win ahead of the two McLarens, with Piastri second and Norris third.
Anthony Davidson agrees that Russell will start the season on top but expects Verstappen to be up there in P2. That would be a fine result on the debut of the Red Bull engine. Davidson also picks Norris third, while David Croft went with the same order as Chandhok. The variety in the predictions is exciting in and of itself, reflecting the uncertainty around the pecking order and the perceived closeness of the top four teams.
‘Martin Brundle: Charles Leclerc, George Russell, Oscar Piastri’;
https://www.f1oversteer.com/news/mar...clerc-winning/
Stella and McLaren ready to ‘put cards on the table’ at Australian Grand Prix
3 Mar 2026
Olly Darcy
GPblog.com
McLaren team principal Andrea Stella said that he and his team are ready for an "exciting but complex" season to get underway. "This season is an exciting but complex challenge, and it’s great to be back racing again. It’s the reason why we’re in the sport," stated the Italian in a McLaren press release.
"We’re looking forward to finally putting the cards on the table in Melbourne and seeing where we truly stand as the first races unfold. Everybody at McLaren Mastercard has played an important role in getting the MCL40 to the track, but the hard work starts now, and we embrace the task ahead.”
“We arrive at the 2026 season opener in Melbourne pleased with the successful work completed over the last few months of testing across Barcelona and Bahrain, having covered more than 1,000 laps in nine days of running. [Pre-season testing] has given the entire team satisfying learnings around the performance and reliability of the MCL40 at this foundation stage of its development," continued the McLaren team boss.
‘Cards on the table’;
https://www.gpblog.com/en/news/stell...ian-grand-prix
Max previews Australian GP: 'Exciting to get out racing again'
4 Mar 2026
Niels Hendrix
Verstappen.nl
Max Verstappen has arrived in Melbourne on Tuesday evening, ahead of Formula 1’s season opener. Looking ahead to the Australian Grand Prix, the Dutch Oracle Red Bull Racing driver says: “It will be great to be back on track and start up the season, it has felt like a long build up to this point and it is exciting to finally get out racing again.”
“In Bahrain, seeing the car with our own power unit getting in so many laps was very impressive: there were a lot of proud faces seeing it go out for the first time and the team have done a great job. We’ve been driving the car in the simulator for such a long time, so when it was finally time to come back and see the car ready to go, I did get goosebumps.”
“Now is the real test. Looking to Melbourne, I don’t know how it is all going to play out, but we have been learning a lot and working on optimising the car as best we can. Obviously, this track has many great memories for me, especially driving my first ever F1 race here. But this year will be a particularly exciting challenge and I’m looking forward to seeing how it goes.”
“I did get goosebumps”;
https://news.verstappen.com/en/article/6086/
Adrian Newey sets up Honda ‘crisis unit’ as Aston Martin aim for the bare ‘minimum’ at Melbourne
2 Mar 2026
Ben Evans
F1 Oversteer
Adrian Newey has set up a ‘crisis unit’ to support Honda, with Andy Cowell now positioned in Japan to help get things up to speed as quickly as possible. Cowell oversaw much of Mercedes’ success when the engine regulations changed in 2014, but hasn’t yet been able to have the same influence at Aston Martin and Honda.
‘Crisis unit’;
https://www.f1oversteer.com/news/adr...-at-melbourne/
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Newey drops bombshell at Honda ahead of Australian Grand Prix.
The Honda executive was left speechless as a result. Watanabe did not address any questions in detail. According to him, it would only become truly clear in Australia how good or bad the Honda engine is.
5 Mar 2026
Tim Kraaij
GPblog.com
Adrian Newey has dropped a bombshell ahead of the race weekend in Australia. According to the team boss of the British outfit, Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll will not be able to finish the Grand Prix in Melbourne. Newey didn’t mince words. “That vibration into the chassis is causing a few reliability problems. Mirrors falling off, tail lights falling off, all that sort of thing, which we are having to address.”
“But the much more significant problem with that is that that vibration is transmitted ultimately into the driver's fingers. So, Fernando is of the feeling that he can't do more than 25 laps consecutively before he will risk permanent nerve damage to his hands. Lance is of the opinion that he can't do more than 15 laps before that threshold. There's no point in being open and honest in this meeting."
"It's something that, unfortunately, Koji and I haven't had a chance to discuss properly prior to this meeting. We are going to have to be very heavily restricted on how many laps we do in the race until we get on top of the source of the vibration and improve the vibration at source."
‘Newey didn’t mince words’;
https://www.gpblog.com/en/news/newey...ian-grand-prix
Aston Martin chief Adrian Newey says Honda engine vibration issue could cause team's cars to retire from Australian GP
5 Mar 2026
Sky Sports
Aston Martin chief Adrian Newey has suggested it's unlikely that either of the team's cars will be able to finish Sunday's season-opening Australian Grand Prix due to concerns that vibrations could cause serious damage to their drivers.
"Honda engine vibration issue”;
https://www.skysports.com/f1/news/12...-australian-gp
Alonso pours cold water on shocking Adrian Newey claim: 'Let's be clear'
5 Mar 2026
Tobia Elia
GPblog.com
Responding to those shocking claims while speaking to GPblog among other media outlets, the Spaniard insisted he could keep going for hours if he had a competitive car in his hands. "No, (it is) not painful. Not difficult to control the car. The adrenaline is just way higher than any pain. If we were fighting for the win, we can do three hours in the car. Let's be clear. I think that overcomes anything when you are in the car”
“You don't have a limitation that will stop you feeling the car or what you are doing, but definitely it is something unusual. It shouldn't be there. We don't know the consequences either if you keep driving like that for months. So, a solution has to be implemented. And as I said, everyone is trying every day in Japan to fix the things. We are here to help as well."
“We can do three hours in the car”;
https://www.gpblog.com/en/news/alons...-lets-be-clear
Everything we learned from extraordinary Newey/Honda briefing
5 Mar 2026
SCOTT MITCHELL-MALM, JON NOBLE
The Race
Aston Martin’s Formula 1 leader Adrian Newey claims his team already has a car good enough to be in the top 10 without Honda’s engine problems – which will leave them “heavily restricted” on laps at the season-opening Australian Grand Prix.
The lack of mileage in testing left Aston Martin looking very close with new entrant Cadillac to being F1’s slowest team at the start of the season, and managing technical partner Newey has made it clear the responsibility for that lies solely on one side of the new partnership at the moment. Here's everything we learned from an extraordinary pre-Australian GP press conference with Newey and Honda Racing Corporation president Koji Watanabe.
Bullish car claim puts blame on Honda
A fix for battery vibrations…sort of
Another serious vibration problem remains
Laps will be heavily restricted
A hint of Honda’s true deficit
‘Everything we learned’;
https://www.the-race.com/formula-1/e...onda-briefing/
Adrian Newey tells Aston Martin staff where they are in the ‘recovery process’ amid 2026 struggles
4 Mar 2026
Tyler Rowlinson
F1 Oversteer
Adrian Newey told Aston Martin staff not to expect ‘instant progress’ with 2026 recovery plan. A report from PlanetF1 details what Aston Martin are doing to bounce back from what was a shocking pre-season campaign, and what is set to be a difficult start to the 2026 season.
‘Sources’ suggest that Aston Martin could have a ‘quite steep’ upwards curve once they solve their problems with reliability. However, Newey has stressed that the team cannot expect miracles. The team principal is said to have addressed staff on Monday. He stated that the recovery process has started, but ‘instant progress’ cannot be expected.
The report notes that the team is under the impression that the second half of the season will be ‘considerably brighter’. It will give Newey plenty of time to unlock the performance from the AMR26, but they will be in for a painful start to the year.
‘Recovery process’;
https://www.f1oversteer.com/news/adr...026-struggles/
Stroll reveals AMR26 vibrations feel like 'you electrocute yourself on a chair'
5 Mar 2026
Tobia Elia
GPblog.com
Lance Stroll described the heavy vibrations produced by the AMR26 as “electrocuting yourself on a chair.” "I don't know how you could compare it. I guess like you electrocute yourself on a chair or something like that, it's not far off" - Lance Stroll.
The Canadian told F1 TV: "It's not good. We're trying to get on top of it, fix it. We have some ideas this week, to solve some of those issues and we'll see in FP1 if it's better than it was in Bahrain. I don't know how you could compare it. I guess like you electrocute yourself on a chair or something like that, it's not far off. It's a very uncomfortable vibration. It's bad for the engine, but also for the human inside the car. We need to get on top of it. I think we will."
Asked whether the team would really have to retire the car after just a handful of laps in the race, the Canadian concluded: "We don't know, it all depends on if we've improved from Bahrain. If we still have the same vibration issues with the car, it's going to be hard to do more than 10-15 laps. If we resolve the issues, than we can go much further into the race."
“Electrocuting yourself on a chair”;
https://www.gpblog.com/en/news/strol...elf-on-a-chair
F1 driver sparks laughter with brutal joke at Aston Martin drivers’ expense
5 Mar 2026
Tobia Elia
GPblog.com
Valtteri Bottas jokingly placed the two Aston Martin drivers among the title contenders for the 2026 season. Valtteri Bottas pokes fun at Aston Martin drivers. The Finn, speaking during the drivers' press conference on the eve of the season-opening weekend in Melbourne, jokingly named his top three favourites for the title, placing Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll alongside George Russell.
"This is so hard to say that we haven't done a single race. We've only done testing. Every team is bringing different parts to race one, or even teams, it's impossible to say. If I have to guess something now, I'm going to say Lance Stroll, Fernando Alonso, and... George Russell. Because I think they were sandbagging, so they're going to beat Aston at the very end in Abu Dhabi."
‘F1 driver sparks laughter with brutal joke’;
https://www.gpblog.com/en/news/f1-dr...m-in-abu-dhabi
MPH: Laughing at Aston's F1 troubles? That's a low-intelligence take
4 Mar 2026
Mark Hughes
Motor Sport Magazine
It'd be easy to laugh at Aston Martin's disastrous start to 2026 after owner Lawrence Stroll invested millions into making it an F1 super-team. But don't mock, writes Mark Hughes. Adrian Newey's ambitious design could well come good. Obviously, things aren’t going great for Aston Martin F1 right now and the AMR26 is expected to endure a totally uncompetitive debut this weekend. But it’s a freeze-frame moment in a story which could eventually play out wonderfully. Ensuring that it does so requires calm resolve right when it would be very understandable for owner Lawrence Stroll to lose patience.
If we look at the current freeze-frame picture, it is one of a car totally out of phase with the others in its conception and development – started way later than the others. This at a time of a radical rules re-set which has caught power unit partner Honda on the hop, together with possibly Adrian Newey’s most ambitious design in a long career of ambitious designs and a factory feeling the growing pains of recent huge expansion. These have all fed into one very tight knot of acute problems for the car. How long it takes to untie that knot can’t be accurately predicted but it would be foolish to dismiss the potential.
‘Don't mock, writes Mark Hughes. Adrian Newey's ambitious design could well come good’;
https://www.motorsportmagazine.com/a.../?nowprocket=1
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The three crucial questions the Australian GP will finally answer.
Is Mercedes really the benchmark? Is Ferrari really as strong as it looked during the Bahrain testing? How will Aston Martin do?
4 Mar 2026
Tobia Elia
GPblog.com
Is Mercedes really the benchmark? According to the updated directive, which will come into force from 1 June, power units will no longer be measured solely at ambient temperature but also at 130°C — the point at which Mercedes’ engine is believed to see its compression ratio increase from 16:1 to 18:1.
Is Ferrari really as strong as it looked during the Bahrain testing? Ferrari’s all-new SF-26 attracted plenty of attention during testing in both Barcelona and Bahrain, with the power unit appearing extremely reliable and allowing both drivers to rack up a huge number of laps, also thanks to the mileage accumulated by the customer teams.
How will Aston Martin do? Undoubtedly the biggest disappointment of pre-season testing, with the situation, on the eve of the championship, increasingly resembling a steep mountain to climb rather than the start of a winning project.
‘Three crucial questions’;
https://www.gpblog.com/en/general/th...finally-answer
7 things we learned on day one of F1's Australian GP
5 Mar 2026
The Race
Formula 1’s Australian Grand Prix weekend kicked off with all 22 drivers - and some senior team figures - speaking to the media on Thursday.
Here’s everything we learned ahead of the first day of on-track action on Friday.
Aston Martin's in even worse shape than we thought
Melbourne will be 'incredibly tough' compared to Bahrain
Rivals are suspicious of Red Bull's true pace
The race could be chaotic...
...and so could qualifying
Bottas's comeback has been made easier
More details of F1 movie sequel
‘7’;
https://www.the-race.com/formula-1/f...at-we-learned/
Wolff makes Mercedes’ true ambitions crystal clear ahead of Australian GP
4 Mar 2026
Tobia Elia
GPblog.com
Toto Wolff has set his sights on the Australian Grand Prix, where Mercedes is aiming to play a leading role. Wolff lifts the lid on Mercedes’ true target in Melbourne. Speaking ahead of the opening race weekend of the season, the Austrian said the W17 had shown encouraging signs during testing, while stressing that there are still areas to improve and that the Albert Park circuit will provide a clearer picture of Mercedes’ true level.
“Testing is behind us now. It offered glimpses, but—as always—far more questions than answers. We identified encouraging signs, but also several areas that are not yet where they need to be. That is the nature of this sport: every weakness is an opportunity waiting to be unlocked. The W17 has potential, but the stopwatch never lies. Melbourne will give us the first real indication of where we stand; that is both intriguing and humbling at the same time.”
“It will take a few races before the competitive order settles. Albert Park is an energy lean circuit, so deployment and strategic discipline will play a meaningful role. The new regulations add another layer of complexity and will reshape the dynamics across the field as teams adapt. We are at the beginning of a new era for the sport —one full of opportunity and built from a position of strength. There's been lots of talk up to this point but that can now stop and we can go racing. Let's see how the initial picture emerges.”
‘Wolff lifts the lid’;
https://www.gpblog.com/en/news/wolff...-australian-gp
Guenther Steiner believes a McLaren podium at the Australian Grand Prix is not ‘realistic’
5 Mar 2026
Luke Newman
F1 Oversteer
Guenther Steiner took a bold opinion when asked about McLaren’s chances at the Australian Grand Prix. Steiner said, “I don’t think a podium for McLaren [at the Australian Grand Prix] this year is realistic. I will explain why, during the first year of the regulations, the teams which have built their own engines, like Ferrari and Mercedes, have a slight advantage.”
“Because they get all their information earlier, they have more time to develop. I think McLaren will catch up pretty quickly, but at the beginning of the season I favour Mercedes and Ferrari to be on the podium.” Steiner said, “I would not say they favour him, but it ended up in Lando’s advantage. Lando was given the opportunity, and he took it.”
“Oscar had moments where he did not perform as he normally does, and there it is. So, I don’t think he was intentionally favoured, to be honest. But with Lando being more experienced, he took the opportunity. Before the summer break, Lando made mistakes; after the summer break, Oscar made mistakes. So, it was a little bit like this.”
‘McLaren podium at the Australian Grand Prix is not realistic’;
https://www.f1oversteer.com/news/gue...not-realistic/
Hamilton flags major Red Bull question mark ahead of Australian GP
5 Mar 2026
Tobia Elia
GPblog.com
Lewis Hamilton believes Red Bull have yet to show their true hand after Bahrain testing and still have plenty in reserve. “The goal is to win. That’s what everyone is working towards, every team is, but that’s our objective — to maximise every opportunity, to be lean and hopefully be fighting at the front already in the first races.”
“We don’t really know where everyone stands yet, Mercedes look particularly quick, and I’m not really sure we’ve seen the full unleashed Red Bull yet. It’s all really exciting, but whatever happens I feel like I’ve got a great group of people behind me who are fully focused on bringing performance and maximising everything from every weekend.”
‘Red Bull question’;
https://www.gpblog.com/en/news/hamil...-australian-gp
Lewis Hamilton declares Ferrari target at F1 2026 Australian GP
The seven-time world champion aims to rebound from a difficult 2025 Formula 1 season
5 Mar 2026
Brandon Sutton
Total Motorsport
Lewis Hamilton declares his target ahead of the 2026 Australian GP is to win the race, as he says he is focused and looks to deliver Formula 1 glory to Ferrari after a challenging debut year with the Scuderia. “The goal is to win. That’s what we’re working towards,” Hamilton told media, including Total-Motorsport.com. “Every team is, but that’s our goal: to maximise on every opportunity, to be hopefully fighting in the top group, hopefully in the first races.
“We don’t really know. Mercedes looked particularly quick, and I’m not really sure whether we’ve seen the full, unleashed Red Bull yet, so it’s really, really exciting. But whatever the case, I feel like I’ve got a great group of people behind me who are head down focused on bringing performance and really maximising every weekend.”
‘Ferrari target’;
https://www.total-motorsport.com/lew...alian-gp-2026/
Lewis Hamilton’s new race engineer spotted at Australian Grand Prix but he may not start until Miami
5 Mar 2026
David Comerford
F1 Oversteer
Lewis Hamilton’s new race engineer, Cedric Grosjean, has been spotted at the Australian Grand Prix, but they won’t be working together at this weekend’s race. According to Formula1.it, the plan is for Santi to continue in the interim role for the first three races in Australia, China and Japan. Grosjean will observe him in an effort to learn about the team’s procedures.
This also gives him time to form working relationships with Ferrari’s trackside personnel before he takes over from Santi. However, there is a very real risk that the Bahrain and Saudi Arabian Grands Prix, rounds four and five, are postponed due to the ongoing conflict in the Middle East. This could create a large gap in the calendar in Japan. As such, it may be that Grosjean has to wait until the Miami Grand Prix at the start of May to become Hamilton’s race engineer.
‘Lewis Hamilton’s new race engineer spotted’;
https://www.f1oversteer.com/news/lew...t-until-miami/
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Australian GP: Leclerc leads Ferrari 1-2 as Norris suffers issue.
Charles Leclerc led a Ferrari one-two ahead of Lewis Hamilton as Formula 1’s new regulatory era kicked off with first practice at the Australian Grand Prix in Melbourne.
06/03/2026
Michael Delaney
F1i.com
Red Bull’s Max Verstappen led the field into the closing minutes of the session, but Hamilton and then Leclerc delivered faster laps to move back ahead of the four-time world champion. Teams wasted little time adapting to the radically revised 2026 machinery around Albert Park, with engineers eager to gather data on the circuit’s demanding energy characteristics.
McLaren endured a frustrating session. Home favourite Oscar Piastri reported a power delivery problem, telling the team he had “no throttle” despite the engine idling. Team-mate Lando Norris also struggled, suffering erratic gearshifts that forced the team to end his running after just seven laps to investigate the gearbox issue. The reigning world champion finished a lowly 19th while Piastri was P6.
‘1-2’;
https://f1i.com/news/560189-australi...ers-issue.html
Australian GP FP1 Results Today: 2026 Practice 1 Times
6 Mar 2026
John Smith
Total Motorsport
2026 Australian Grand Prix FP1 Results
Here are the complete Practice 1 results from Melbourne at the Albert Park Circuit.
Pos. Driver Team Time
1 Charles Leclerc Ferrari 1:20.267
2 Lewis Hamilton Ferrari +0.469
3 Max Verstappen Red Bull +0.522
4 Isack Hadjar Red Bull +0.820
5 Arvid Lindblad Racing Bulls +1.046
6 Oscar Piastri McLaren +1.075
7 George Russell Mercedes +1.104
8 Kimi Antonelli Mercedes +1.109
9 Gabriel Bortoleto Audi +1.429
10 Nico Hulkenberg Audi +1.702
‘FP1 Results’;
https://www.total-motorsport.com/aus...6-fp1-results/
Ferrari's Leclerc fastest in first practice at Australian Grand Prix
6 Mar 2026
The Straits Times
Charles Leclerc led a Ferrari 1-2 at the top of the timesheet in the Australian Grand Prix's first practice, while defending champion Lando Norris suffered a gearbox issue as Formula One's new engine era launched with a spate of reliability problems. Leclerc lapped a sun-bathed Albert Park in one minute 20.267 on soft tyres on Friday, nearly a half-second quicker than second fastest teammate Lewis Hamilton, the seven-times world champion.
Four-times champion Max Verstappen was third fastest for Red Bull, 0.522 seconds behind Leclerc, with Verstappen's new teammate Izack Hadjar fourth. Ferrari and Red Bull rose above the initial chaos, posting clean early laps and setting the pace on medium tyres. Racing Bulls rookie Arvid Lindblad triggered a safety car less than four minutes into the session when he came to a halt in pit lane and needed to be rolled back to the garage by team mechanics.
‘Ferrari's Leclerc fastest’;
https://www.straitstimes.com/sport/f...ian-grand-prix
Lando Norris retires from Australian GP FP1 with unexpected problems
Lando Norris' F1 drivers' title defence will start with less preparation than his rivals.
6 Mar 2026
RacingNews365 Staff
RacingNews365
Lando Norris saw his FP1 at the Australian Grand Prix come to a premature end when his McLaren encountered gearbox issues with 20 minutes of the session remaining. The F1 drivers' champion had complained of issues with his MCL40 early into the opening hour of running in Melbourne, but eventually made it out on track. He did not, however, set an expected representative lap time, lingering towards the bottom of the order.
The Briton was the second driver to fail to finish free practice 1 at Albert Park, following Fernando Alonso failing to make it out at all amid "suspected power unit-related issues." Meanwhile, McLaren confirmed the 11-time grand prix winner has come back into the garage as the team undertakes "precautionary gearbox checks" on his car.
‘Lando Norris' F1 drivers' title defence’;
https://racingnews365.com/lando-norr...ected-problems
Australian GP: Leclerc tops first F1 2026 practice in Ferrari 1-2 as Norris sidelined
6 Mar 2026
Michelle Foster
PlanetF1.com
As the drivers ventured out, one remained in the pit lane – Fernando Alonso. Aston Martin told PlanetF1.com: “We found a suspected PU related issue which will prevent Fernando to participate in FP1.”
There were problems for other drivers too, as Arvid Lindblad stopped in the pit lane, bringing out the Virtual Safety Car while local favourite Oscar Piastri reported, “No power. I’m idling but I’ve got no power.” Shortly after, he added: “I’ve got power again,” as he got going.”
His teammate and new world champion Lando Norris also wasn’t happy with his McLaren. “Downshifts are shocking, all shifts. Doesn’t feel right,” he said.
‘Leclerc tops first F1 2026’;
https://www.planetf1.com/news/austra...026-fp1-report
Aston Martin barely runs in FP1 as disastrous start continues
6 Mar 2026
JON NOBLE
The Race
Shortly before opening practice, Aston Martin said that Fernando Alonso would be unable to take part in the session at Albert Park because of an issue that had been found earlier. A short statement issued by the team said: “We found a suspected PU related issue which will prevent Fernando to participate in FP1.” While Stroll at least made it onto the track, his session barely any better. Lance Stroll’s FP1 amounted to just three laps on a single run early on that included his outlap and inlap.
Lance Stroll completed just one ‘timed’ lap which was almost half a minute off the pace at that time as Stroll began it under virtual safety car conditions and backed off around the lap to make a gap to the car ahead too. Aston Martin kept him out to start lap three - which seemed to be one lap more than the initial run plan based on Stroll’s response - to get some more data running at a clearly limited speed. He returned to the garage for the remainder of the session and did not emerge again, with Aston Martin confirming he had suffered an engine problem and his FP1 was over with just over 10 minutes still to go.
Adrian Newey did not shy away from the major problems that the squad faces at the moment – with the Honda power unit both unreliable and lacking performance. Newey said: “One of the problems with these regulations is that the shorter you are on ICE power, the more you have to make up for using electrical energy to cover for that lack of ICE power, which means that by the time you really want that electrical energy on the straights, your battery's gone flat. So it becomes a self-fulfilling downward spiral.”
‘Major problems’;
https://www.the-race.com/formula-1/h...ralian-gp-fp1/
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Piastri on top in Australian Grand Prix second practice.
Melbourne’s hometown hero Oscar Piastri topped the FP2 timesheet at the Albert Park Circuit, beating Mercedes pair Kimi Antonelli and George Russell by more than two tenths of a second.
6 MAR 2026
Racecars
It was Hamilton who set the early pace with the seven-time champion taking top spot after nine minutes with a lap of 1:20.903 set on Hard tyres. The C3 compound appeared to work well in the conditions with the top five of Hamilton, Russell, Piastri, Antonelli and Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc all setting good times on the white-banded tyre. Antonelli moved to top with a lap of 1:20.801 but he was then eclipsed by Piatsri who took top spot in the session for the first time with a lap of 1:20.638 that features a purple first sector.
As the first third of the session came to a close, the Mercedes pair moved to Soft tyres and Russell vaulted to P1 with a lap of 1:20.049. Antonelli slotted into second place, 0.178s off his team-mate and almost four tenths clear of Hamilton. As the halfway mark arrived Antonelli climbed to top spot with a lap of 1:19.943. Verstappen was now out on track on Mediums and he steadily made progress before eventually making a brief switch to Softs with which he took P6.
With 23 minutes to go Piastri went for his first run on Softs and he took P1 with a lap of 1:19.729. The Australian’s team-mate, who was playing catch-up after missing much of FP1 took P7 behind Verstappen and a second off his team-mate. With Piastri at the top ahead of the Mercedes pair and with Hamilton in fourth ahead of team-mate Leclerc, the field then began to switch to longer runs.
‘Melbourne’s hometown hero Oscar Piastri topped the FP2 timesheet’;
https://www.racecar.com/news/103285/...econd-practice
Australian GP: Free Practice 2 Results
Full results from Free Practice 2 for the Formula 1 Australian Grand Prix.
6 Mar 2026
Ben Waterworth
Speedcafe
Free Practice 2 Results
Pos. No. Driver Team Time / Gap Laps
1 81 Oscar Piastri McLaren 1:19.729 26
2 12 Kimi Antonelli Mercedes +0.214s 31
3 63 George Russell Mercedes +0.320s 28
4 44 Lewis Hamilton Ferrari +0.321s 32
5 16 Charles Leclerc Ferrari +0.562s 30
6 3 Max Verstappen Red Bull Racing +0.637s 13
7 1 Lando Norris McLaren +1.065s 29
8 41 Arvid Lindblad Racing Bulls +1.193s 30
9 6 Isack Hadjar Red Bull Racing +1.212s 28
10 31 Esteban Ocon Haas F1 Team +1.450s 29
‘Free Practice 2 Results’;
https://speedcafe.com/f1-news-2025-a...2-fp2-results/
Piastri pips Mercedes to top Australian GP FP2
Oscar Piastri has bounced back from his earlier troubles to top second practice at the Australian Grand Prix in Melbourne.
6 Mar 2026
Ben Waterworth
Speedcafe
After suffering power issues that forced him to stop on track during the opening practice session of the day, the hometown favourite produced a strong lap of 1m19.729s on soft tyres midway through FP2 to edge the Mercedes pair of Kimi Antonelli and George Russell by two tenths of a second. Piastri had shown flashes of speed earlier in the day, setting the fastest first sector time during FP1 before appearing to struggle through the remainder of the lap.
In the second session, however, he was able to string all three sectors together, delivering an encouraging response for McLaren after its mixed start to the weekend. Antonelli finished second fastest, just one tenth ahead of teammate Russell, as Mercedes displayed the pace many expected from the pre-season favourites during the second practice session of the year.
Despite its speed, the session was not without drama for the German manufacturer, particularly for Russell, who was involved in two separate incidents. At the start of the session the Briton clipped the Racing Bulls car of Arvid Lindblad as he exited the pitlane, damaging his front wing and forcing him to return to the pits for a replacement before continuing his run program.
‘Piastri pips Mercedes’;
https://speedcafe.com/f1-news-2026-a...cedes-ferrari/
Australian GP FP2 report: Piastri leads Mercedes in dramatic Friday session
Oscar Piastri tops FP2 at the 2026 Australian GP ahead of Mercedes, as Verstappen, Ferrari and Aston Martin endure a dramatic Friday
6 March 2026
John Smith
Total Motorsport
Oscar Piastri ended Friday on top at the 2026 Australian Grand Prix, setting the fastest time in Free Practice 2 as McLaren edged Mercedes in a session packed with incidents, investigations and technical setbacks. Russell clipped Racing Bulls rookie Arvid Lindblad in the pit lane and was noted for a practice start infringement. The Mercedes driver also took a trip through the gravel at Turn 3 — a mistake mirrored by both Ferrari drivers later in the hour.
Max Verstappen endured a difficult session. After stalling at the pit exit early on, he returned to post a 1m20.366s before running wide at Turn 10, sending gravel flying and damaging the floor of his RB22. Red Bull’s Isack Hadjar finished six tenths behind Verstappen, while Lando Norris slotted between the Red Bulls after recovering from gearbox checks in FP1.
Aston Martin’s well-documented battery problems continued to limit Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll. Neither driver completed more than eight consecutive laps, with Alonso ending the session around five seconds off the pace. Cadillac also struggled. Valtteri Bottas was nearly four seconds adrift, while Sergio Perez completed just two laps before stopping on track with a suspected hydraulic issue, triggering a Virtual Safety Car.
‘Oscar Piastri tops FP2’;
https://www.total-motorsport.com/fp2...p-2026-report/
Adrian Newey admits Aston Martin is in ‘scary place’ ahead of possible F1 Australian GP non-start
6 March 2026
James Phillips
Motorsport Week
Aston Martin Team Principal Adrian Newey detailed the scale of the challenge facing Aston Martin during the break between the sessions, confirming Honda has just two batteries left for the entire weekend in Melbourne. “The critical point is the number of batteries,” he admitted to media, including Motorsport Week.
“We came here with four batteries, we’ve had conditioning problems with two of those batteries. As we sit here today, we’ve only got two operational batteries. “Given our kind of rate of battery damage, it’s quite a scary place to be in. We’re hopeful that we can get through the weekend and start two cars and so on and so forth. But it’s very difficult to be concrete at the moment about that,” he said.
Asked directly if the situation could improve by Honda shipping more batteries over from Japan, Newey delivered a sobering response. “Unfortunately not, because there aren’t any.”
“We’ve only got two operational batteries”;
https://www.motorsportweek.com/2026/...-gp-non-start/
Aston Martin down to last two batteries amid new Honda problem
6 Mar 2026
BEN ANDERSON
The Race
"We are short on batteries," Team principal Adrian Newey said. "We've only got two batteries left, the two that are in the car. So if we lose one of those, then it's obviously a big problem. We've got to be very careful on how we use the batteries. We came here with four batteries. We've had conditioning problems, or communication problems, with two of those batteries, which means as we sit here today, we've only got two operational batteries. That, given our kind of rate of battery damage, is quite a scary place to be in. Obviously we're hopeful that we can get through the weekend and start two cars and so on and so forth, but it's very difficult to be concrete at the moment about that."
Beyond Aston Martin's immediate reliability concerns, Newey also confirmed that the new Honda engine is significantly down on power even if it can be made to run reliably, saying Honda needs to target "a very large step" for next season. "It's very difficult to forecast at the moment," Newey said when asked about the worst case scenario for Aston Martin. "At the moment, this vibration issue is sucking all energy in every area. So it's something we really need to try to get on top of as quickly as possible. I think there's a very clear action on Honda to try to reduce the vibration emanating from the PU. It's not going to be a quick fix because it involves fundamental balancing and damping projects that they will need to conduct.”
"I can't comment how quickly they can achieve that, but that has to be the main drive. Once they've got past that, then they can really start to concentrate on performance. Being realistic, this season is first of all, as I mentioned, getting on top of this vibration problem so we can run reliably, and from there to see how much performance they can add to the combustion engine in particular. Then at the same time, Honda needs to start working on the '27 engine, because it's clear that a very large step in combustion engine power is needed for 27 and that has to be their sole focus."
‘Aston Martin down to last two batteries’;
https://www.the-race.com/formula-1/a...honda-problem/
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Australian GP: Russell tops FP3 as Antonelli crashes heavily in Mercedes.
George Russell finally showed Mercedes’ hand as he blasted his way to P1 by six-tenths of a second in a late qualifying simulation in final practice.
7 Mar 2026
Michelle Foster
PlanetF1.com
Franco Colapinto was the first driver out on track, and laid down a 1:24.222 on the hard Pirellis to get the timesheet going. That was beaten moments later by Lewis Hamilton, three seconds up on the soft tyres. The session was red-flagged, but only a few minutes after Sainz had stopped. The drivers had to drive around Sainz’s Williams to get back into the pits.
FP3 was back underway with 40 minutes on the clock, Kimi Antonelli grabbing a slipstream from Hamilton to go P1 with a 1:20.324. A lock-up for Hamilton was followed by a double lock-up from Valtteri Bottas, the drivers struggling to get it right into Turn 3. Leclerc was next up into P1 with Oscar Piastri second ahead of Antonelli; Ferrari, McLaren and Mercedes once again looking strong around the Albert Park Circuit. A tow from Max Verstappen boosted Gabriel Bortoleto up into sixth place.
Mercedes was the first team to leave the pits on new soft tyres for a qualifying simulation… Red flag! Antonelli suffered a huge crash into Turn 3, his W17 suffering severe damage to the front and rear. Antonelli opened up for a quali sim, got on the kerb, went flying into the outside wall before ricocheting across the track into the inside wall. The Italian climbed out the car unaided. The FIA announced the session would resume with four minutes on the clock, Lando Norris, Russell and Leclerc leading the queue in the pit lane. Traffic cost Norris as Russell grabbed a tow for a 1:19.053, fastest of all. He finished six-tenths ahead of Leclerc.
‘George Russell finally showed Mercedes’ hand’;
https://www.planetf1.com/news/austra...026-fp3-report
Australian Grand Prix Free Practice 3 - Results
07/03/2026
Michael Delaney
F1i.com
2026 Australian Grand Prix - Free Practice 3 results
Pos Driver Team Time Laps
1 George Russell Mercedes 1:19.053s 23
2 Lewis Hamilton Ferrari +0.616s 22
3 Charles Leclerc Ferrari +0.774s 20
4 Oscar Piastri McLaren +1.034s 17
5 Isack Hadjar Red Bull +1.084s 15
6 Max Verstappen Red Bull +1.144s 15
7 Andrea Kimi Antonelli Mercedes +1.271s 18
8 Lando Norris McLaren +1.390s 22
9 Gabriel Bortoleto Audi +1.406s 19
10 Oliver Bearman Haas +1.725s 18
‘Free Practice 3 results’;
https://f1i.com/news/560315-australi...results-4.html
Russell romps to Australian GP FP3 fastest as Antonelli crashes
Any doubts that Mercedes and George Russell were favourites heading into Formula 1’s new regulation cycle in 2026 appear to have been put to bed after the British driver stormed to a dominant fastest time in an interrupted final practice session at the Australian Grand Prix.
7 Mar 2026
Ben Waterworth
Speedcafe
Russell left it until the dying seconds to produce his best lap, the Mercedes driver pushing hard to find a quick time after a late red flag caused by a heavy crash for teammate Kimi Antonelli had earlier cost him a potentially faster lap. The Briton ultimately delivered a 1m19.053s to top the session, finishing six tenths clear of the Ferrari of Lewis Hamilton and setting the fastest time of the weekend so far.
Antonelli’s crash triggered the second red flag of the session, which had already begun 20 minutes later than scheduled after barriers required repairs following a crash during the earlier Formula 3 Sprint Race. The Italian’s incident came as he dropped his rear wheel onto the grass on the exit of Turn 2. The loss of traction pitched his Mercedes into a spin before it slammed heavily into the opposite wall, scattering debris across the circuit.
Antonelli was able to climb from the car unscathed, but Mercedes now face a significant task if they are to repair the heavily damaged machine in time for qualifying later this afternoon. Charles Leclerc finished third behind his Ferrari teammate after spending much of the session at the top of the timesheets. The Monegasque driver had led the way for the majority of the hour before Russell’s late surge pushed him down the order.
‘Russell romps to Australian GP FP3 fastest’;
https://speedcafe.com/f1-news-2026-a...sell-mercedes/
Kimi Antonelli shunt leaves Mercedes with race against time
7 Mar 2026
Olly Darcy
GPblog.com
A mammoth crash from Kimi Antonelli in the final ten minutes of FP3 at the Australian Grand Prix has brought out the red flag. During the third free practice for the Australian Grand Prix, Antonelli had a huge accident in the first sector. With twelve minutes remaining on the clock, the Mercedes driver lost the rear of his car completely while on a fast lap, causing extensive damage to his Mercedes. It now leaves the German team with a huge rebuilding task before qualifying gets underway at 05:00 GMT.
While Antonelli missed out on the final few minutes of the session, teammate George Russell showed what he and Mercedes are capable of in 2026 with a stunning lap that put him P1. Behind him were the two Ferrari's of Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc, setting up a mouth-watering qualifying battle to open up the 2026 season.
‘Race against time’;
https://www.gpblog.com/en/breaking-n...e-against-time
Mercedes provides major update on Antonelli's qualifying particpation after FP3 crash
7 Mar 2026
Samson Ero
GPblog.com
The Italian driver endured a horror end to his Free Practice 3 session, hitting the barriers in what was a massive shunt during the final minutes of running. Antonelli, who was on a flying lap, lost control of the rear following contact with the kerb and rammed into the barriers at Turn Two of the Albert Park Circuit.
Doubts had begun to emerge about his participation in qualifying. However, amid these concerns, the Mercedes team have reacted to the possibility of Antonelli taking part in qualifying. Asked by GPblog if the 19-year-old would take to the track for qualifying at the Australian Grand Prix, the Brackley-based outfit responded, saying:
“We will only know once Q1 ends, to be honest. PU and chassis look okay, so it’s a gearbox change plus bits that need replacing. A big job, and even more difficult as we lost 20 minutes with the start of FP3 being delayed, but the team are working flat out to get the car ready." While Antonelli endured a forgettable outing, teammate George Russell stormed to the top of the FP3 timing sheet, over six-tenths ahead of Charles Leclerc.
‘Antonelli's qualifying particpation’;
https://www.gpblog.com/en/news/merce...fter-fp3-crash
-
Russell stunned after crushing rivals by colossal margin at Australia GP.
Russell stormed to pole with a lap time nearly eight-tenths faster than the fastest non-Mercedes competitor, a margin that even he found unexpected at Albert Park.
7 Mar 2026
Samson Ero
GPblog.com
George Russell admitted he was surprised by the gap he created over the first non-Mercedes car during qualifying for the Australian Grand Prix. Speaking at the post-qualifying press conference, he highlighted how the weather conditions played a role in the impressive lap times. “Definitely, I think the conditions also came into our favour. We know we're better in these cooler conditions, and as the track temperature dropped, we always seemed to find more lap time,” Russell began.
The 28-year-old went on to praise both the engine and the overall car developed by the Mercedes team. “I think we've got a really great engine beneath us. However, I also think we've got a really amazing car beneath us, which probably hasn't been highlighted enough in the press these past few weeks. From me and Kimi’s [Antonelli] perspective, the car felt great to drive. We're enjoying the smaller, lighter cars, and they’re a perfect way to start Melbourne,” Russell concluded.
‘Crushing rivals by colossal margin’;
https://www.gpblog.com/en/news/russe...t-australia-gp
Australian Grand Prix - Qualifying results
07/03/2026
Michael Delaney
F1i.com
2026 Australian Grand Prix - Qualifying results
Pos Driver Team Q1 Q2 Q3
1 George Russell Mercedes 1:19.507s 1:18.934s 1:18.518s
2 Andrea Kimi Antonelli Mercedes 1:20.120s 1:19.435s 1:18.811s
3 Isack Hadjar Red Bull 1:20.023s 1:19.653s 1:19.303s
4 Charles Leclerc Ferrari 1:20.226s 1:19.357s 1:19.327s
5 Oscar Piastri McLaren 1:19.664s 1:19.525s 1:19.380s
6 Lando Norris McLaren 1:20.010s 1:19.882s 1:19.475s
7 Lewis Hamilton Ferrari 1:19.811s 1:19.921s 1:19.478s
8 Liam Lawson Racing Bulls 1:20.491s 1:20.144s 1:19.994s
9 Arvid Lindblad Racing Bulls 1:20.409s 1:19.971s 1:21.247s
10 Gabriel Bortoleto Audi 1:20.495s 1:20.221s
‘Qualifying results’;
https://f1i.com/news/560344-australi...g-results.html
Mercedes-AMG tops F1 Australian Grand Prix qualifying, Piastri beats Norris
7 Mar 2026
Alex Misoyannis
Drive
George Russell will park on pole position in tomorrow's Formula One Australian Grand Prix, leading team-mate Kimi Antonelli in second for a dominant one-two start for the Mercedes-AMG team. Melbourne-born Oscar Piastri qualified fifth in his McLaren – ahead of team-mate and reigning World Drivers' Champion, Lando Norris, in sixth – in an eventful qualifying session that saw multiple red flags for crashes and mechanical incidents.
Isack Hadjar is due to start third in his first race for Red Bull, the highest qualifying result for a debutant with the team since Daniel Ricciardo qualified second at the 2014 Australian GP. In contrast, a crash for his four-time champion team-mate Max Verstappen at the start of his first flying lap will see him start near the back of the grid. Charles Leclerc of Ferrari qualified fourth, to complete the Top Five.
‘Predictions placing Mercedes-AMG as the favourites on the 2026 F1 grid have been realised’;
https://www.drive.com.au/news/merced...-beats-norris/
Russell storms to pole position for season-opening Australian GP as Verstappen crashes out
7 Mar 2026
Formula One - Official Site
Q3 – Russell outpaces Antonelli to secure Mercedes 1-2: Q3 got underway with a bang as Lindblad suffered a near-miss at the pit entry, locking up and nearly colliding with those near him. That was followed by a technical issue for Bortoleto, who was ultimately unable to set a time in Q3 and caused a short delay to the session start as he was wheeled back to his garage.
Key quote: "It was a great day," said Russell. "We knew there was a lot of potential in the car, but until you get to this first Saturday of the season you never know. It really came alive this afternoon, especially when the track temp cooled – we know we sort of tend to favour those conditions.”
"I’m also really happy to have Kimi here next to me as well because it’s been such a hard job from all the team to deliver this car and they did an amazing job in the garage as well today, so all in all a really good day."
‘George Russell was the man to beat’;
https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/a...cQVqXUSKPp5KzG
Russell leads all-Mercedes front row as Verstappen crashes out in Q1
7 Mar 2026
Keith Collantine
RaceFans
Russell regained his position at the top of the times when the session resumed, though his 1’19.084 was slightly slower than his best from Q2. But Antonelli abandoned his first lap after locking up at turn three and running wide. Despite his damage, Norris got closest to matching the Mercedes, though he was over half a second shy. He pipped Hadjar by just two hundredths of a second.
Piastri fell to fifth place behind Leclerc after the first runs. Neither Ferrari driver was able to get within a second of Russell initially, Hamilton taking sixth place. Antonelli tidied up his final effort and beat his team mate’s time with a 1’18.811. Russell was not far behind however and reclaimed the top spot with a 1’18.518.
Piastri temporarily took third place but was shuffled down the order by Leclerc and then Hadjar. Norris was unable to beat his team mate’s time, meaning the McLarens will occupy the third row of the grid. Hamilton stayed seventh while Lawson pipped Lindblad to eighth place with his final lap.
‘All-Mercedes front row’;
https://www.racefans.net/2026/03/07/...hes-out-in-q1/
Verstappen taken to medical centre after serious crash in Australia
7 Mar 2026
Kada Sárközi
Nicole Mulder
GPblog.com
Max Verstappen has been taken to the medical center after his crash in Q1 at the Australian Grand Prix. The four-time world champion lost control of the rear of his Red Bull on his first run and shot through the gravel into the wall. The impact was heavy, prompting race control to immediately wave the red flag to stop the session. Footage showed Verstappen shaking his hand briefly after the crash, possibly because he took a hit there on impact.
Possibly due to pain in his hand, the Dutchman was taken to the medical center for precautionary checks. However, nothing has been officially confirmed regarding the reason. Verstappen has since returned to the paddock. There does not appear to be any serious damage to his hand. According to Verstappen, something went wrong at the rear of his car. When race engineer Gianpiero Lambiase asked over the radio if everything was okay, he responded cynically. "Yeah, the car just ******* locked on the rear axles, fantastic.”
‘Verstappen taken to medical centre’;
https://www.gpblog.com/en/news/verst...-in-australian
‘I’ve never experienced something like that before’ – Verstappen explains cause of his Q1 crash in Australia
7 Mar 2026
Formula One - Official Site
Quizzed on how the incident unfolded after the session, Max Verstappen said: “I just hit the brakes and suddenly the rear axle just completely locked out of the blue. I don’t know why that happened or how that happened. “I’ve never experienced something like that before in my career. The rear axle just completely locked on, then of course you can’t save that anymore at that speed.”
“The barrier hit was not that bad – the wheel just snapped out of my hands and that’s why I had to go to the medical centre, but all good. I think it already went wrong before the downshift because I hit the pedal,” he added in an interview with Sky Sports F1. “As soon as you hit the pedal, you quite quickly downshift, but it already immediately locked on the peak of the brake pressure. Something very weird, that’s for sure. There are so many unknowns of course at the moment that we still need to get on top of. We’ll see tomorrow what we can do.”
“I just hit the brakes and suddenly the rear axle just completely locked out of the blue”;
https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/a...OMzOukBufgeOPo
Max Verstappen ‘caught out’ by Red Bull engine tech in Australian GP crash, claims Marc Priestley
7 Mar 2026
Kyle Archer
F1 Oversteer
Marc Priestley thinks Max Verstappen crashed as he was ‘caught out’ by Red Bull’s energy harvesting. The Dutchman may have had a gearbox issue that caused him to spin, but Marc Priestley thinks it was a mistake.
Priestley feels Verstappen crashed in qualifying for the Australian GP as he got “caught out” by the energy harvesting that is now needed with F1’s 2026 regulations, for which Red Bull have even built their first-ever in-house engine after Honda left them to join Aston Martin. “Max Verstappen locked the rear wheels under braking going into Turn 1,” Priestley said on BBC Radio 5 Live.
“I think what happens is he gets caught out by the massive energy harvesting, the braking that is being done on the rear axle alone by the electric motors. A lot of people have been caught out by this in the new cars.”
“Caught out by the massive energy harvesting”;
https://www.f1oversteer.com/news/max...arc-priestley/
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Toto Wolff makes 'donkey' claim after Kimi Antonelli 'Lego' crash.
The team was not going to conclude repairs in time until Max Verstappen crashed at Turn 1 in Q1, giving the team precious extra minutes and managed to get Antonelli on track.
7 Mar 2026
Jake Nichol
RacingNews365
Toto Wolff has reiterated his claim that you 'can't make a donkey fast' after Kimi Antonelli's huge Australian GP practice accident nearly ruined his qualifying. In the closing stages of FP3, Antonelli crashed heavily at Turn 2, destroying the Mercedes, which Wolff described as looking like a "Lego F1 car", leaving the team in a race against time to repair the W17 for qualifying.
The team was not going to conclude repairs in time until Max Verstappen crashed at Turn 1 in Q1, giving the team precious extra minutes and managed to get Antonelli on track. The Italian ultimately claimed second place on the grid behind his team leader George Russell as Mercedes bulldozed the opposition at Albert Park, with Russell ending just under eight-tenths faster than third-placed Isack Hadjar for Red Bull.
"I am so happy that these ground effect cars are gone, and finally, we can do what we're best at," Wolff told Sky Sports F1. "I'm feeling relieved for the hard work that was put in by everyone, and the car looked like a Lego Formula 1 car that was thrown on the floor literally two hours before. I said five minutes before the start of the session that we wouldn't make it, and then Max went off, and that gained us the minutes to put the car out.”
‘Until Max Verstappen crashed at Turn 1 in Q1’;
https://racingnews365.com/toto-wolff...lli-lego-crash
Max Verstappen Australian GP qualifying crash cause revealed
Max Verstappen crashed on his first run during qualifying for the Australian Grand Prix. Paolo Filisetti, RacingNews365 technical expert, explains what happened.
7 Mar 2026
Paolo Filisetti & Ian Parkes
RacingNews365
Team principal Laurent Mekies described what he witnessed as "very brutal", with the team to investigate what unfolded. What was initially evident was that Verstappen was downshifting when the car violently spun out of his control. At first, your initial suspicion would turn to a mechanical problem, such as a gearbox failure, that had caused the locking. In reality, the problem was related to energy recovery.
The software began to glitch when reading the engine speed and the motion transmitted to the rear axle during downshifting. Essentially, in combating an abnormal number of revolutions, the system went into safe mode. This caused the engine brake to intervene, in turn immediately causing the rear axle to lock. As is well known, braking on the rear axle is controlled by the brake-by-wire system. In this instance, however, that system was not responsible for the crash.
It was due to modes in the ERS system that immediately locked the system, leaving Verstappen with no way to regain control of the car. This is a clear example of how current Formula 1 power unit energy recovery technology is still in its early stages of development, where teething problems can even lead to a driver being eliminated prematurely in qualifying, as was the case with Verstappen.
‘In reality, the problem was related to energy recovery’;
https://racingnews365.com/max-versta...cause-revealed
Max Verstappen's x-rated team radio message emerges after huge crash during Australian GP…
Joshua Waite
7 Mar 2026
Give Me Sport
The four-time world champion has rarely gone into a qualifying session not being the one favoured to set the pace. But his session came to a sudden and deeply strange end, when his rear axle locked up without warning at Turn 1, sending him spinning through the gravel and into the barriers, dooming him to the back of the grid tomorrow.
“Yeah, the car just f****** locked on the rear axles, fantastic,” was his message on the team radio, a short and clear assessment of an incident he appeared to have no control over. Verstappen himself seemed just as confused as anyone in the grandstands. Speaking afterwards, he admitted he had not yet had the chance to sit down with his engineers or go through the data, but made clear that nothing in his considerable experience had prepared him for what he felt in the cockpit.
"I think it already went wrong before the downshift because, as soon as I hit the pedal, because you quite quickly downshift right, it already immediately locked on the bit of the brake pressure. Something very weird, that's for sure."
‘X-rated team radio message’;
https://www.givemesport.com/max-vers...lifying-crash/
Mercedes' Australian GP speed so good Charles Leclerc thought it was a mistake
Charles Leclerc admits Mercedes' speed at the Australian Grand Prix so far has been impressive
7 Mar 2026
Adam Cooper
Crash.Net
Charles Leclerc says Mercedes' pace at the Formula 1 Australian Grand Prix has been so impressive that he thought data from FP3 he saw was a mistake. Mercedes stunned its rivals on Saturday during qualifying in Melbourne, as George Russell led a team 1-2 by almost eight tenths to third-placed Isack Hadjar in the Red Bull.
Charles Leclerc, who was fourth for Ferrari, said he was given data on Russell’s lap that topped FP3 that surprised him so much he thought he’d uploaded it incorrectly. And he now admits that the advantage of the Brackley team in qualifying was even bigger than he anticipated. “I think yesterday when we spoke I said half second,” he said when asked by Crash.net about the gap.”
“Now it's eight [tenths]. So it's bigger than what I expected, for sure, but it was a very significant gap yesterday already. So I was very, very impressed this morning with the FP3 power that they've shown. It was just crazy, in the last lap of George especially, I looked at the data for the first time, and I had to re-upload it because I thought there was a problem on the things I was seeing. But apparently not. So it's very, very impressive.”
‘Thought data from FP3 he saw was a mistake’;
https://www.crash.net/f1/news/109093...it-was-mistake
FIA gives Aston Martin permission for Stroll to race
7 Mar 2026
VALENTIN KHOROUNZHIY
The Race
Aston Martin Formula 1 driver Lance Stroll has received the permission to take the start in the Australian Grand Prix - but it required a "compelling" case from the team. Stroll fell short of the required 107% laptime threshold in every session in the troubled Aston Martin AMR26. His tally of laps for the weekend stands at 16, none of them on Saturday, and his best lap was seven seconds slower than George Russell's eventual pole time.
In the F1 of recent years, getting dispensation to start the race after a qualifying problem of some kind has forced a 107% rule breach has usually been no problem at all. Indeed, this was the case with Carlos Sainz and Williams and Max Verstappen and Red Bull - who set no time in Q1 like Stroll but had been fast enough in practice to be granted a start.
But the stewards' verdict on Stroll indicates getting him on the grid took some convincing. According to the stewards, Aston Martin presented a three-part argument for Stroll to be granted the right to start. The first was team-mate Fernando Alonso qualifying within the 107% threshold in the more functional of the two AMR26s.
‘Getting dispensation to start the race’;
https://www.the-race.com/formula-1/h...australian-gp/
Lance Stroll allowed to start Australian GP, but Aston ‘can’t risk big damage’
The FIA has confirmed Lance Stroll will be allowed to start the Australian Grand Prix
7 Mar 2026
Lewis Duncan , Adam Cooper
Crash.Net
Lance Stroll admits “there’s concerns” still about being able to start the race due to the AMR26’s problems over the weekend. Fernando Alonso, who was 17th in qualifying and in play for a Q2 spot, also noted that the lack of spare Honda engine parts means Aston cannot risk serious damage to its power unit in the race with the Chinese Grand Prix taking place next week.
“I mean, we will be flexible,” Alonso said. “Every lap we will monitor the situation. I think, as Adrian said yesterday, we are short on parts. So, there is no secret on that. China is next week, so hopefully we can do as many laps as possible, hopefully we can do nearly the whole race. The mechanics have been flatout in the garage, changing parts on the car and changing power units day and night the last six weeks.”
“Even on the other side of the garage, with Lance being so unlucky in FP3 and qualy with zero laps, when you go on track and you are in the mix with a few cars, it’s a bit better than when you are dead last, as we were yesterday. So, maybe it is enough to ignite a little bit of motivation in everyone in the garage. And that’s probably part of our job now as drivers, to keep the morale of the team high in difficult moments.”
‘Can’t risk big damage’;
https://www.crash.net/f1/news/109093...isk-big-damage
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George Russell resists Charles Leclerc fight to score F1 Australian GP triumph.
The Brit and teammate Andrea Kimi Antonelli fell back at the start, as Leclerc stormed through to lead, and provided a stern test for the Silver Arrows along with Lewis Hamilton, but a strategic error amid a Virtual Safety Car saw the Ferrari challenge fall away.
8 Mar 2026
Jack Oliver Smith
Motorsport Week
George Russell resisted an early challenge from Charles Leclerc to open the 2026 Formula 1 season with victory in the Australian Grand Prix, heading a Mercedes 1-2. Arvid Lindblad, becoming the fourth-youngest debutant in F1 history, completed a stupendous weekend’s work with eighth place.
Before the cars lined up on the grid, Russell complained of his battery not being sufficiently topped-up, putting him at risk of being overtaken on the opening lap. It was far worse at Audi, however, as Nico Hulkenberg suffered problems on the grid, and despite trying to start from the pit lane, the German’s race was, like Piastri’s, over before it began.
At the start, Russell squirrled away, and with Antonelli experiencing low battery, Hadjar got between both of them, looking favourite to get into the lead. But, as was the case in Bahrain testing, Ferrari rocketed forth, and Leclerc stormed into Turn 1 in the lead. Hamilton got past Norris, but the biggest winner of Lap 1 was Lindblad, who swept past Hadjar for third at Turn 11. Hamilton swiftly dispatched him, but nevertheless, a sensational start for the rookie.
‘Mercedes 1-2’;
https://www.motorsportweek.com/2026/...an-gp-triumph/
Australian GP 2026 Race Results: Full Classification and Winner
8 Mar 2026
John Smith
Total Motorsport
2026 Australian Grand Prix Race Classification
Here is the full race classification from the 2026 Australian Grand Prix, including gaps, laps completed and status.
Pos Driver Team Gap Pit Stops
1 George Russell Mercedes Leader 1
2 Kimi Antonelli Mercedes +2.974 1
3 Charles Leclerc Ferrari +15.519 1
4 Lewis Hamilton Ferrari +16.144 1
5 Lando Norris McLaren +51.741 2
6 Max Verstappen Red Bull Racing +54.617 2
7 Oliver Bearman Haas F1 Team + 1 Lap 1
8 Arvid Lindblad Racing Bulls + 1 Lap 1
9 Gabriel Bortoleto Audi + 1 Lap 2
10 Pierre Gasly Alpine + 1 Lap 1
‘Full Classification’;
https://www.total-motorsport.com/aus...-race-results/
George Russell and Mercedes dominate Australian Grand Prix
8 Mar 2026
The Straits Times
MELBOURNE, March 8 – Mercedes driver George Russell struck the first blow in the Formula One championship as he claimed an emphatic victory in the
season-opening Australian Grand Prix. Having dominated qualifying, pole-sitter Russell's first win at Albert Park underlined Mercedes’ promising pre-season form while giving the team their first Melbourne victory since Valtteri Bottas claimed the 2019 race. “Great job everybody, it’s been a long time since we've been here,” Russell said over the team radio.
Russell engaged in a thrilling early duel with Leclerc as the racers swopped the lead seven times in the opening nine laps. “It was a hell of a fight at the beginning,” said Russell. “I made a bad start, and some really tight battles with Charles at the start – just really glad to cross the finish line.” The Briton finished nearly three seconds ahead of Italian Antonelli, with Leclerc more than 15 seconds behind on a cloudy afternoon at the lakeside circuit.
It was a tough day for McLaren, with home hero Oscar Piastri’s race over before it begun with a crash during a reconnaissance lap some 40 minutes before the start. His teammate and defending champion Lando Norris finished fifth, one place behind seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton of Ferrari. Four-time champion Max Verstappen was sixth for Red Bull after starting 20th on the grid following a crash in qualifying on Saturday.
“Great job everybody, it’s been a long time since we've been here”;
https://www.straitstimes.com/sport/f...ian-grand-prix
Oscar Piastri reveals ‘not insignificant’ factor behind heartbreaking Australian GP crash
8 Mar 2026
Oliver Harden
PlanetF1.com
McLaren driver Oscar Piastri told PlanetF1.com and other media outlets in Melbourne: “We had a couple of things going on. “I think the first part I want to stress is that there is certainly a big element of that was me. Cold tyres. I have used that exit kerb every lap of the weekend, but I didn’t have to.”
“At the same time, I had about 100 kilowatts extra power that I didn’t expect, which is not insignificant. I think the difficult part to take is everything was working normally. It’s just the function of how the engines have to work with the rules.”
“It’s that part that’s difficult to accept. It would almost be easier in some ways if we just said there’s cold tyres and I was optimistic, but when you add in another factor like that it always is more difficult to take.”
‘Not insignificant’;
https://www.planetf1.com/news/oscar-...crash-reaction
Was that real racing or just Overtake Mode? Lack of data leaves us in the dark
8th Mar 2026
Keith Collantine
RaceFans
On the face of it, Sunday’s Australian Grand Prix provided the tonic Formula 1 needed after a doubtful start to its new era of technical regulations. The Ferraris scorched off the line to make trouble for the Mercedes. George Russell and Charles Leclerc swapped the lead, sometimes more than once in the same lap. The drivers were still clearly lifting and coasting significantly from corner to corner as they were in qualifying. But the increased power and flexibility of their electrical systems gave them new scope to attack.
But just as was the case after qualifying yesterday, it’s important not to draw conclusions too hastily. The picture we’ve seen at one particular circuit may not be repeated elsewhere. Aside from that, there is also one significant question mark over the authenticity of the racing F1 provided on Sunday. This was the first race since F1 replaced its Drag Reduction System with the new Overtake Mode. The two systems work on similar principles: when a chasing car gets within a second of another they can deploy a speed boost. DRS delivered that by allowing drivers to lower their rear wings.
However now drivers have adjustable aerodynamics at the front and rear of the car, the new Overtake Mode instead delivers a burst of extra power. How much of a difference did that make? On the face of Sunday’s race, it’s impossible to tell. When a driver made a pass with DRS, fans could see the rear wing dropping. But aside from an early message from race control stating ‘Overtake Mode active’, viewers received no information about the system. The crucial information about when drivers were using Overtake Mode was entirely absent.
‘Australian Grand Prix provided the tonic Formula 1 needed’;
https://www.racefans.net/2026/03/08/...s-in-the-dark/
Max Verstappen warns of sudden F1 exit amid frustration after Australian GP
8 Mar 2026
Samson Ero
GPblog.com
Max Verstappen has not ruled out the possibility of walking away from Formula 1 amid his dissatisfaction with the current regulations. “I think what they should worry about is the rules. Just focus on that. They ask questions, and I give my opinion on what I would like to see and what I think is better for the sport because I do care about it. I do love racing, and I want it to be better than this, right? So let's see what we can do,” Verstappen said.
“I hope that even during this year, maybe we can come up with some different solutions, so it becomes more enjoyable for everyone,” he added. Pressed further on whether he could suddenly walk away from racing, the four-time champion, basing his response on the decisions of the FIA added: “No, like I said, I love racing, but you can only take so much, right? I think they're willing to listen, FIA and F1, but I just hope that there is some action.”
“It’s not that I'm the only one saying it; I think a lot of people are saying the same. Whether it’s drivers or fans, we just want the best for the sport. It’s not that we are critical just to be critical. We are critical for a reason. We wanted it to be Formula 1, proper Formula 1, not on steroids. Today, of course, again, that was not the case," he concluded.
‘Frustration after Australian GP’;
https://www.gpblog.com/en/news/max-v...-australian-gp
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F1MATHS: Telemetry shows where Mercedes' enormous advantage comes from under the new engine rules.
Mercedes appear to have arrived with a power unit and energy deployment package that is visibly superior to the rest of the field, (in) The first qualifying session of the 2026 Formula 1 season (which) had already delivered a striking storyline…
9 Mar 2026
Balazs Szabo
F1 Technical
F1Technical's senior writer Balazs Szabo looks back at some key learnings from Saturday's qualifying session. Across the speed comparison, Mercedes consistently reached the highest top speed, topping the charts at 327 km/h, a figure that none of the other manufacturers could match. Even in sections where drivers typically lift slightly to manage tyre temperatures or balance, the Mercedes car maintains momentum, suggesting a chassis that complements the engine’s strengths.
This early telemetry snapshot suggests that Mercedes have not only built a strong internal combustion engine but have also achieved a highly effective integration of the hybrid systems—an area that becomes even more critical under the 2026 regulations. Their battery pack appears to deliver energy more efficiently, their MGU K deployment lasts longer, and their overall power curve is smoother and more robust than those of their competitors.
‘Power unit and energy deployment package that is visibly superior’;
https://www.f1technical.net/news/28300
Data show how Verstappen was still able to match Mercedes pace in Melbourne
8 Mar 2026
Shanna Lutgert
GPblog.com
Mercedes impressed on Friday in Australia with their very consistent long runs. After the first race weekend, many—everyone except Max Verstappen—were surprised by the German team's advantage. However, by the end of the race, the Dutchman actually wasn’t that far behind at all. Friday’s long runs already predicted that George Russell and Kimi Antonelli would head into race day with the best hand. They were by far the fastest team and clearly had their act together. In the second free practice long runs, it’s still difficult to get a clear picture of race pace, as engine modes and fuel loads are unknown.
Mercedes’ Friday pace is reflected in the race pace the team showed on Sunday in Melbourne. Over at Red Bull, the mood was gloomy due to the deficit to Mercedes. In the first half of the Grand Prix, the gap was indeed still quite large. The most consistent stints of all drivers began roughly around laps 20–23. For the race pace analysis, we took the two most consistent stints from the drivers of the four top teams. First, we will look at Verstappen vs. Russell and Antonelli. The stints are marked in the table as S1 and S2.
Red Bull decided to go for a two-stopper with Verstappen, while Mercedes ran a one-stop strategy for both drivers. In the first half of the race, Verstappen recorded a stint average of 1:23.527, while Antonelli and Russell were significantly lower: the Italian averaged 1:23.090, the Brit was slightly slower at 1:23.190. The four-time world champion was therefore about four to five tenths short on race pace in the first stint, but towards the end of the race he managed to close the gap. He was even a bit quicker—with an average of 1:22.984. Russell averaged 1:23.080, Antonelli 1:22.932.
‘Verstappen was still able to match Mercedes pace’;
https://www.gpblog.com/en/analysis/d...h-the-mercedes
‘No regrets’: Ferrari stands firm on Australia strategy call
Ferrari insists it has no regrets over the strategy that cost it a shot at victory in the Formula 1 season opener in Australia.
9 Mar 2026
Ben Waterworth
Speedcafe
Despite the scrutiny that followed the call, team principal Fred Vasseur insisted the strategy itself was not the defining factor in the result. “We have to be realistic with this, they were eight tenths faster than us yesterday,” Vasseur said. “We fight like hell at the beginning. Now I think at this stage of the race, nobody was expecting to be one [pit] stop. We targeted the optimum for us, and the optimum was to extend.”
“We were also surprised by the life of the tyres. I think we could have done 300 laps today! But it is like it is, I think they still had, during the race, a delta of performance with us. “The issue is not the strategy or the core, it’s just the pure pace.” Vasseur also rejected suggestions that mirroring Mercedes’ early stop would have put Ferrari in position to win the race.
“I think the pace of Mercedes was better than us,” he admitted. “Even when they pitted they were there or four tenths faster than us and they kept this pace all the stint. Ok, probably we were able to fight a little bit more at the beginning but perhaps pushing a bit more on the tyres and I have no regrets on the strategy, no regrets on the pace of today. We did a decent step compared to yesterday and let’s be focused on China.”
‘No regrets’;
https://speedcafe.com/f1-news-2026-a...ewis-hamilton/
Deployment becomes the defining skill, claims Hamilton
9 Mar 2026
Balazs Szabo
F1 Technical
Hamilton explained that the biggest challenge of the new regulations is managing the energy deployment system, which now dictates lap time far more than in previous eras. The seven-time world champion said, “The deployment is the biggest part. The rest of it is all kind of similar and familiar, but the deployment is so challenging and it’s different from track to track.”
The Briton warned that drivers will only fully understand the complexity once racing begins. “We probably also won’t know until we’re thrown in the deep end in the race to understand, when we overtake someone, how it’s going to affect us coming out of that corner,” he said, adding that managing deployment in wheel to wheel situations “is going to be difficult.”
Piastri: “A lot of the things we have to learn are not intuitive” Oscar Piastri echoed Hamilton’s assessment, emphasising that the 2026 cars require a fundamentally different approach to driving and setup. He explained that “all the driving, car set up, everything is kind of optimised around getting the most out of the power unit.” While this has always been part of Formula 1, he said it is now “by far the biggest element.”
‘Deployment becomes the defining skill’;
https://www.f1technical.net/news/28287
F1 highlight surge in Australian GP overtakes despite fierce driver backlash
9 Mar 2026
Tobia Elia
GPblog.com
Formula 1 was quick to highlight the sharp rise in overtakes during the 2026 Australian Grand Prix compared to last year. Between a qualifying session heavily influenced by super clipping and a race largely dictated by energy management, one statistic nevertheless stands out: the number of overtakes.
The Albert Park race produced as many as 120 overtakes compared to just 45 last year - nearly three times as many and a clear boost to the on-track spectacle, even if many have dismissed it as artificial racing rather than genuine wheel-to-wheel battles.
‘120 overtakes compared to just 45 last year’;
https://www.gpblog.com/en/news/f1-hi...river-backlash
Australian GP: A closer look at the Ferrari's ROCKETING start off the line!
9 March 2026
Sky Sports
Ride on board with Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc as they both get a rocketing start off the line in Australia
‘Rocketing start’;
https://www.skysports.com/f1/video/3...t-off-the-line
Australian GP talking points: Mercedes are back, Hamilton hope, Verstappen vents
9 Mar 2026
Mina Rzouki
The National
Mercedes back in business: On the radio after securing pole, Russell was unambiguous: “Very nice, very nice. I like this car. I like this engine!”
Mixed emotions at Ferrari: Ferrari arrived with the second-quickest machine, a rocket off the line, and genuine ambitions. What they lacked was the strategic nerve to capitalise.
McLaren's crown slips: In his home race, Oscar Piastri did not even make it to the start line.
Lindblad living the dream: Racing Bulls rookie Arvid Lindblad produced arguably the performance of the weekend…
Long road ahead for Aston Martin: Two cars, two retirements, twice over. Newey's team have a very long road ahead.
Verstappen calls for action: Max Verstappen provided the race's most compelling subplot, surging from last on the grid after a Q1 software failure, all the way to sixth place at the finish.
‘Talking points’;
https://www.thenationalnews.com/spor...stappen-vents/
How the 1 per cent do the Australian Grand Prix: The money-can't-buy experiences A-listers got in Melbourne - and the insider access worth $7000 per person
9 Mar 2026
LAURA HOUSE
MailOnline
After almost 15 years in the lifestyle media space, I've visited my fair share of VIP marquees and supposedly 'exclusive' hotspots – and it's certainly not lost on me how lucky I am to be able to say that. But after what I experienced this past weekend at my very first Formula One Grand Prix in Melbourne, I can confidently say nobody does high-end quite like the F1. And with this as my debut, I fear nothing will ever quite compare.
‘$7000 per person’;
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/fo...00-person.html
-
Ted Kravitz ‘puzzled’ by how Zak Brown reacted to Oscar Piastri’s Australian Grand Prix crash.
Ted Kravitz has questioned McLaren CEO Zak Brown’s reaction to Oscar Piastri’s heartbreaking crash that ended his Australian Grand Prix before he had even reached the grid.
8 Mar 2026
Ben Evans
F1 Oversteer
Speaking on Ted’s Notebook from inside the Melbourne paddock, Ted Kravitz shared his reaction to the incident and how Zak Brown explained away Piastri’s error. He said: “I can only just feel so sorry for everybody, all the Oscar fans out there and for him and his family. It just really hit me hard that did, the Oscar thing. It really did. I was just gutted about it. I’ll tell you what was happening, actually. And what did you think of Zak Brown’s reaction?”
“He was like, ‘OK, you know, yeah, I’m unhappy about it, but we’ve got to dust ourselves off.’ I was a bit puzzled about it before. I thought that it was obviously a sort of coping mechanism. He was kind of OK, but I think it was a coping mechanism when Oscar went out. That he was like, ‘Well, you know, we got to pick ourselves up and carry on with the other car that we’ve got.’”
‘Puzzled’;
https://www.f1oversteer.com/news/ted...nd-prix-crash/
The first Ted's Notebook of the season! | Ted's Qualifying Notebook | Australia
Mar 7, 2026
Sky Sports F1
Ted Kravitz shares his thoughts on the 2026 Australian Grand Prix Qualifying session.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z3dhNAqk-_g
Ted rounds up a hectic season opener ���� | Ted's Notebook | Australian Grand Prix
Mar 8, 2026
Sky Sports F1
Ted Kravitz gives his thoughts and insights on the 2026 Australian Grand Prix.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ybF6pd0sxOc
Andrea Stella: Oscar Piastri Australia crash shows extent of ‘aggressive’ new F1 power units
9 Mar 2026
Thomas Maher
PlanetF1.com
McLaren’s Andrea Stella says Oscar Piastri’s “unfortunate” crash in Australia is indicative of the aggression of the new F1 power units. Piastri’s wasn’t the first crash of the weekend in which a driver was caught out by unexpected behaviour. Mercedes’ Kimi Antonelli smashed his W17 in a crash during FP3, leaving his team up against it to get the car repaired in time for qualifying. During qualifying itself, Max Verstappen lost control of his Red Bull RB22 on approach to Turn 1 and flew off into the barriers, leaving him facing a back-of-the-grid starting position.
Such incidents, Stella said, show that the F1 teams all have work to do to fully get to grips with the power units and ensuring predictable behaviour of the cars. “Here, I may be speculating a bit because the information I have is only related to Oscar, and I can’t necessarily infer that the incidents – uncharacteristic incidents, I would say, especially for Verstappen – I’m not sure if it has to do with the power unit or not,” he said. “Certainly, when it comes to Kimi Antonelli, he also lost the car in a place in which there’s a lot of torque coming while the car is still subject to lateral load.”
“I think it requires a little bit of attention in terms of associating it with the regulations, necessarily. Certainly, these power units can be quite aggressive when they release all the power. We talk about 1000 horsepower coming all together, and when the tyres may be a little bit on the cold side, or if this power comes in an unpredictable way, as it happened to Oscar, then it can become very tricky. So I don’t want to be here saying I have an easy solution. But I’m here saying we should look into the regulations. These accidents were not a near miss. They are very material indication that there’s work to do. So we should do this work as the F1 community.”
“These power units can be quite aggressive”;
https://www.planetf1.com/news/oscar-...f1-power-units
McLaren reveal cause of shock Oscar Piastri crash
It was a shocking start to the new season for Oscar Piastri. Here's why.
8 Mar 2026
Ian Parkes
RacingNews365
McLaren team principal Andrea Stella has revealed the "three factors" that led to Oscar Piastri's shock Australian Grand Prix crash even before a wheel had turned in anger. As to what unfolded with Piastri's crash, Stella added: "When it comes to the circumstances, what we observe is fundamentally three factors: [first], the cold tyres, and when the wheel spin starts, it starts in a very sudden way.”
"[And] These compounds, with them being on a kerb - a kerb that he has used pretty much every single lap - they don't make this easier, though, when the tyres are cold. And this further compounds, with an element that doesn't make it easier again, which is the fact that with these oscillations and following the shift, there's extra torque, let's say, that when we look at the behaviour of the power unit.”
"It is not something that you would do unless, and which I understand is the case, there are some requirements that you need to meet in terms of how you deploy your torque. In testing, we might have seen some similar circumstances, but we didn't have the combination of cold tyres and the kerb, which aggravated the fact that you may have these inconsistencies from torque deployment in grip-limited phases."
"Three factors";
https://racingnews365.com/mclaren-re...-piastri-crash
52s adrift: Where McLaren is lacking the most
9 Mar 2026
JON NOBLE
The Race
McLaren's admission to being "a little puzzled" about why it was so much slower on the straights in Australia than the works Mercedes team has fuelled talk of a new reality for customer teams. We have just come off a rules era in which McLaren showed you could still win Formula 1 titles by buying an engine off somebody else. As downforce levels, ride control and tyre temperature management defined the pecking order, McLaren's mastery in these areas helped it win the constructors' crown in 2024 and the championship double last year. Things have changed now though. In the wake of F1 2026's rules revolution, McLaren is on the hunt for answers as to why in Australia it was 0.8 seconds off Mercedes in qualifying and finished the race more than 50 seconds behind.
Mercedes and customers in Australian GP
1 George Russell (Mercedes)
2 Kimi Antonelli (Mercedes) +2.974s
--
5 Lando Norris (McLaren) +51.741s
10 Pierre Gasly (Alpine) +1 lap
12 Alex Albon (Williams) +1 lap
14 Franco Colapinto (Alpine) +2 laps
15 Carlos Sainz (Williams) +2 laps
Part of the explanation comes from the car, as the McLaren was not the best through the corners - and the front graining that was a problem at times in the past appears to be back. But it has not gone amiss that GPS data showed a big chunk of the time it lost was coming on the straights - where the works Mercedes squad appeared to be able to deploy more power. And, with identical engines, there is no obvious explanation for that discrepancy.
‘52s adrift’;
https://www.the-race.com/formula-1/m...1-2026-factor/
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Mercedes shocks engine customers with F1 Australian GP performance.
Mercedes-powered teams such as Williams, McLaren and Alpine had a relatively major gap in performance to the works car.
9 Mar 2026
Tiana Soans
Motorsport Week
Under the regulations, customers must receive identical equipment and engine modes. However, it is up to each team to decide how their power unit is utilised, namely with their energy management systems. Whilst Mercedes has mastered its own systems, their rivals have found themselves falling behind.
Mercedes stunned its Formula 1 rivals at the Australian Grand Prix, by appearing to extract significantly more performance from the new power unit than its customers. The opening race of F1’s new era could not have provided a better result for the British-based team. George Russell led Kimi Antonelli to the team’s first 1-2 finish since the 2024 Las Vegas GP.
‘Mercedes shocks engine customers’;
https://www.motorsportweek.com/2026/...p-performance/
Mercedes’ engine dominance has teams confessing frustration after Australia GP
8 MAR 2026
Samson Ero
GPblog.com
Both Williams and McLaren team principals, James Vowles and Andrea Stella, have echoed their sentiment about the Mercedes power unit after observing its performance at the Australian Grand Prix. Both teams, who are customers of the Mercedes engine, have hinted at being largely reactive to the engine’s behaviour rather than operating from a position of control.
While Mercedes celebrated a one-two finish at the Australian Grand Prix, McLaren managed only a fifth place for Lando Norris after teammate Oscar Piastri suffered a crash. Williams, meanwhile, saw Alex Albon finish 12th and Carlos Sainz 15th.
‘Teams confessing frustration’;
https://www.gpblog.com/en/news/merce...r-australia-gp
Mercedes HPP director says they have an F1 engine ‘advantage’ over McLaren in 2026
28 Feb 2026
David Comerford
F1 Oversteer
When McLaren resumed their Mercedes partnership in 2021, they were still a midfield team. It wasn’t until the second half of the 2023 season that they started scoring regular podiums. But since the start of 2024, a resurgent McLaren have outscored Mercedes by over 500 points (1499-937). They have also scored nearly four times as many wins (20-6). There are apparently some insiders who want Mercedes to ‘get rid’ of McLaren as an engine customer, which would weaken a direct rival.
Martin Brundle suspects Toto Wolff is ‘desperate’ to beat Zak Brown this year and reassert his team’s superiority. Hywel Thomas says there’s a clear ‘benefit’ to Mercedes’ works status. Speaking to The Times, Mercedes HPP managing director Hywel Thomas explained that they have a ‘natural’ advantage over McLaren, Williams and Alpine this year.
There was talk that Williams could become a dark horse this season with the highly-rated Mercedes PU, but they appear to have dropped into the lower midfield. McLaren remain the only genuine threat to Wolff’s squad. If Mercedes and McLaren have different views on the relationship between the chassis and the engine, then it will always be the former who take precedence. Counterparts at Woking will be forced to compromise.
‘Mercedes: F1 engine ‘advantage’ over McLaren’;
https://www.f1oversteer.com/news/mer...laren-in-2026/
McLaren call out Mercedes for 'hiding' engine data as statement issued
The world champions are not happy.
9 Mar 2026
Tom Jenkins
McLaren team principal Andrea Stella has hit out at Mercedes over a lack of engine information following the Australian Grand Prix. Despite Mercedes' engine giving them an advantage over Ferrari, there was a monumental gap between supplier and customer when it came to the Mercedes power-unit. After back-to-back constructor titles McLaren's pace is nothing short of disastrous, and Stella has been left unhappy after recent dialogue with Mercedes.
"The discussion with HPP (Mercedes High Performance Powertrains) about having more information has been going on for weeks because, even in testing, we were pretty much going on track, run the car, look at the data, 'oh, that's what we have. Good, now we react to what we have'", Stella said via Sky Sports. "That's not how you work in Formula 1. In Formula 1, what happens on track, you simulate, you know what is happening, you know what you are programming, you know how the car is going to behave.”
"So, you also have your plans as to how you evolve it that you have figured out before because you know what you are expecting from the car. I have to say, since we are a customer team [of Mercedes], this is the first time that we feel we are on the back foot even when it comes to the ability to predict how the car will behave and the ability to anticipate how we can improve the car." Stella suggested the performance of Mercedes in Melbourne show his team have significant work to do in order to extract maximum performance, but admitted he isn't sure where to start.
‘The world champions are not happy’;
https://www.sportbible.com/f1/mclare...15745-20260309
Williams surprised by what Mercedes can extract from 2026 engine
8 Mar 2026
JON NOBLE
The Race
Williams has admitted to being "caught off guard" by how much Mercedes could unlock from its own engine at Formula 1's Australian Grand Prix, as customer teams faced some learning difficulties. As the Mercedes works squad secured a comfortable 1-2 on the grid and followed that up with George Russell leading home Kimi Antonelli in the race, Mercedes' other outfits had a more challenging time. Defending champion Lando Norris at McLaren came home fifth, more than 50 seconds adrift of Russell at the chequered flag, with Alpine's Pierre Gasly scoring a single point in 10th. Williams's best finisher was Alex Albon in 12th place.
Speaking ahead of the Australian GP, Vowles said: "What Mercedes are doing on the power unit is something that caught us off guard. "It took a qualifying for us to really see just how off the pace we are. In that regard, that's probably three tenths [of deficit on the engine side] - something in that ballpark." Vowles has no doubt that Mercedes is supplying it with equal equipment and opportunity. However, he suggested that there is not a free flow of information being made available to customers like his squad when it comes to extracting as much out of the Mercedes engine as the works team is.
"It is not an open door, as you would imagine, because that's where the performance is found," he said. "So it is down to us to try and work around it. We have to acknowledge that we, as Williams, do not have the sophistication that they have in other technologies, and definitely that's on us. I would say the converse is that there's some inherent knowledge they have which we don't. And that's down to us to figure out." Asked by The Race if he had expected knowledge of a performance advantage to flow a bit more freely, Vowles said: "I had expected it to a certain extent, yes. That's why I said I was caught out yesterday."
‘Williams, do not have the sophistication that they have in other technologies, and definitely that's on us’;
https://www.the-race.com/formula-1/w...026-f1-engine/
McLaren team boss Andrea Stella reveals discontent at lack of information being provided by engine supplier Mercedes
McLaren were well off the pace as Mercedes secured a one-two at the season-opening Australian Grand Prix; the Silver Arrows appear to have a crucial advantage over their engine customers
9 March 2026
Sky Sports
Mercedes were expected to have an advantage as a works team manufacturing their own engine, but Stella admitted McLaren are surprised by the extent of the advantage their supplier appears to have in terms of energy deployment with F1's all new cars for 2026 following a major regulation change.
Stella said: "The discussion with HPP (Mercedes High Performance Powertrains) about having more information has been going on for weeks because, even in testing, we were pretty much going on track, run the car, look at the data, 'oh, that's what we have. Good, now we react to what we have'.”
"That's not how you work in Formula 1. In Formula 1, what happens on track, you simulate. You know what is happening, you know what you are programming, you know how the car is going to behave. "And definitely, the result of this analysis seemed to direct to the fact that we have work to do as a team in collaboration with our HPP engineers. We have work to do to exploit the potential of the power unit, which, once I see the potential that HPP is extracting, looks like there's more that is available.”
‘McLaren were well off the pace as Mercedes secured a one-two’;
https://www.skysports.com/f1/news/12...plier-mercedes
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‘Mercedes are back’ – Wolff ecstatic with Australia 1-2 but admits ‘we have a fight on our hands’ with Ferrari.
“When it comes to Ferrari, before the race people were saying, you're going to disappear in the distance, looking at your long runs.” Team Principal Toto Wolff.
9 Mar 2026
Formula One - Official Site
Team Principal Toto Wolff was eager not to downplay Ferrari’s potential as Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton, who was instrumental in the team’s previous run of success, crossed the line in P3 and P4 in Melbourne. They executed much better starts on the opening lap and looked strong on the first stint, but elected to go for an alternative tyre strategy which limited their chances to continue challenging Mercedes for the win. Asked whether he believes their rivals would have been a step closer had their strategy been different, Wolff replied:
“When it comes to Ferrari, before the race people were saying, you're going to disappear in the distance, looking at your long runs. We knew that they were strong on the starts and that's what happened. It was an out and out battle between Charles and George at the beginning. Kimi was a bit unlucky that the battery wasn't on the level that it should have been, on either car actually to a certain degree. It was a three-way fight at a certain stage between the two Ferraris and George and eventually Kimi caught up.”
“For me, the prevailing feeling is now we have a fight on our hands with Ferrari. The worry that we had was that it wasn't exciting in terms of the fighting, and the boost and the overtake modes made it actually quite interesting to watch on a track that is particularly difficult for energy. We'll see how that goes in Shanghai, but most of all is being to a certain degree of contentment that Mercedes are back.”
‘Mercedes 'have a fight on our hands’ with Ferrari – Wolff’;
https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/a...JM5CZWxuTbUT3W
Juan Pablo Montoya thinks there’s ‘nothing’ Mercedes can do to replicate Ferrari’s F1 starts in 2026
9 Mar 2026
Ashley Hambly
F1 Oversteer
Juan Pablo Montoya ‘highly’ doubts Mercedes will be able to replicate Ferrari’s quick F1 starts. During an appearance on F1’s Australian Grand Prix post-race show, former F1 driver Juan Pablo Montoya doubted whether Mercedes would be able to introduce a similar sort of element into their own engine to replicate the rocket-like starts from Ferrari.
Montoya predicted Mercedes’ dominance at the season-opener, previously theorising on the extent of the German constructor’s sandbagging during pre-season testing. On the topic of the smaller turbo element, the Colombian was asked if Toto Wolff will be worried about their slower starts, to which he replied, “Yes, because they’re not as easy to get right. It is incredible because they have made studies about it. They have done a lot of preparation, and this is what they got. So now they need to start looking at how we can get more power.”
“But when you start putting more power, you start spinning the tyres. Why can the Ferrari get the extra traction? Back in the day, in my time, was the Renault. Fernando Alonso used to do those blinding starts, and there was nothing you could do. And sometimes it’s just the nature of the car. There’s a chance they’re going to suffer with this for the whole year. They’re going to get better, but are they going to get as good as Ferrari? I highly doubt it.”
‘Rocket-like starts from Ferrari’;
https://www.f1oversteer.com/news/jua...tarts-in-2026/
PALMER: Why the season opener in Melbourne convinced me Ferrari will win soon
It might have been a Mercedes 1-2 in Melbourne, as George Russell underlined his championship credentials with a straightforward drive, but I thought the Grand Prix was a real cause for optimism for Ferrari’s chances this season too.
10 Mar 2026
Jolyon Palmer
Formula One - Official Site
It might have been a Mercedes 1-2 in Melbourne, as George Russell underlined his championship credentials with a straightforward drive, but I thought the Grand Prix was a real cause for optimism for Ferrari’s chances this season too.
Lewis Hamilton was very upbeat after the race – despite the fact he saw another potential maiden Ferrari podium slip through his fingers – because there were plenty more positives than negatives for the Scuderia after the season opener.
‘Ferrari will win soon’;
https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/a...nyAuRJ7idAyNo5
Jolyon Palmer tips Lewis Hamilton to replicate Chinese GP heroics after ‘rocket start’ in Melbourne
9 Mar 2026
Ashley Hambly
F1 Oversteer
Jolyon Palmer thinks Lewis Hamilton could replicate his 2025 Chinese GP heroics. Despite their inability to take the chequered flag in first, Jolyon Palmer praised Ferrari’s encouraging start when looking forward to the upcoming races on a recent episode of the F1 Nation podcast.
He said, “It wouldn’t surprise me if they win the sprint because what they’ve got is a rocket start in their locker. And if they can qualify third and fourth, by all accounts, they’ll be first and second at the end of the first lap. This circuit (Albert Park) is an outlier in the calendar. It’s really difficult to recharge your battery, overtaking can be difficult because have you got any more battery to spare?”
“But if you’ve got pace, you can be tactical with it. Play that game of chess. There’ll be some circuits where overtaking is actually really difficult. Reliability will get better, so we’ll see less safety cars. If Ferrari can then get to the front, and you’re having less variability with safety cars, and harder tracks to overtake on, you don’t even need the fastest car to win races at that point. I think they’re in a really great spot.”
‘Rocket start’;
https://www.f1oversteer.com/news/jol...-in-melbourne/
Ferrari fast-tracks striking 'Macarena' rear wing concept for Chinese GP
10 Mar 2026
Tobia Elia
GPblog.com
Ferrari is set to bring the 'Macarena' rotating rear wing that caused a stir during pre-season testing in Bahrain at the Chinese Grand Prix this weekend, GPblog can confirm. Italian outlet Autoracer recently reported that Ferrari has fast-tracked its plans, deciding to ship the new rear wing - updated from the experimental version - in time for this weekend’s Chinese Grand Prix.
After investigating the matter, GPblog understands that three different specifications of the concept seen in Bahrain will be shipped to Shanghai, even though the element was already part of the team’s available pool. However, the timing of its introduction is not the most convenient, given the limited track time available during the first Sprint weekend of the season. With just 60 minutes of practice scheduled, teams will have only a single free practice session before heading straight into sprint qualifying.
For now, it remains unclear what Ferrari’s plan is. The Scuderia could choose to run the wing during FP1 and then decide whether to carry it through the rest of the weekend, or alternatively shelve it for the time being in order to gather more data before introducing it properly at upcoming rounds.
'Macarena rear wing concept’;
https://www.gpblog.com/en/news/ferra...for-chinese-gp
Adrian Newey inspects Lewis Hamilton’s Ferrari SF-26 at Australian Grand Prix
10 Mar 2026
Oliver Harden
PlanetF1.com
Aston Martin boss Adrian Newey was spotted inspecting Lewis Hamilton’s Ferrari SF-26 on the grid ahead of the Australian Grand Prix, it has emerged. As reported on Monday, Newey – who is renowned for studying the designs of rival teams on the starting grid – was spotted by PlanetF1.com taking a close look at Nico Hulkenberg’s Audi R26 ahead of the race in Australia. And it has emerged that Hamilton’s Ferrari also caught the 67-year-old’s eye as the start approached
‘Adrian Newey inspects’;
https://www.planetf1.com/news/adrian...f-26-australia
Adrian Newey spent 15 minutes ‘stuck’ to Ferrari’s car on the Australian Grand Prix grid
10 Mar 2026
Tyler Rowlinson
F1 Oversteer
Aston Martin team principal Adrian Newey was seen studying Ferrari’s SF-26 for an extended period of time before the Australian Grand Prix. Journalist Julianne Cerasoli notes that the 66-year-old was studying the Ferrari for ’15 minutes’ before the Australian GP.
She said via her YouTube channel after the race: “And then something very surprising happened. Ferrari has a good car. Even Lando Norris was saying this weekend that they see McLaren in the telemetry data, that Ferrari is clearly the team that has the best car at the moment.”
“Adrian Newey [on the] grid from the Australian Grand Prix, he spent a good 15 minutes stuck to the Ferrari car, noting everything about the Ferrari car. So he also thinks that there are many lessons to be learned from this car.”
‘Studying the Ferrari for 15 minutes’;
https://www.f1oversteer.com/news/adr...and-prix-grid/
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Verstappen reveals Red Bull's focus for the Chinese Grand Prix.
"We will continue to collect data and work on improving the car; we are still learning and we want to go into this week and be more in the fight." - Max Verstappen.
11 Mar 2026
Kada Sarkozi
GPblog.com
Max Verstappen reviewed the areas Red Bull Racing needs to focus on ahead of the Chinese Grand Prix. Reviewing their last race, Verstappen said: "It was good to be back racing again and it was promising to see us have a good comeback in the race. The Team did a great job to get to where we are but there is still a lot to do and a lot of learnings that we can take on from that race."
He concluded by discussing the challenges of a Sprint weekend: "We will have less time to work on the set up of the car, so we need to make sure we hit the ground running. The circuit is pretty unique, with quite a challenging track layout with a variety of different corners but with plenty of opportunities for overtaking."
“Be more in the fight";
https://www.gpblog.com/en/news/verst...ese-grand-prix
Untelevised Max Verstappen team radio emerges after ‘super frustrating’ Australian GP
10 Mar 2026
Oliver Harden
PlanetF1.com
Speaking to PlanetF1.com and other media outlets, Verstappen branded his race “terrible” and reiterated his criticism of the new F1 2026 rules. He said: “I do love racing and I want it to be better than this. Let’s see what we can do. I hope that, even during this year, maybe we can come up with some different solutions so it becomes more enjoyable.” Untelevised team radio footage has revealed the extend of Verstappen’s frustrations over the course of the Australian Grand Prix, with the four-time world champion conceding at the end of the race that the cars are “super frustrating to drive” at this stage of 2026.
The full exchange with Lambiase went as follows:
Verstappen: “Mate, my battery is almost empty. It just doesn’t charge.”
Lambiase: “Yeah, copy.”
Verstappen: “Ah. The battery, mate. F**k’s sake.”
Lambiase: “Yeah. Copy, Max. Keep your head down. Today it’s not gonna matter.”
During the virtual safety car period following the retirement of his Red Bull teammate, Isack Hadjar, Verstappen had to be given a rundown of the restart procedure with the new machinery for 2026 on Lap 12.
Verstappen: “When VSC ends, I have to use the boost button?”
Lambiase: “Sorry, Max. Repeat.”
Verstappen: “When VSC ends, do I have to use the boost button?”
Lambiase: “Ah, yes please. Yeah.”
‘Frustrations’;
https://www.planetf1.com/news/max-ve...026-team-radio
Red Bull must help Max Verstappen succeed in Chinese Grand Prix if they want him to stay beyond 2026
12 Mar 2026
Aaditya Krishnamurthy
F1 Oversteer
Max Verstappen’s struggles in Australia were there for all to see, and the four-time world champion knows Red Bull need to bridge the gap. Verstappen and Red Bull struggled for pace compared to Mercedes and Ferrari. And it looks like that could be the case for the rest of the season. Given what Max Verstappen said at media day ahead of the Chinese Grand Prix, Red Bull may have no choice but to provide at least a temporary fix. Verstappen admitted that he sees strong potential in the car, but even with that, Red Bull aren’t at the level of Mercedes and Ferrari, which he wants to try and chip away at in China.
“There is a lot of potential, it’s just going to depend on if we can extract that throughout the year. The gap was quite big, and also in the race, I think if I would’ve started a little bit up front, I think the best that I could have done was one spot higher because we didn’t have the pace of the top 4 cars… It is clear at the moment that we cannot fight with Mercedes and Ferrari. Hopefully, we can close the gap a bit, and the gap here in China is certainly no greater than last week. But we’ll see what happens in the coming races.”
‘Red Bull must help Max Verstappen succeed’;
https://www.f1oversteer.com/news/red...y-beyond-2026/
Max in Shanghai: 'A lot of potential in RB22'
12 Mar 2026
Stefan Meens
Verstappen.nl
“There is a lot of potential”, refers Max Verstappen to the new RB22. “It’ll depend on how much we can extract. Of course, the gap last week was pretty big, also in the race. If I had been able to start higher up the grid, fifth would’ve been the best result possible. Mercedes are in a good position for the whole season. In qualifying, Ferrari was where they wanted to be, but in the race it became clear we didn’t stand a chance against them.”
“We didn’t have to pace to match the top four and we suffered a lot of wear and graining on the tyres. But we’ll see over the next few races if we can close the gap a bit.” With the new regulations only a race old, it is difficult to gauge how the season develops and how track characteristics, like Albert Park’s, influence the pecking order. “It’s impossible to tell. It’s like a jungle out there. I hope we are closer than in Melbourne but it’s clear we can’t take the fight to the cars in front.”
'Potential in RB22';
https://news.verstappen.com/en/article/6100/
Max Verstappen deal 'on the table' in move that would rock F1
Max Verstappen's future has been the talk of the town.
12 Mar 2026
Marcus Chan
SPORTbible
There could be another twist in Max Verstappen's Formula 1 future with an offer potentially 'on the table'. Heading into the 2026 season, one of the major talking points has been the future of four-time world champion Verstappen. Due to Red Bull's sudden drop in form in the back end of the 2024 season and last year, Verstappen has been linked with a move away. The likes of Mercedes, Aston Martin and even Williams have all been linked with the 28-year-old.
However, the Dutchman committed his future to Red Bull and produced a brilliant recovery drive from P20 to finish P6 at last weekend's Australian Grand Prix. Looking ahead, Verstappen's future has become a topic of conversation again. Recently, F1 commentator Mark Gallagher claimed that there could be an offer on the table for Verstappen to join Mercedes. He also stated that George Russell's deal would not have an impact in Toto Wolff's desire to sign the Dutchman.
He said to The Express, via Betway: "I think the speculation is driven by several factors. First of all, the media love to speculate. Secondly, when you see someone like George Russell on a shorter-term arrangement at Mercedes, you can only assume there may be something on the table for Max if the Red Bull proves uncompetitive this year. For me, Max is the most complete driver in Formula One. The fact that he lost the championship by just two points to Lando is incredible, especially considering he didn’t always have the fastest car."
‘Deal on the table';
https://www.sportbible.com/f1/max-ve...71361-20260312
Verstappen’s ‘conflicting’ F1 feelings and why he needs distractions
12 Mar 2026
SCOTT MITCHELL-MALM
The Race
Max Verstappen says entering races like the Nurburgring 24 Hours is a positive distraction from not enjoying driving the 2026 generation of Formula 1 cars - which he admits is a “conflicting” feeling. The four-time world champion has been a vocal critic of the limitations of this year’s ruleset and the impact that the excessive energy management demands of the new engines have had. Verstappen dislikes the requirement to charge the battery with techniques that slow the car down at the end of straights, even in qualifying, and means it has to be driven in counterintuitive ways. He will dovetail his 2026 season with Red Bull with a first entry into the 24-hour race on the Nordschleife, driving for his own GT3 team, which creates a clear juxtaposition between what Verstappen wants and what he feels he gets from F1 at the moment.
Verstappen’s chances of winning a fifth world championship in 2026 already look slim as his Red Bull team is running its own engine for the first time and the package is not as competitive as Mercedes or even Ferrari. “It's a bit conflicting, because I don't really enjoy to drive the car, but I do enjoy working with all the people in the team and from the engine department as well,” said Verstappen. “It's almost like a bit of a mind...I can't swear! But anyway, you know what I mean. So, no, I don't want to leave. But I also hope of course that it gets better. “And I've had discussions with F1 and FIA, and I think we are working towards something hopefully and hopefully that will improve everything.” Verstappen would not elaborate on what that could be, but it is known that F1’s stakeholders will meet after this weekend’s China race to discuss potential changes to the rules to improve the energy management demands.
Big swings in battery usage made for a chaotic Australian GP at time with lots of place-swapping several drivers called artificial as they could just drive by others very easily if they were using more electric power in different places on different laps. Verstappen alluded to that when, answering a question about the benefit of simulator usage with these rules, he joked: “I found a cheaper solution. I swapped the simulator for my Nintendo Switch. And practice a bit of Mario Kart, actually. Finding the mushrooms is going quite well. The blue shell is a bit more difficult, but I'm working on it. The rocket? Still not there, the rocket. It's coming!”
‘Entering races like the Nurburgring 24 Hours is a positive distraction’;
https://www.the-race.com/formula-1/m...-distractions/
-
Ralf Schumacher has seen a worrying change in McLaren boss Zak Brown since the end of last season.
Yes, they know full well that it’s not working, that they’ve unfortunately taken a wrong turn and are obviously too far behind over the winter.” Ralf Schumacher.
12 Mar 2026
Ben Evans
F1 Oversteer
Ralf Schumacher thinks McLaren have been a ‘negative surprise’ at the start of the 2026 season. Schumacher was speaking about McLaren and Piastri’s crash in Melbourne on the Backstage Boxengasse Podcast and said: “Well, you could see that he drove over the kerb, and then I think he just didn’t expect that battery performance or the overall performance, and then, just like that, like a little schoolboy, it happened to him.
“Honestly, it can happen to experienced drivers, but it shouldn’t, no question about it. I feel a bit sorry for him. Maybe he could have shown that the McLaren is capable of better, because Lando Norris didn’t have an easy weekend, it has to be said, he was behind in his performance, he was never satisfied with the McLaren. I also think that this relaxed attitude, which you saw last year with Stella, OK, he was always a bit determined, but still had a smile on his lips, Zak Brown in particular, I think you can see the difference.”
Hardenacke replied: “He was very tense, wasn’t he?” Schumacher continued: “Yes, they know full well that it’s not working, that they’ve unfortunately taken a wrong turn and are obviously too far behind over the winter. “Then, I have to say, it’s a negative surprise when you see that Mercedes, Ferrari and, I would say, Red Bull are the strongest, with Ferrari and Red Bull behind Mercedes, and then there’s a big gap.”
“They know full well that it’s not working”;
https://www.f1oversteer.com/news/ral...f-last-season/
McLaren need to 'step it up as much as possible' in China, says Norris
After finishing more than 50 seconds behind race winner George Russell in Australia, Lando Norris has called for McLaren to do more.
12 Mar 2026
Formula One - Official Site
Despite there only being a week between the first two rounds of the season, Norris claims McLaren have been working hard to reduce the gap. "It’s been a busy week for the whole team, both the team that are here travelling but also the team back in MTC [McLaren Technology Centre], trying to step it up as much as possible," said Norris during Thursday's media day in Shanghai.”
"[It has been] full of learnings – some good things, some not so good things, but all things that we need to [and] we want to improve on... Learn what we could from others, learn what we could from ourselves, and do a much better job all-round here in Shanghai. It’s understanding of the power unit – we haven’t done as good of a job as we should have done, so our own understanding is not to the level we want it to be at and the team have worked very hard to improve that," said Norris.
"But I also said, the chassis is not to the level that we want it to be at. It’s certainly not bad and we’re certainly not miles away – I think we’re not as far as it almost looked in Melbourne. We need to improve it more, but we know that – we know where we’re stronger, we know where we’re weaker.”
‘Lando Norris has called for McLaren to do more’;
https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/a...475KTSElMZ9X86
Reigning Formula 1 Champ Lando Norris Makes Hypocritical Claim About New Regulations
12 MAR 2026
CLAY SAUERTIEG
BroBible
Reigning Formula 1 world drivers’ champion Lando Norris has done a complete 180 on his view of the sport’s new regulations, and it comes just weeks after he criticized rival Max Verstappen over the same complaints. Verstappen, a four-time world champion in his own right, said that the sport’s current engine regulations, which divide power supply evenly between the car’s internal combustion engine and battery power, are “Not a lot of fun, to be honest…I would say the right word is management. As a driver, the feeling is not very Formula 1-like. It feels a bit more like Formula E on steroids. But the rules are the same for everyone, so you have to deal with that. And that’s also not my problem, because I’m all for that. Equal chances, I don’t mind that.”
Now, the McLaren driver says he’s not a fan of the new regulations prior to this weekend’s race in Shanghai. “You’re driving the power unit, you’re not driving the car to the same limit,” Norris said on Thursday. “It’s not like, ‘go and drive the car the quickest way possible.’ That’s not how it works. It’s a very different style of driving that’s needed. It’s basically forget everything you’ve ever done and reset.”
Norris noted that the current rules and regulations are nothing like what he dreamed of racing as a kid. “It’s just that’s not what any of us have ever grown up doing. Probably not something any of us grew up wanting to do either, but that’s the way it is now,” he said. Norris clearly isn’t enamored with the current state of Formula 1. But something tells us he won’t be stepping away from the sport anytime soon as he urged Verstappen to do.
‘Lando Norris Makes Hypocritical Claim’;
https://brobible.com/sports/article/...w-regulations/
Guenther Steiner suggests George Russell wasn’t even using Mercedes’ full potential in Melbourne
12 Mar 2026
Aaditya Krishnamurthy
F1 Oversteer
George Russell’s dominance at Albert Park was impressive, but we might not have seen his Mercedes’ true power just yet. Guenther Steiner believes George Russell was ‘monitoring’ during Australian GP, didn’t take any risks Speaking on the Red Flags podcast, Guenther Steiner was asked whether he felt George Russell was ‘managing’ his Mercedes en route to a win at Albert Park.
Without hesitating, the former Haas team principal explained why Russell did not break a sweat during the race, as his car and the system had everything under control to fend off any potential threats. “Yeah, for sure, he was monitoring. He didn’t need to do anything to take any risk as long as the distance stays the same. Why would you overuse anything? Why would you overuse your systems?”
“He gets the proper information. This is my data to him. It stays stable. The guy cannot catch me. He lapped everybody except six cars.” Outside of an entertaining battle in the first few laps, George Russell was never really threatened by either Ferrari or Kimi Antonelli after he took the lead in Australia. Even with a strong win at the Australian Grand Prix, George Russell has not managed to turn all his detractors into believers just yet.
‘Monitoring’;
https://www.f1oversteer.com/news/gue...-in-melbourne/
Ecclestone predicts crash as fears over new regs grow
MARCH 11, 2026
GrandPrix.com
Bernie Ecclestone has warned that Formula 1's new regulations will eventually cause a serious accident, joining a growing chorus of voices - from drivers to team principals to former champions - expressing alarm about the safety and sporting character of the 2026 cars.
The 95-year-old former F1 supremo told Swiss newspaper Blick he was already convinced after just one race. "There's going to be a real crash soon. The speed differences during battery charging - braking on the straights - will eventually surprise the driver behind, and then we'll have a big accident, said Ecclestone. "I just hope I'm wrong this time.”
"There's going to be a real crash soon”;
https://www.grandprix.com/news/eccle...regs-grow.html
Adrian Newey accused of exaggerating Aston Martin issues to get ‘preferential treatment’ from FIA
12 Mar 2026
David Comerford
F1 Oversteer
Adrian Newey may be overstating the extent of Honda’s problems to prompt a reaction from the FIA, according to a report. Newey has made some remarkable statements about Aston Martin’s engine supplier in the past week or so. The latest rumour is that Newey is seeking early access to the ‘Additional Development Upgrade Opportunities’ (ADUO) afforded by the FIA. The scheme, introduced for the start of the new regulations, doesn’t kick in until after the first six races. Newey may hope that the FIA will offer ‘preferential treatment’ to Honda if the situation demands it, which gives him an incentive to ‘deliberately exaggerate’ the crisis they are facing.
Mercedes may already be manipulating the ADUO system. F1 engine suppliers have access to varying degrees of ADUO depending on their gap to the leader. There are two separate thresholds – 2-4% and over 4%. Honda are almost certain to fall into the latter category, but with the Bahrain and Saudi Arabian GPs likely to be cancelled, round six won’t arrive until the Monaco GP in early June. Until then, they will face the same restrictions as Mercedes.
One could argue that this is unfair and it would be in the interests of the championship to help Honda, raising the overall standard. But Mercedes are already gaming the ADUO system, according to a recent report, by keeping Ferrari and Red Bull within the 2% barrier. In such a competitive environment, it’s difficult to see the other four manufacturers making Honda’s life any easier.
‘ ‘Additional Development Upgrade Opportunities’ (ADUO) afforded by the FIA’;
https://www.f1oversteer.com/news/adr...ment-from-fia/
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Chinese Grand Prix: George Russell continues fine start to season by going fastest in China practice.
The British driver was at it again at the Shanghai International Circuit to finish 0.120 seconds clear of team-mate Kimi Antonelli.
13 Mar 2026
PA
ESPN.co.uk
George Russell picked up where he left off by posting the fastest time in practice as Mercedes set a blistering early pace in China. Russell dominated in Melbourne a week ago to win the season-opening round and take an early lead in the world championship. Lando Norris was next up for McLaren, 0.555 seconds adrift of Russell, and one place clear of team-mate Oscar Piastri.
Charles Leclerc, the only other driver to finish within a second of Russell, finished fifth after he ran through the gravel at the final corner. Leclerc's team-mate Lewis Hamilton suffered a spin at Turn 6 in the early exchanges and ended the one-hour running 1.3 sec off the pace. He also failed to set a representative time after a scruffy final lap. Earlier, Hamilton and Norris came within inches of contact at the last corner. The stewards noted the incident but did not take any further action.
Ollie Bearman impressed to take seventh in his Haas, but four-time world champion Max Verstappen, already disillusioned by Formula One's new regulations, was a distant eighth, an eye-watering 1.8 sec off the pace. Mercedes have hit the ground running this season and, on the evidence of the sole practice session ahead of qualifying for Saturday's sprint race, their advantage looks as great, if not greater, here.
‘George Russell continues fine start’;
https://www.espn.co.uk/f1/story/_/id...stest-mercedes
Chinese GP FP1 Results Today: 2026 Practice 1 Times
Russell leads Mercedes 1-2 as Sprint weekend begins at Shanghai
13 March 2026
John Smith
Total Motorsport
2026 Chinese Grand Prix FP1 Results
Here are the complete Practice 1 results from the Shanghai International Circuit.
Pos Driver Team Time
1 George Russell Mercedes 1:32.741
2 Kimi Antonelli Mercedes +0.120
3 Lando Norris McLaren +0.555
4 Oscar Piastri McLaren +0.731
5 Charles Leclerc Ferrari +0.858
6 Lewis Hamilton Ferrari +1.388
7 Oliver Bearman Haas +1.685
8 Max Verstappen Red Bull +1.800
9 Nico Hulkenberg Audi +1.898
10 Pierre Gasly Alpine +1.935
‘FP1 Results’;
https://www.total-motorsport.com/chi...6-fp1-results/
Chinese GP: Russell leads Mercedes 1-2 in single practice session
13/03/2026
Michael Delaney
F1i.com
George Russell and Kimi Antonelli comfortably led the way for Mercedes in the only practice session ahead of this afternoon’s Sprint qualifying in Shanghai. The pit were over half a second clear of the McLaren duo of Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri while Charles Leclerc and Lewis were well adrift in P5 and P6 for Ferrari.
With the weekend hosting the first Srint format event of the 2026 Formula 1 season, there was as usual added emphasis placed on the 60-minute work-out and limited preparation time. The session began with the entire field running the medium compound tyre, with Russell initially setting the benchmark at 1m34.169s for Mercedes.
The Briton’s effort placed him ahead of Leclerc and Piastri, while Antonelli slotted into fourth on 1m34.794s with Haas’ Oliver Bearman in fifth position with a 1m34.950s lap. No other driver broke the 1m35 barrier during this phase. The final 15 minutes were dedicated to qualifying simulations, and it was here that Mercedes’ advantage became clear. Russell lowered the benchmark to 1m32.741s, with Antonelli just 0.12s behind on 1m32.861s. The pair were around seven tenths clear of the field.
‘Mercedes 1-2’;
https://f1i.com/news/560878-chinese-...e-session.html
Ferrari reveal curious innovation on Charles Leclerc’s car alongside Macarena wing at the Chinese GP
12 Mar 2026
Kyle Archer
F1 Oversteer
Ferrari have revealed a small wing on the Halo on Charles Leclerc’s car at the 2026 F1 Chinese Grand Prix, along with the Macarena rear wing they unveiled during testing. The Scuderia stole the show on the Thursday morning at the second official pre-season test in Bahrain when Lewis Hamilton broke cover with their inventive Macarena rear wing. But it only stayed on the SF-26 for five laps before the pride of Italy returned to their normal wing.
Physical upgrades are not the only modifications that Ferrari have made to the SF-26 ahead of the Chinese GP, either. Ferrari are introducing a software update in China that they hope can help Hamilton and Leclerc further improve their energy management levels in Shanghai. The software upgrade is aimed at improving the charging and deployment of the MGU-K in medium and high-speed corners. Mercedes enjoyed an energy management advantage at the Australian GP, as George Russell and Andrea Kimi Antonelli were less prone to clipping.
Ferrari will hope their software and physical upgrades at the Chinese GP pay off, as it will be important to have the right battery levels at the start of the 1.2km (0.7m) back straight. It is expected that most drivers will save most, if not all, of their energy to use it on the straight.
‘Ferrari reveal curious innovation’;
https://www.f1oversteer.com/news/fer...he-chinese-gp/
Red Bull confirm new power unit already at Chinese GP
13 Mar 2026
Henry Eccles
GPblog.com
Red Bull have already introduced a new engine in 2026, thanks to changes made to Isack Hadjar's RB22 in China. In FIA documents, it has been revealed that a new Internal Combustion Engine has been brought for Hadjar, one of four new ICEs allowed for 2026 in only the second round of the championship.
Elsewhere, Aston Martin have also introduced changes to Fernando Alonso's AMR26, including a new energy store unit, and a new control electronics unit. Wholesale changes made to Hadjar's PU. As well as the ICE, Hadjar's power unit has been fitted with a new turbocharger, exhaust set, and MGU-K.
‘Red Bull confirm new power unit’;
https://www.gpblog.com/en/news/red-b...-at-chinese-gp
Lewis Hamilton’s body language at the Chinese Grand Prix is strikingly different to one year ago
12 Mar 2026
Kyle Archer
F1 Oversteer
Ferrari driver Lewis Hamilton arrived at the 2026 F1 Chinese Grand Prix in a far more optimistic mood than he showed even after winning the Sprint in Shanghai last term. Hamilton recorded his only podium finish of any kind as a Ferrari driver so far when he won the F1 Sprint in Shanghai in March last year. But the 2025 Chinese GP ultimately served as a wake-up call for Ferrari, as the Scuderia endured a double disqualification in the main race.
Lewis Hamilton is decidedly more optimistic at the 2026 Chinese Grand Prix. Hamilton has now returned to Shanghai for the 2026 Chinese GP this week in a better mood than even after he won the F1 Sprint there last season. That is according to Leo Turrini, who claims the F1 Sprint win a year ago did not convince Hamilton that a title fight would follow.
The seven-time champion’s body language at the Shanghai International Circuit on Thursday was ‘strikingly different’ compared to one year ago. Hamilton’s improved outlook follows his P4 in the 2026 Australian Grand Prix, just 0.625s off the podium, last week to start the term. In fact, Hamilton seems decidedly more optimistic for what lies ahead this season. He only qualified P7 at Albert Park last weekend, but the Briton made a rapid start to the race, and then arguably finished the Australian GP with superior pace to his teammate Leclerc in P3. Lewis Hamilton will hope to score his first Grand Prix podium as a Ferrari driver in China.
‘Lewis Hamilton’s body language’;
https://www.f1oversteer.com/news/lew...-one-year-ago/
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Russell takes Sprint pole in China ahead of Antonelli and Norris.
Russell’s first Q3 run earned him top spot on 1:31.520. That put him clear of Antonelli, Hamilton, Leclerc and Verstappen. The other five cars, including the McLarens and Hadjar, remained in the garage, targeting a single run with the track at its best.
13 MARCH 2026
Racecars
Mercedes’ George Russell will start the Sprint at the Chinese Grand Prix from the front of the grid after beating team-mate Kimi Antonelli by just under three tenths of a second. Lando Norris took third in Sprint Qualifying more than six tenths behind the lead Mercedes. There was a faller before the session had even got underway, with Cadillac’s Sergio Pérez ruled out due to a technical problem on his car.
When the track went green for the start of SQ1 it was Russell who led the way, with the Mercedes driver going quickest on 1:33.030. That put him a tenth clear of Ferrari’s Lewis Hamilton with the seven-time champion’s team-mate Charles Leclerc in P3 ahead of Antonelli, Norris and the second McLaren of Oscar Piastri. Further back, Red Bull Racing were struggling. Max Verstappen was complaining of “horrendous driveability” on his RB22, and the four-time champion progressed in a relatively lowly 11th place, some 1.8s off Russel’s P1 time. It was a similar story for Verstappen’s new team-mate Isack Hadjar woe went through in P14.
‘Russell’s first Q3 run earned him top spot on 1:31.520’;
https://www.racecar.com/news/103311/...lli-and-norris
Full starting grid for 2026 F1 Chinese Grand Prix Sprint
Check out the full starting grid for the first Sprint race of 2026, at the Chinese Grand Prix!
13 Mar 2026
RacingNews365 Staff
RacingNews365
Full starting grid for 2026 F1 Chinese Grand Prix Sprint
Position Driver Team
1st George Russell Mercedes
2nd Kimi Antonelli Mercedes
3rd Lando Norris McLaren
4th Lewis Hamilton Ferrari
5th Oscar Piastri McLaren
6th Charles Leclerc Ferrari
7th Pierre Gasly Alpine
8th Max Verstappen Red Bull
9th Oliver Bearman Haas
10th Isack Hadjar Red Bull
‘Chinese Grand Prix Sprint’;
https://racingnews365.com/full-start...nd-prix-sprint
'It's an opportunity' – Norris targets China Sprint start to beat Russell and Mercedes
Having qualified third for the Sprint at the Chinese Grand Prix, reigning F1 World Champion Lando Norris is targeting a way of beating the Mercedes duo.
13 Mar 2026
Formula One - Official Site
Lando Norris believes the start of Saturday's Sprint at the Chinese Grand Prix is 'an opportunity for sure' to try and beat the Mercedes of George Russell and Kimi Antonelli.
"I'm just happy with the result, I've not seen what I lost and gained or whatever," he said. "P3 is as good as we can do for the time being. Actually pretty happy to beat both the Ferraris today because they seemed pretty good the whole day. Satisfied, good position for tomorrow.
"Certainly things have been better this weekend, just because the track is a lot more simple from a power unit side of things, so everyone kind of falls in line a bit more. We certainly seemed to get a good amount of it at the end and it was close. A good lap put me in a good position."
'It's an opportunity';
https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/a...H6MezXPbj84lXu
George Russell accuses Ferrari of creating ‘unnecessary complications’ ahead of 2026 Chinese GP
George Russell accuses Ferrari of blocking changes to Formula 1 start rules as teams struggle with the new 2026 power unit launches
13 Mar 2026
Brandon Sutton
Total Motorsport
George Russell accuses Ferrari of creating “unnecessary complications” ahead of 2026 Chinese GP, by resisting any changes to Formula 1 start procedure as teams struggle to get off the line whilst the FIA chases solutions. “The FIA was looking to potentially adjust that (the start procedure),” Russell told media, including Total-Motorsport.com.
“But as you can imagine some teams who were making good starts didn’t want it, which I think is just a little bit silly. I’m not overly concerned, but it’s definitely a challenge. They [FIA] could do [change the rules]. I think they want to, but they need a super majority from the teams, which they don’t have. So, you can probably guess which team is against that. I don’t think their gain is coming from this issue. Now all the teams know the problem, we’ll just drive around it.”
“But it’s just creating a bit of unnecessary complications to something that doesn’t really need to be there. Half the grid messed up in Melbourne. We’ll adjust. We know what we need to be wary of now. The FIA did just want to make our life easier and just remove this harvest limit, but, as often [happens], people have selfish views and they want to do what’s best for themselves. And that’s part of Formula 1 and part of the challenge of Formula 1. We’ll deal with it and I think the starts here will be much better.”
‘Unnecessary complications’;
https://www.total-motorsport.com/geo...sy-chinese-gp/
Anthony Davidson concerned by what he heard in Max Verstappen’s Chinese Grand Prix onboard
13 Mar 2026
David Comerford
F1 Oversteer
Sky Sports pundit Davidson heard the evidence during a replay of an oversteer moment for Verstappen in SQ1. Oscar Piastri experienced a similarly violent ‘torque spike’ before crashing on the warm-up lap in Melbourne. Davidson says that Verstappen is having to drive ‘on the defensive’ because he hasn’t established trust in this year’s car. “Let’s have a listen to this,” he said. “Oh yeah, you could really hear it, couldn’t you, as he picked up the throttle. That’s the drivability he’s talking about. That’s the exit. That is a lot of power and deployment that he wasn’t expecting. We would refer to that usually as a torque spike.”
Last weekend, Davidson said Verstappen was trying to drive like the ‘good old days’. There were times in practice where he was seemingly caught out by the reduced downforce. Verstappen has made it abundantly clear that he isn’t enjoying the driving experience this year. While he says this isn’t linked to results, Red Bull’s lack of pace will only sour his mood further
Helmut Marko says Verstappen won’t win the title in 2026, and while this is only round two out of 24, it’s hard to disagree in light of the enormous gap to Mercedes. Red Bull’s rate of development should theoretically be higher than their rivals, though, because they are racing with their own power unit for the first time.
‘Trying to drive like the good old days’;
https://www.f1oversteer.com/news/ant...-prix-onboard/
‘I don’t know what we can do’ – Verstappen rues ‘disaster’ Friday in China after P8 in Sprint Qualifying
It was a tough start to the Chinese Grand Prix weekend for Red Bull, with Max Verstappen explaining the issues he experienced after ending Sprint Qualifying in P8.
13 Mar 2026
Formula One - Official Site
Max Verstappen labelled Friday at the Chinese Grand Prix as a “disaster pace-wise”, with the Red Bull driver suggesting that he does not yet know what the team will do to address the issues for the rest of the weekend after ending Sprint Qualifying in P8.
“The whole day has been a disaster pace-wise,” said Verstappen. “[I had] no grip – honestly I think that’s the biggest problem – no balance, just losing massive amounts of time in the corners, to be honest. And then of course because of that, you start to trigger other little problems. The big problem for us is just the cornering – it’s completely out.”
‘I don’t know what we can do’;
https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/a...FvXYzFMS0seJns
Charles Leclerc agrees with Lewis Hamilton about Ferrari’s gap to Mercedes at the Chinese Grand Prix
13 Mar 2026
David Comerford
F1 Oversteer
Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton have agreed that Ferrari urgently need to improve their power unit after Mercedes maintained their significant advantage in Sprint qualifying for the Chinese Grand Prix. Charles Leclerc says Ferrari can’t live with Mercedes in qualifying.
Speaking in the media pen after Sprint qualifying, Leclerc said that Mercedes are making a leap in qualifying trim that Ferrari simply can’t live with. Leclerc was eight-tenths off Russell’s benchmark in Melbourne qualifying before challenging the Briton for the win after a rapid start to the race.
Ferrari were seen as the closest challengers to Mercedes when they arrived in Shanghai, but Lando Norris was ‘best of the rest’ in third, and Oscar Piastri managed to split the two scarlet red cars. That suggests reigning champions McLaren have also made a step in the last week. Mercedes boast a 0.621s lead over McLaren atop the SQ3 timesheets after Sprint Qualifying in China.
‘Ferrari urgently need to improve their power unit’;
https://www.f1oversteer.com/news/cha...se-grand-prix/
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Hamilton returns to podium, as Russell storms to win in chaotic Chinese GP sprint.
Georgia Russell continued his early-season dominance with a commanding Sprint race win at the Chinese Grand Prix in Shanghai.
14 Mar 2026
Samson Ero
GPblog.com
The Sprint race in Shanghai kicked off in a similar manner to the Australian Grand Prix, with the Scuderia Ferrari of Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc recording another strong start at lights out. Hamilton, starting from fourth place, stormed to second, while teammate Charles Leclerc moved into fourth place.
The pair soon cleared out Lando Norris, who was in the mix for the early podium, and Hamilton soon passed Russell for first place. As many as five lead changes occurred within the first four laps, with both British drivers battling fiercely in the early stages of the race.
Russell, however, soon cemented his place at the top after reclaiming the lead from Hamilton. The race was then shaken up following a safety car incident caused by Nico Hulkenberg, who suffered a technical failure in his car. The yellow flag prompted several pit stops, including for Antonelli, who served a penalty following a collision with Isack Hadjar.
‘Russell storms to win’;
https://www.gpblog.com/en/breaking-n...nese-gp-sprint
F1 2026 Chinese Grand Prix – Sprint Race Results
14 Mar 2026
Motorsport Week
View the full results below!
Position Driver Team Laps Gap
1 George Russell Mercedes 19
2 Charles Leclerc Ferrari 19 0.674
3 Lewis Hamilton Ferrari 19 2.554
4 Lando Norris McLaren 19 4.433
5 Andrea Kimi Antonelli Mercedes 19 5.688
6 Oscar Piastri McLaren 19 6.809
7 Liam Lawson Racing Bulls 19 10.900
8 Oliver Bearman Haas 19 11.271
9 Max Verstappen Red Bull 19 11.619
10 Esteban Ocon Haas 19 13.887
‘Sprint Race Results’;
https://www.motorsportweek.com/2026/...-race-results/
F1 leader Russell wins Shanghai sprint for Mercedes
14 Mar 2026
The Straits Times
SHANGHAI, March 14 - George Russell held off the fast-starting Ferraris to win the Chinese Grand Prix sprint race for Mercedes on Saturday and stretch his Formula One championship lead to 11 points. The Briton started on pole position at the Shanghai International Circuit and finished ahead of Ferrari duo Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton after a late safety car period in the 19-lap race.
Russell won the season-opening Australian Grand Prix last weekend in a Mercedes one-two. Leclerc finished 0.674 seconds behind Russell after an earlier battle with Hamilton, as Ferrari had two cars in the top three of a Formula One race of any sort for the first time since the end of 2024. Hamilton and Russell battled for the lead early on with four changes of lead in the opening five laps before the Mercedes driver made a move that stuck and secured the eight points available for a sprint win.
‘George Russell held off the fast-starting Ferraris to win’;
https://www.straitstimes.com/sport/f...t-for-mercedes
Russell clings on to win dramatic Chinese GP sprint race
Russell takes first F1 sprint win at the 2026 Chinese Grand Prix.
14 Mar 2026
Sam Hall
Crash.Net
George Russell took the first F1 sprint race victory of his career after delivering a battling performance at the Chinese Grand Prix. Russell maintained his 100% start to the season, but the Mercedes driver was forced to work for his Saturday success in China, with both Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton providing a threat throughout.
Kimi Antonelli suffered a dreadful launch and was swamped into the first corner, dropping to seventh place in the opening exchanges. But things got even worse for the Italian, who then made contact with Red Bull's Isack Hadjar at Turn 7, with Antonelli handed a 10-second penalty for his troubles.
Conversely, it was a great start for Hamilton in the Ferrari, who surged from fourth to the lead. Losing out to pole-sitter Russell on the drag to the Turn 14 hairpin, he then fought back at the start of the second lap, with the ding-dong battle keeping Leclerc within touching distance of the lead.
‘Russell takes first F1 sprint win’;
https://www.crash.net/f1/news/109129...gp-sprint-race
Sprint Race Report: What Happened at the Chinese GP 2026
George Russell beats Ferrari pair after intense battle in Chinese GP Sprint
14 Mar 2026
John Smith
Total Motorsport
At lights out, George Russell made a clean getaway from pole position, but the opening lap quickly turned chaotic as Kimi Antonelli struggled to launch from the front row and dropped several positions. Behind the leading Mercedes, Lewis Hamilton wasted little time attacking. The seven time world champion forced his way past the McLaren of Lando Norris and then overtook George Russell into Turn 9 to seize the lead for Ferrari.
The move sparked a thrilling duel between the former Mercedes team mates. On multiple occasions George Russell used the powerful straight line speed of his Mercedes to slipstream past on the main straight, only for Lewis Hamilton to reclaim the position under braking into the long Turn 1 complex. The battle allowed Charles Leclerc to close in behind the pair, with the Ferrari driver watching closely as the two leaders exchanged positions during the opening laps.
Ultimately, the decisive moment came on lap six. George Russell timed his energy deployment perfectly and managed to break the slipstream before the braking zone, finally securing the lead and beginning to edge away. Once in clean air, the Mercedes driver immediately opened a gap while tyre wear began to take its toll on the chasing Ferrari cars.
‘George Russell beats Ferrari pair’;
https://www.total-motorsport.com/chi...t-race-report/
Russell soaks up Ferrari pressure to win as Antonelli penalty costs Mercedes one-two | 2026…
14th March 2026
Keith Collantine
RaceFans
George Russell overcame another strong start by the Ferraris to win the sprint race in Shanghai. However Mercedes’ hopes of a one-two finish were dashed as Andrea Kimi Antonelli collected a penalty for colliding with Isack Hadjar. The stewards penalised Antonelli 10 seconds for the contact which occured at turn six on the first lap.
As was the case in the opening laps in Melbourne, Russell came under strong pressure from the Ferrari drivers, led this time by Lewis Hamilton who got away quickly for fourth on the grid. Charles Leclerc rose from sixth to join the fight. Hamilton initially passed Russell at turn eight on the first lap, only to lose the position again at turn 14. The pair continued to exchange the lead as they managed their energy levels over the opening laps: Hamilton regained the lead as lap two began, lost it again on lap three, then they exchanged places again over the next two laps.
By this point Hamilton’s tyres were looking increasingly tired and Leclerc was filling his mirrors. Leclerc took his team mate’s place on the seventh lap following some firm defensive moves from the number 44 Ferrari. “Does he know how wide these cars are, or not?” remarked Leclerc. After seeing Hamilton off for good through the opening complex Leclerc added: “He can complain about turn three, that’s okay.”
‘Russell soaks up Ferrari pressure’;
https://www.racefans.net/2026/03/14/...cedes-one-two/
-
Kimi Antonelli takes historic pole for Chinese GP.
There was an inescapable sense of joy and satisfaction for Kimi Antonelli as he became the youngest pole sitter in Formula One history.
Mar 14 2026
Giles Richards
The Irish Times
Tellingly, there was an air of vindication from his Mercedes principal, Toto Wolff, as the teenage protege came good when it mattered by claiming the top spot for the Chinese Grand Prix. The Italian took pole by beating his older and more experienced team-mate George Russell into second, albeit after the Briton endured a technical problem in Q3 and had time to set only one quick lap.
Antonelli was ecstatic, of course, but Wolff was no less punchy. He had faced criticism after drafting Antonelli straight into Mercedes last season but on Saturday Antonelli delivered on all that promise and has every chance now to convert it into a debut win on Sunday. “Many said the kid was too young to be in a Mercedes, we should have prepared him otherwise,” Wolff said. “The kid did good today.”
A fair assessment. Antonelli is the youngest driver to take pole at 19 years, six months and 17 days old, beating Sebastian Vettel’s record, which had stood for 18 years since 2008. The youngster, tousled-haired and growing out of his still boyish looks, had to hold his nerve to deliver, especially as Russell’s travails made him the team’s lead shot at the top.
‘Antonelli was ecstatic’;
https://www.irishtimes.com/sport/202...or-chinese-gp/
Chinese Grand Prix - Qualifying results
14/03/2026
Michael Delaney
F1i.com
2026 Chinese Grand Prix - Qualifying results
Pos Driver Team Q1 Q2 Q3
1 Andrea Kimi Antonelli Mercedes 1:33.305s 1:32.443s 1:32.064s
2 George Russell Mercedes 1:33.262s 1:32.523s 1:32.286s
3 Lewis Hamilton Ferrari 1:33.522s 1:32.567s 1:32.415s
4 Charles Leclerc Ferrari 1:33.175s 1:32.486s 1:32.428s
5 Oscar Piastri McLaren 1:33.590s 1:33.130s 1:32.550s
6 Lando Norris McLaren 1:33.535s 1:32.910s 1:32.608s
7 Pierre Gasly Alpine 1:33.788s 1:33.003s 1:32.873s
8 Max Verstappen Red Bull 1:33.417s 1:33.098s 1:33.002s
9 Isack Hadjar Red Bull 1:33.632s 1:33.352s 1:33.121s
10 Oliver Bearman Haas 1:33.687s 1:33.197s 1:33.292s
‘Qualifying results’;
https://f1i.com/news/561073-chinese-...results-2.html
F1 Qualifying Press Conference - China GP 2026 | Antonelli, Russell, Hamilton
Mar 14, 2026
Formula 1 Info
Kimi Antonelli, George Russell, Lewis Hamilton F1 Press Conference
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k3FQcJaeH8o
Russell survives ‘chaos’ to steal front-row start in China
14 Mar 2026
Mat Coch
PlanetF1.com
George Russell salvaged a front-row start for Sunday’s Formula 1 Chinese Grand Prix after a chaotic qualifying session threatened to derail his challenge. The Mercedes driver headed into qualifying favourite for pole, having taken top spot in the Sprint earlier in the day, but was unable to best teammate Kimi Antonelli.
“It was as good as I could have achieved,” Russell said of his effort, which left him second on the grid, two-tenths down on his teammate. I had no battery at the start of the lap, and my tyres were cold. But, I’m very grateful to be sat here right now. It was more a case of getting the time on the board.”
“I knew Kimi has been really strong, and things were far from optimised on my side, so it was more a case of get the car across the line and make sure I’m starting in a sensible position. P2 was much better than I expected when I started a lap with no battery and no tyre temperature, I was expecting to be further down the order.”
‘Chaos’;
https://www.planetf1.com/news/george...des-chinese-gp
Max Verstappen blasts Red Bull car after nightmare Chinese GP qualifying
The Red Bull driver says every lap feels like survival after qualifying struggles in Shanghai
14 March 2026
John Smith
Total Motorsport
Max Verstappen delivered a brutally honest verdict on Red Bull’s difficult start to the Chinese Grand Prix weekend after qualifying only eighth on the grid, describing the RB22 as “undriveable” and admitting that driving it feels like “survival”.
“We changed a lot on the car, and it makes zero difference,” Verstappen explained after qualifying. “The whole weekend we have been off. The car is completely undriveable. I cannot even put a bit of a reference in. Every lap is like survival. The balance is really disconnected. I cannot push at all because the car does not let me,” Verstappen said.
“That is why I do not feel in control of the car. It is just really not how it should be. From lap one of this new regulation I have not enjoyed this car,” Verstappen admitted. “The battery was fine,” Max Verstappen said. “But I did not get enough power from the engine. I basically had the same problem as what Liam Lawson had more or less in Australia. I think I will finish where I am at,” Verstappen said.
‘Brutally honest verdict’;
https://www.total-motorsport.com/max...le-chinese-gp/
Ted recaps quali as Antonelli makes history ⭐️ | Ted's Chinese Grand Prix Qualifying Notebook
Mar 14, 2026
Sky Sports F1
Ted Kravitz gives his thoughts and insights on the 2026 Chinese Grand Prix Qualifying, as Kimi Antonelli made history as the youngest F1 pole-sitter at 19.
‘Ted’;
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OdCd-GGMsOA
-
Kimi Antonelli wins the Chinese Grand Prix with George Russell securing second one-two for Mercedes.
A maiden Grand Prix win for Kimi Antonelli, as well as a first podium appearance for Lewis Hamilton at Ferrari!
15 Mar 2026
Aaditya Krishnamurthy
F1 Oversteer
As the race began, Kimi Antonelli, who was sitting on pole, once again struggled to get the best start to the race, losing the race lead to Lewis Hamilton. Antonelli would take the lead back from Hamilton quickly, passing him on the second lap and holding him off. George Russell would do the same just two laps later.
Both Ferrari and Mercedes were expectedly ahead to start the race, but over at Red Bull, Isack Hadjar had another disastrous start, spinning out and being forced to pit early to address the issue. His teammate, Max Verstappen, similarly struggled, losing two positions from his P8 start and finding himself 10th within the first 10 laps of the race. An errant stop from Lance Stroll near Turn 1 on Lap 10 led to the first safety car of the race.
Unlike in Australia, the Ferrari drivers followed Kimi Antonelli and George Russell into the pit lane for a change of tyres. The safety car’s presence led to an unexpected sight, as Franco Colapinto and Esteban Ocon found themselves in second and third, respectively. Hamilton managed to take advantage of George Russell’s Mercedes locking up at the end of the safety car, following it up by passing Ocon and Colapinto to take second place.
‘One-two for Mercedes’;
https://www.f1oversteer.com/news/kim...-for-mercedes/
F1 2026 Chinese Grand Prix – Race Results
15 Mar 2026
Motorsport Week
View the full results below!
Position Driver Team Laps Gap
1 Kimi Antonelli Mercedes 53
2 George Russell Mercedes + 5.5
3 Lewis Hamilton Ferrari + 25.3
4 Charles Leclerc Ferrari + 28.9
5 Oliver Bearman Haas + 57.3
6 Pierre Gasly Alpine + 59.6
7 Liam Lawson Racing Bulls + 80.6
8 Isack Hadjar Red Bull + 87.2
9 Carlos Sainz Williams + 1 Lap
10 Franco Colapinto Alpine + 1 Lap
‘Full results’;
https://www.motorsportweek.com/2026/...-race-results/
Chinese GP: Antonelli gets it done, for Mercedes and Italy
15/03/2026
Michael Delaney
F1i.com
The 2026 Chinese Grand Prix delivered a historic changing of the guard as 19-year-old Kimi Antonelli secured his maiden Formula 1 victory. In just his 26th start, the Mercedes prodigy became the second-youngest winner in the sport's history and the first Italian victor since 2006, leading home a Silver Arrows 1-2 in a masterclass of composure and raw pace.
Starting from his first career pole, Antonelli initially lost the lead to the man he replaced in 2025 at Mercedes, Lewis Hamilton. However, the Italian’s tenure in second place was brief. By lap three, he executed a clinical dive past the Briton’s Ferrari at the Turn 14 hairpin to reclaim the lead.
While George Russell scuffled with the Ferraris and dropped to fourth early on, Antonelli focused on building a gap. A lap 10 Safety Car for Lance Stroll’s stranded Aston Martin briefly threatened his rhythm, placing the non-pitting duo of Franco Colapinto and Esteban Ocon as a buffer between the leaders.
‘Antonelli gets it done, for Mercedes and Italy’;
https://f1i.com/news/561178-chinese-...and-italy.html
Fernando Alonso issues health update after vibrations scare
Fernando Alonso endured a painful Chinese GP, retiring at the point he could take no more.
15 Mar 2026
Nick Golding & Samuel Coop
RacingNews365
Fernando Alonso has issued a health update after being forced to retire from the Chinese Grand Prix due to vibrations causing significant discomfort. "Yeah, I probably could not have finished the race anyway," Alonso told select media, including RacingNews365. "The vibration level was very high today at one point.”
"From lap 20 to 35 I was struggling a little bit to feel my hands and my feet, and we were one lap behind. We were last, and there was probably no point in carrying on." Asked if the vibrations were worse in the race, Alonso replied: "Yeah, it was worse today than in any other session across the weekend, to be honest. For whatever reason, I don't know.”
"And then, yeah, some of the steps we took were achieved artificially. I mean, just lowering the RPM of the engine and things like that, so everything vibrates less. But in the race, obviously you still need to go high in the RPM when you make an overtaking move, or when you have to recharge or something like that. So yeah, obviously over time it becomes more difficult, more demanding."
‘Retiring at the point he could take no more’;
https://racingnews365.com/fernando-a...brations-scare
McLaren release damning statement after both Lando Norris & Oscar Piastri fail to start Chinese …
15 Mar 2026
Give Me Sport
McLaren seemed to take a step forward in their car development and power unit understanding this weekend in China prior to the Grand Prix, as they managed to claim eight solid points from the Sprint, while Norris also finished ahead of potential title contender Kimi Antonelli.
They then locked out the third row of the grid in qualifying with the hopes of potentially challenging for a podium place in the race after both drivers posted lap times approximately two tenths away from the Ferrari's of Charles Leclerc (fourth) and Lewis Hamilton (third).
Following the disappointment prior to lights out in Shanghai, McLaren released a statement that read: "Unfortunately, we identified separate issues on both cars which prevented them from starting the Chinese GP, with Oscar's being removed from the grid shortly before the formation lap. We will now work to identify the issue."
‘McLaren release damning statement’;
https://www.givemesport.com/mclaren-...chinese-gp-f1/
'The whole dashboard turned off' - Max retires from the Chinese GP
15 Mar 2026
Sky Sports
Verstappen Radio: “OK Max, let’s retire the car please.”
Max Verstappen retires from the Chinese GP after electrical failure in his Red Bull.
The whole dashboard turned off';
https://www.skysports.com/f1/video/3...ax-retires-mxf
Max Verstappen’s unheard radio frustrations at the Chinese GP highlight Red Bull’s 2026 issues
15 Mar 2026
Ben Evans
F1 Oversteer
The 28-year-old started on the fourth row of the grid on Sunday, but with both McLaren drivers failing to start in China, it essentially meant he was starting in P6. Unfortunately, he once again got bogged down off the start and he said on the radio: “I let the engine RPM drop too low.” The Dutchman was then incredibly unlucky with his first stop, pitting one lap before the safety car came out for Lance Stroll’s retirement and Lambiase said: “Target would be to try and go to the end [on these hard tyres].”
Verstappen simply said: “Yeah, I will try,” realising the size of the task he faced. Later in the race, as he was trying to recover through the pack following his slow start, he said: “Mate my f—— boost button!” suggesting that Red Bull are still having issues with their battery deployment. A few laps before retiring, Verstappen asked his race engineer: “Well, how about you check my onboard?”
Lambiase replied: “I am supposed to be on your side, Max, trying to give some help and information, nothing further, mate.” Red Bull have chassis issues that need addressing, as Verstappen’s qualifying attempts have shown. Verstappen’s car is still 10 kilograms overweight, and while getting down to the weight limit will help performance, it might not aid his reliability issues.
‘Radio frustrations’;
https://www.f1oversteer.com/news/max...s-2026-issues/
Drivers' Standings | Antonelli cuts the gap to Russell at the Chinese Grand Prix
15 Mar 2026
Kada Sarkozi
GPblog.com
World Drivers' Championship standings: Chinese Grand Prix
Position Drivers Points
1. George Russell (Mercedes) 51
2. Kimi Antonelli (Mercedes) 47
3. Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) 34
4. Lewis Hamilton (Ferrari) 33
5. Oliver Bearman (Haas) 17
6. Lando Norris (McLaren) 15
7. Pierre Gasly (Alpine) 9
8. Max Verstappen (Red Bull) 8
9. Liam Lawson (Racing Bulls) 8
10. Arvid Lindblad (Racing Bulls) 4
‘Drivers' Standings’;
https://www.gpblog.com/en/news/drive...ese-grand-prix
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'From Italy, Kimi Raikkonen!' - Antonelli victim of funny slip-up on the podium.
The Shanghai circuit announcer made a small slip-up while trying to correctly announce the name of race winner Kimi Antonelli.
15 Mar 2026
Tobia Elia
GPblog.com
The Italian driver has just secured the first victory of his Formula 1 career, a result that came after the superb pole position he claimed in qualifying, which allowed him to start from the front of the grid for the first time. Antonelli then managed the race flawlessly, setting a strong pace from start to finish and preventing his teammate from ever getting back into contention for the win.
The celebrations that followed were understandably emotional, with Antonelli visibly moved during the post-race interviews and celebrating enthusiastically on the podium. However, just moments before the national anthems began, the Italian was accidentally announced as Kimi Räikkönen by the circuit’s speaker, who quickly corrected himself once he realised the slip-up.
'From Italy, Kimi Raikkonen!';
https://www.gpblog.com/en/general/fr...-on-the-podium
Kimi Raikkonen wins 2026 Chinese GP in hilarious incident
Kimi Antonelli won the Chinese GP, or did he?
15 Mar 2026
Jake Nichol
RacingNews365
Chinese GP winner Kimi Antonelli was mistakenly introduced as "Kimi Raikkonen" as he took to the podium in Shanghai. Taking to the podium, veteran announcer Bob Constanduros suffered a momentary lapse, as 2007 world champion Raikkonen made an unexpected appearance!
‘Hilarious incident’;
https://racingnews365.com/kimi-raikk...rious-incident
Kimi Antonelli’s first F1 win gets podium twist as MC calls him Kimi Raikkonen
15 Mar 2026
Jamie Woodhouse
PlanetF1.com
The MC got his Kimi’s mixed up in a hilarious blooper during the 2026 Chinese Grand Prix podium ceremony. Kimi Antonelli, who won his very first Grand Prix in China, was introduced onto the podium as ‘Kimi Raikkonen’. Old habits die hard. Mercedes certainly saw the funny side.
‘The MC got his Kimi’s mixed up’;
https://www.planetf1.com/news/kimi-a...kimi-raikkonen
F1 podium blunder leaves Kimi Antonelli momentarily mistaken for Raikkonen
Awkward announcement overshadows emotional first Formula 1 victory for Kimi Antonelli in Shanghai
15 Mar 2026
John Smith
Total Motorsport
The celebrations for Kimi Antonelli after his first Formula 1 victory at the 2026 Chinese Grand Prix briefly took an unexpected turn when the official podium announcer mistakenly introduced the young Italian as former world champion Kimi Raikkonen.
The mix up occurred moments after the race winner stepped onto the podium at the Shanghai International Circuit. As the crowd prepared to celebrate the sport’s newest Grand Prix winner, the announcement mistakenly referenced Raikkonen, the 2007 world champion, instead of Antonelli.
Erm… that doesn’t sound right? �� pic.twitter.com/9NsvSRTyse
— Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS F1 Team (@MercedesAMGF1) March 15, 2026
‘An unexpected turn’;
https://www.total-motorsport.com/kim...ke-chinese-gp/
Toto Wolff handed firm instruction to Kimi Antonelli after crash fear
Toto Wolff had flashbacks to Kimi Antonelli's Monza FP1 crash after the late scare in China.
15 Mar 2026
Jake Nichol & Sàndor Mészáros
RacingNews365
Reflecting on the closing laps, Wolff explained how Bonnington had initially pushed back at telling Antonelli to slow down, before doing so after the late off. "Not really, to be honest," Wolff explained when asked by media, including RacingNews365, if he was nervous in the final laps.
"When there is a groove, and the systems look well, at the end, it was okay. Kimi can't help himself, another fastest lap, another fastest lap, and we know the pattern from Monza with his FP1 crash [in 2024 on his F1 debut], so I said to Bono [Peter Bonnington] to 'calm him down.'”
"He said, 'No, I think he is in a groove, and we don't want him to lose this race.' [Antonelli] missed the breaking point, and I said: 'Well, okay, now will you calm him down?'”
‘Toto Wolff handed firm instruction’;
https://racingnews365.com/toto-wolff...ter-crash-fear
Toto Wolff told Kimi Antonelli to ‘stop with this nonsense’ during annoyed Chinese GP radio message
15 Mar 2026
Aaditya Krishnamurthy
F1 Oversteer
Despite driving a near-perfect race, a late error from Kimi Antonelli led to Toto Wolff warning the young driver not to get ahead of himself. Even with the near-universal praise, an ill-timed lock-up late in the race led to Toto Wolff reminding Kimi Antonelli not to get carried away.
Toto Wolff spoke to F1 TV right after the Chinese Grand Prix, hiding his adulation behind his ever-composed demeanour. When discussing Antonelli’s late-race lock-up, Wolff revealed that he told Peter Bonnington to get Kimi Antonelli to calm down and not do anything that could risk their inevitable race win.
“That’s typical Kimi, and I said to Bono, ‘Tell him to stop with this nonsense. We just need to drive it home, we don’t need any fastest laps anymore.’ But that’s him.” Wolff clearly didn’t show any anger or frustration with his comments. Rather, he treated the instance as yet another example of his youth and inexperience.
‘Stop with this nonsense’;
https://www.f1oversteer.com/news/tot...radio-message/
Antonelli’s “heart attack” moment in emotional F1 Chinese GP victory
Antonelli fought back the tears after winning the F1 Chinese Grand Prix.
15 Mar 2026
Sam Hall
Crash.Net
Kimi Antonelli joked that a late-race incident gave him a “heart attack” before he navigated the final tours to secure a maiden Formula 1 victory at the Chinese Grand Prix. The Italian put on a composed and largely error-free performance to back up his career-first pole position, with victory and the fastest lap in Shanghai. Had it not been for a single lap led by Ferrari’s Lewis Hamilton, he would have become the youngest driver to complete a grand slam victory.
Locking up and running off at the Turn 14 hairpin with a near-10-second margin back to team-mate George Russell, Antonelli feared the worst. Battling back the tears, he said: “I’m speechless. I’m about to cry, to be honest. But yeah, thank you so much to my team because they helped me to achieve this dream. I’m super happy. I said yesterday that I really wanted to bring Italy back on top, and we did today. Even though I gave myself a little bit of a heart attack towards the end with a flat spot, it was a good race.”
“There’s so much that I’ve learned, but first of all it’s never to relax too much because today it went well, but it could have been worse,” Antonelli explained. “So just always try to stay on point and keep the focus because today at the end I opened the room for mistakes and the mistake happened.”
‘Antonelli’s “heart attack” moment’;
https://www.crash.net/f1/news/109153...ese-gp-victory
Antonelli breaks down after achieving ‘one of my life goals’
15 Mar 2026
Michelle Foster
PlanetF1.com
Kimi Antonelli broke down in tears as David Coulthard interviewed him after clinching his maiden Formula 1 victory at the Chinese Grand Prix. While George Russell squabbled with the Ferraris, and the Ferrari drivers with one another, Antonelli pulled clear to lead by nine seconds into the closing laps. However, a hairy lock-up at the hairpin with three laps to go prompted his race engineer Peter Bonnington to come over the radio: ‘Let’s get this thing home’.
That’s exactly what Antonelli did, winning by five seconds ahead of Russell. “Yes, we did it,” he told Mercedes on the radio, adding: “Thank you guys, you’ve helped me achieve one of my dreams.” Antonelli spoke with Coulthard in the immediate post-race interview where he was overcome by the emotions of the moment.
“I’m about to cry. Thank you to my team who helped me achieve this dream,” he said, before the tears broke free and he took a moment to wipe his eyes. I’m super happy. I said I really wanted to bring Italy back on top and we did it today. Even though I gave myself a little bit of a heart attack towards the end with the flat spot.”
‘Let’s get this thing home’;
https://www.planetf1.com/news/kimi-a...ese-grand-prix
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Villeneuve says Hamilton and Leclerc ‘cost Ferrari dearly’ during Chinese GP.
“destroying their tyres, and in those two laps they lost five seconds to Antonelli.” Jacques Villeneuve.
15 Mar 2026
John Smith
Total Motorsport
A dramatic intra team duel between Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc provided one of the standout moments of the 2026 Chinese Grand Prix, but former F1 world champion Jacques Villeneuve believes the spectacle ultimately came at Ferrari’s expense. The pair traded overtakes and defended hard into several braking zones, refusing to yield despite the risk of tyre degradation and time loss. While the duel thrilled viewers, Villeneuve believes the internal battle allowed Mercedes to escape.
“Well, it was fair because he finished third, so and he managed to beat his team mates, so yes, it turned out OK, but it was a little bit extreme, and it destroyed Ferrari’s race,” Villeneuve said on Sky Sports F1. “They were running second and third.” As he reviewed the sequence again, the 1997 champion pointed to the damage done over just a couple of laps.
“He did it on the braking, quite late, and then they were fighting so hard,” Villeneuve continued, “destroying their tyres, and in those two laps they lost five seconds to Antonelli.” The lost time ultimately left Ferrari unable to mount any meaningful challenge to Mercedes, which secured a commanding one two finish with Antonelli leading Russell across the line.
“In those two laps they lost five seconds to Antonelli”;
https://www.total-motorsport.com/vil...ese-gp-battle/
Jacques Villeneuve accuses Lewis Hamilton of ‘destroying’ Ferrari’s race despite podium finish
15 Mar 2026
Ashley Hambly
F1 Oversteer
Lewis Hamilton finally stood on the podium in Ferrari colours at the Chinese Grand Prix today, but former F1 driver Jacques Villeneuve has accused the seven-time world champion of ‘destroying’ Ferrari’s race through his battle with teammate Charles Leclerc. During his duties as a pundit for Sky Sports F1 at the Chinese Grand Prix, Villeneuve was asked for his thoughts on Hamilton’s post-race comments in which he deemed his battle with Leclerc to be fair.
The Canadian picked out an issue with the seven-time world champion’s words, saying, “Well, it was fair because he finished third, and he managed to beat his teammate. So, yes, it turned out okay, but it was a little bit extreme, and it destroyed Ferrari’s race. They were running second and third. Then they were fighting so hard, destroying their tyres. And in those two laps, they lost five seconds to Antonelli.”
Villeneuve is under the impression that Ferrari have a genuine chance of usurping Mercedes as the best team on the grid this year, but has issued a stern warning that a ‘let them race’ attitude will eventually have consequences in the F1 standings. He added, “At some point, if they keep taking lap time away from each other like this, it will allow Mercedes to get away. And they’re not that far from Mercedes, with a car that can race. So, Mercedes should worry a little bit about Ferrari coming back, because they’re not that far behind them in points.”
‘acques Villeneuve has accused the seven-time world champion of ‘destroying’ Ferrari’s race’;
https://www.f1oversteer.com/news/jac...podium-finish/
Jacques Villeneuve claims Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc ‘destroyed Ferrari’s race’ in Chinese GP battle
15 Mar 2026
Lydia Mee
Motorsport.com
Jacques Villeneuve said Ferrari’s battle between Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc during the Chinese Grand Prix was too intense and cost the team a stronger result.
‘Destroyed Ferrari’s race’;
https://www.motorsport.com/f1/news/j...-gp-/10805551/
Vasseur: Ferrari happy to let Hamilton, Leclerc race each other
March 16, 2026
Laurence Edmondson
TSN
Although Hamilton suspected the pair may have made very light contact at one point, Ferrari team principal Fred Vasseur said the racing was in line with what Ferrari expects of its drivers. “I have a huge respect for both of them, they are professional and I think it makes sense in this situation to let them race,” Fred Vasseur said.
“But I know perfectly that it can also look completely stupid half an hour later, but at the end of the day I think it’s also the best way to build up a team and we need to have this kind of emulation into the team to improve. As long as it’s done like it was done today, even a couple of times in the radio they told us that they had good fun, but I don’t want to freeze the position.”
‘“I think it makes sense in this situation to let them race” Fred Vasseur’;
https://www.tsn.ca/motorsports/formu...r-n1-48221894/
Lewis Hamilton Has Been Accused of 'Destroying' Ferrari's Race With His Actions During Chinese GP
16 Mar 2026
Jack Whittaker
Give Me Sport
Lewis Hamilton's fortunes with Ferrari have finally taken a turn, it would seem, as he took his place on a Formula 1 podium for the first time in Scuderia red. Despite achieving his maiden podium for Ferrari, former F1 driver Jacques Villeneuve believed the seven-time world champion sacrificed the team's performance in his tussle with Leclerc.
For ex-F1 driver Jacques Villeneuve, though, the ease of Mercedes' victory was a result of Hamilton's battle with Leclerc, and he has accused the former of 'destroying' Ferrari's race. Hamilton referred to the battle on track as "very fair and just what we want", but the Canadian viewed it as foolish.
While on duty as a pundit for Sky Sports F1 at the Chinese Grand Prix, Villeneuve said post-race: “Well, it was fair because he finished third, and he managed to beat his teammate. So, yes, it turned out okay, but it was a little bit extreme, and it destroyed Ferrari’s race. They were running second and third. Then they were fighting so hard, destroying their tyres. And in those two laps, they lost five seconds to Antonelli.”
‘Accused of 'Destroying' Ferrari's Race’;
https://www.givemesport.com/lewis-ha...chinese-gp-f1/
Hamilton eyes next milestone after long-awaited first Ferrari podium
16 Mar 2026
Tobia Elia
GPblog.com
Lewis Hamilton feels his first Ferrari victory is now closer after securing his maiden podium with the team at the Chinese Grand Prix. Asked whether, after this result, a victory could now be within reach in the near future, Hamilton responded with a confident tone: "I definitely feel that I could say that it’s more in sight than ever before.”
“Last year it couldn’t have been further from view, but I think as you’ve seen, these guys (Mercedes) in qualifying - somehow we were a little bit closer in qualifying yesterday - but in the race trim I think they’ve got four or five tenths on us at the moment."
"That’s a huge step to pick up, both in downforce and efficiency and also power. That’s a huge upgrade that we need to push for. But I really do believe in everyone back in Maranello and that it’s not an impossible feat to overcome. So forza Ferrari, we’ve just got to keep pushing."
‘Hamilton eyes next milestone’;
https://www.gpblog.com/en/news/hamil...ferrari-podium
Ferrari explain masterplan to end Mercedes’ early dominance
16 Mar 2026
Ed Spencer
Total Motorsport
The early stages of the 2026 Formula 1 season have belonged to Mercedes, but Frederic Vasseur believes Ferrari now have a clearer understanding of how to challenge their rivals as the championship unfolds. While Ferrari’s early race performance has been encouraging, Vasseur acknowledged that Mercedes still hold the upper hand once the race settles into rhythm. “Step by step, we are understanding a bit more the situation and closing the gap, but they are still far away,” Vasseur told the media, including Total-Motorsport.com.
“It’s not just about engines that we have to work everywhere. We have to improve on the chassis, on the tyres, like always. Racing didn’t change the fact that all the components of performance are still on the table, and we don’t have to focus only on one parameter, but it’s a challenge. It’s never easy to separate, and I think it’s even more difficult this year. Probably, that more than in the past, it’s one package including mixing chassis and engine, more than two separate elements, and it’s very difficult to split that for sure.”
“We have the Sprint qualifying of Charles Leclerc when he got a huge rating, and he lost five tenths in the straight line, but this is more management. Ok, I don’t want to do the split. I want to push everywhere, but we know that we have to improve on the ICE, but this will be for the AUDO [Additional Development and Upgrade Opportunities]. After the energy and chassis that we are pushing like hell on every single area to close the gap.”
‘Ferrari explain masterplan’;
https://www.total-motorsport.com/fer...cedes-2026-f1/
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Piastri quips ‘been a while since I’ve watch two grands prix on TV’.
Despite qualifying P5 in Australia and again in China, Piastri has yet to score a single grand prix point this season as he’s yet to compete in one.
15 Mar 2026
Michelle Foster
PlanetF1.com
“Fine on the way to the grid,” Oscar Piastri explained to the media. “I think an electrical issue with power unit, which I think was the same Lando, but it wasn’t the same electrical issue. It’s been a while since I’ve watch two grands prix on TV,” Piastri quipped.
He continued: “Last week was pretty rough. These kind of things happen in racing at times, and especially in the beginning of a new regulation. It’s probably not a huge surprise. Just a shame that happens to both cars.”
‘Oscar Piastri yet to compete in one’;
https://www.planetf1.com/news/oscar-...gp-dns-mclaren
Jolyon Palmer questions McLaren’s ‘bizarre’ radio communication with Oscar Piastri at Chinese GP
17 Mar 2026
David Comerford
F1 Oversteer
On lap 18, engineer Tom Stallard said: “Oscar, give a position back to Antonelli. Give a position to Antonelli.” “Why?” Piastri replied. “Overtaking before the start/finish line,” Stallard answered. Speaking in commentary for F1TV, Palmer questioned why it took McLaren ‘nearly two laps’ to issue this instruction when the matter was black and white.
Palmer said: “A bizarre one for Piastri to be told, nearly two laps after he took it, to give back the place for something fundamentally against the rules.” Had he received the order earlier, Piastri would have had more time to mount a fresh assault on Antonelli. While the Mercedes is clearly quicker than the McLaren, there have been countless ‘yo-yo’ battles where drivers have fought back with the aid of their battery.
“Bizarre”;
https://www.f1oversteer.com/news/jol...at-chinese-gp/
Piastri’s disastrous 2026 F1 opening salvo serves as a warning to Antonelli
16 Mar 2026
Kieran Jackson
The Independent
On two consequetive Sundays, the P5 white box on the starting grid has been left eerily vacant and abandoned. The first was bad enough, with thousands of fans adorned in green t-shirts perched in the grandstand, named after the hometown hero, left crestfallen. But the second was more excruciating, wheeled away from the starting blocks with just five minutes to go, joining a stricken companion in the garage.
‘Excruciating’;
https://www.independent.co.uk/f1/osc...-b2939291.html
Why were both McLaren cars unable to start the 2026 Chinese Grand Prix?
16 Mar 2026
Jack Renn
F1 Chronicle
Both McLaren cars, driven by Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri, were unable to start the 2026 Chinese Grand Prix due to separate electrical failures within their Mercedes power units.
Specifically, the technical cause of these failures was identified as issues with the MGU-K/ES Interface. Although both cars used the same power unit family, McLaren confirmed that the electrical faults on each car were separate and unrelated. The impact of these technical issues on the team and drivers included:
• A Historic “Double DNS”: This was the first time since the infamous 2005 United States Grand Prix that both McLaren cars failed to start a race.
• Lando Norris’s First DNS: The reigning World Champion described this as his first-ever career “Did Not Start”.
• Oscar Piastri’s Continuing Drought: For Piastri, this marked a second consecutive Grand Prix without completing a single race lap in the 2026 season, following his reconnaissance lap crash at his home race in Australia.
‘Unable to start’;
https://f1chronicle.com/why-were-bot.../?nowprocket=1
McLaren’s Stella calls for answers after double DNS
17 Mar 2026
Balazs Szabo
F1 Technical
“During the routine preparations for the race, a problem was identified with the electrical system of Lando's car's control unit," Stella started. "Despite intensive investigations and hard work in collaboration with our colleagues at HPP (Mercedes AMG High Performance Powertrains) to resolve the issue, it was not possible to fix the fault before the start of the race, with the result that Lando missed the start of a Grand Prix for the first time in his eight year career.”
“In another scenario, after Oscar had lined up on the grid, another problem was discovered on the electrical engine system of car number 81. Despite the significant work and commitment on the part of the entire team, together with HPP, to find a solution, unfortunately we had no choice but to bring the car back to the pits before the start of the race.” The sight of both papaya cars being wheeled away before lights out was a stark reminder of the fragility of the new 2026 power unit era.
Team principal Andrea Stella struck a measured but firm tone, acknowledging the gravity of the situation while emphasizing collaboration with Mercedes to prevent a repeat. “As a team, the focus is now on a joint investigation with HPP to understand what lessons can be learned so that this does not happen again, as well as on preparations for the third round of the 2026 season in Suzuka, where the McLaren Mastercard will try to come back stronger than ever.”
‘Calls for answers’;
https://www.f1technical.net/news/28342
McLaren reveal Mercedes 'trust' stance after shock F1 engine failures
McLaren suffered its first double DNS in 21 years after both cars failed to start the Chinese Grand Prix.
17 Mar 2026
Jake Nichol & Samuel Coop
RacingNews365
McLaren boss Andrea Stella says the team has complete "trust" in power unit supplier Mercedes HPP following its shock double DNS in China. Reflecting on the result, Stella has described how McLaren has 'complete trust' in the initial report supplied to it by Mercedes HPP and that the double DNS was a pure "coincidence".
"It appears to be a problem with the same power unit component on the electrical side, but of a different nature, so it is quite exceptional and uncharacteristic that you have two terminal problems at the same time on the same component."
Referring to the interaction with HPP specifically, Stella added: "We will review together with HPP the reason for the faults, and make sure that it doesn't happen again. It is an area of the car which is not under McLaren's control, so we rely entirely on what is reported by HPP, and we trust their report completely.
'Complete trust’;
https://racingnews365.com/mclaren-re...ngine-failures
Norris reveals harsh reality about McLaren’s current competitiveness
Lando Norris offers his honest verdict on where McLaren currently stands.
16 Mar 2026
Lewis Larkam , Adam Cooper
Crash.Net
“It’s still been a weekend where we’ve learned a lot. Already, since last weekend, we learned some things,” Lando Norris said in response to a question by Crash.net. “It’s also a weekend where we clarified that we need to do a better job with understanding the power unit still, and make some changes. And we also understand the car is not to the level that it needs to be to fight for the podium or a win at the time being.”
“We know we have a lot of work ahead, disregarding the issues that we had. The team knows where we stand and they are very realistic about everything, so they’re all working hard. They’ve been working hard all season, but especially now, they know what direction we need to work in, in order to get back to what we think we can achieve.”
‘Harsh reality’;
https://www.crash.net/f1/news/109155...urrent-f1-2026
Why McLaren's F1 title defence is collapsing already
18 Mar 2026
JOSH SUTTILL
The Race
McLaren's Formula 1 title defence has started miserably, but it's facing bigger problems than simply the embarrassment of having to withdraw both its cars before the start of the Chinese Grand Prix. It appears that galling double did-not-start was down to two different failures on the same component of its customer Mercedes power unit. "This is an area of the car which is not under McLaren's control, so we rely entirely on what is reported by HPP [Mercedes High Performance Powertrains] and we trust completely their report," McLaren team principal Andrea Stella said.
The root cause is yet to be identified but, whatever was ultimately behind it, McLaren is already 80 points adrift of the championship leader Mercedes with just 18 points from two grands prix and a sprint race. Points-wise, that's the worst start to a title defence in over a decade, only comparable to Red Bull's in 2014, which is skewed by Daniel Ricciardo's disqualification from second place in Melbourne for fuel-flow irregularities.
And McLaren has benefited from having a sprint race that didn't exist in 2014 and which accounts for a third of its 2026 points. Take away the six points McLaren gained there, and it's easily the worst start for a defending champion since Ferrari's nightmare point-less start to 2009 that lasted three rounds. It's not just points McLaren is lacking, but real performance to Mercedes despite having the same engine, and right now it's not even making the best of the car it does have. On-track data is more valuable than ever in 2026 with the complex power units, and McLaren is currently way behind Mercedes and even has fewer racing laps completed than the vibrating Aston Martin-Hondas!
‘Collapsing’;
https://www.the-race.com/formula-1/w...psing-already/
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Alonso jokes Aston Martin losing out in F1’s ‘battery world championship’.
Fernando Alonso quipped that the team is not so competitive when the “battery world championship” racing gets going.
16 Mar 2026
Jamie Woodhouse
PlanetF1.com
Fernando Alonso’s comments follow scathing criticism from Max Verstappen towards the F1 2026 rules, which the Dutchman called – with far less sarcasm – a “joke”. Aston Martin may be pretty handy at F1 2026 race starts, but, Fernando Alonso quipped that the team is not so competitive when the “battery world championship” racing gets going.
“Yeah, the starts are fun. The same as in Australia, the car seems to start really well,” Alonso confirmed to the media. “On lap one, it’s true that we all have the same level of battery, which is full. Then, we enter in this battery world championship, and in that, we are not as good as the others.”
Aston Martin’s Chinese GP ultimately ended in a double DNF. Lance Stroll retired on Lap 10 with a suspected battery issue. For Alonso, he managed 33 laps, a new milestone for Aston Martin in F1 2026, before retiring due to discomfort from engine vibrations.
'Alonso jokes';
https://www.planetf1.com/news/fernan...-f1-2026-rules
TV channel turns Verstappen's criticism into reality with Mario Kart trailer
18 Mar 2026
Kada Sarkozi
GPblog.com
Reflecting on the Formula 1 drivers referring to the current racing as Mario Kart, French broadcaster Canal+ made a stunning intro for the Japanese Grand Prix. Over the course of the Australian and Chinese Grands Prix, Max Verstappen, Charles Leclerc and Sergio Perez all referred to certain aspects of the racing with current F1 cars by comparing it to the famous video game, Mario Kart.
The Dutchman said in his criticism of the new regulations: "It's not fun at all, no. It's playing Mario Kart. This is not racing. (...) Look at the racing, you are boosting past and then you run out of battery the next straight, they boost past you again. For me it's just a joke." Canal+ was inspired by the drivers' verdict, and made Mario Kart their theme for the Japanese Grand Prix. What makes this extra special is that, of course, Mario Kart was released by Japanese brand Nintendo.
‘Mario Kart trailer’;
https://www.gpblog.com/en/news/tv-ch...o-kart-trailer
Fernando Alonso reveals Aston Martin attribute with joke at F1’s ‘battery World Championship’
16 Mar 2026
Jack Oliver Smith
Motorsport Week
Fernando Alonso underlined the continuing issues for Honda’s Formula 1 power unit and the increased electrification of the sport’s regulations with a joke: “On Lap 1, it’s true that we all have the same level of battery, which is full. Then we enter in this battery World Championship, and in that we are not as good as the others.” Although there is a collective, and therefore educated confidence that Aston Martin’s woes will come to an end, it will surely be, if the problems persist, Alonso’s most miserable campaign yet.
“Battery World Championship”;
https://www.motorsportweek.com/2026/...f1-honda-joke/
'My first non-start in F1' - Norris left heartbroken after painful Chinese GP DNS
15 Mar 2026
Tobia Elia
GPblog.com
Lando Norris told GPblog and other media: "I don't know how long it's been going on for, honestly. Sometimes it's better to leave them to crack on with things, but I found out probably 20 minutes before I was meant to go out of the garage. I think they've been working on things for a little while already. Some electrical issue with the power unit, and therefore we can't even start it. A shame, my first non-start in F1, which is sad, and even worse that it's a double do-not-start with us as well. Not the best day for us."
Norris added: "I'm just disappointed, that's all. I'm disappointed I didn't get to go and do my job today. I'm frustrated for the whole team, it's not just me. All of the mechanics, everyone puts a lot of work into things, and it's just a complicated bit of it. There's a lot of new things and, of course, new issues that we're still finding out at times. So for everyone in the garage they're disappointed we couldn't get the car out on track today, and they'll work hard to try and fix it."
'Heartbroken';
https://www.gpblog.com/en/news/norri...on-start-in-f1
David Coulthard senses Lando Norris’ unhappiness with F1 is ‘simmering’ at McLaren right now
17 Mar 2026
Ben Evans
F1 Oversteer
Max Verstappen has spoken out against F1’s new regulations, suggesting those who have enjoyed the action from the first two weekends aren’t true racing fans. Coulthard went on to say: “...it was Max who was probably the most vocal on it.”
“But, I don’t know if you picked up as well that simmering below was Lando. Lando’s not really enjoying [this season]. You would expect Oscar to be speaking out because he hasn’t done even a lap of Grand Prix racing yet. But, I wonder if it’s just a case of they need the results to start feeling this new set of regulations.”
‘Lando Norris simmering’;
https://www.f1oversteer.com/news/dav...ren-right-now/
Montoya targets Verstappen and Norris: ‘There’s the door!’
18/03/2026
Michael Delaney
Motorsport Week
Speaking to AS Colombia, Juan Pablo Montoya didn't just suggest a slap on the wrist; he proposed a full-blown North American sports-style crackdown. “At some point, Formula 1 needs to do what the sports world in the United States does: for people who don’t respect the sport, there’s the door,” Montoya declared, seemingly forgetting that F1's history is practically built on drivers complaining about their cars.
He didn't stop there, offering a "pay up or get out" solution for those who dare to criticize the 2026 direction: “They can leave or get a fine, so they truly learn to respect what they’re doing. That’s what I would do.” It’s an interesting take, considering that Verstappen and Norris are hardly the only ones raising eyebrows at the new regulations, with Fernando Alonso and Carlos also taking a flamethrower to the new rules.
"Pay up or get out";
https://f1i.com/news/561429-montoya-...-the-door.html
F1 "trying to sell something we know isn’t right", claims Carlos Sainz
16 Mar 2026
Lewis Duncan, Adam Cooper
Crash.Net
Carlos Sainz believes Formula 1 is “trying its best to sell something we all know is not right”, highlighting apparent graphic tampering on the world feed in China. “I think in Melbourne, Monza, Spa, it definitely needs a rethink. I think development will also do its part. But I’m also 100% sure this is not F1 the way I want to see it. And I’m also quite sure that the people at the top also see that and know that.”
“For sure, it’s not a great look for F1,” he added. “But I think not having two McLarens, a Williams, and Audi, shows how difficult we make our life to come up with super complicated engines with incredibly complicated software and batteries. It’s still down to the teams to come up with a reliable engine, but when the rules are so demanding and so constrained, it is difficult to come up with something reliable because it is extremely complex for everyone.”
“I don’t know. I have in mind what the ideal Formula 1 should be, and this is very far from it. At the same time, I hope that development and fine-tuning the regulations should make things better in the future.”
“Rethink”;
https://www.crash.net/f1/news/109154...s-carlos-sainz
Steiner blasts Verstappen over regulation complaints
Guenther Steiner has accused Max Verstappen of “throwing the toys out of the pram”...
19 Mar 2026
Ben Waterworth
Speedcafe
“The racing was pretty good,” Guenther Steiner said. “Obviously, people like Max maybe don’t like change, and he’s not used to not being in one of the best cars, so that doesn’t help his mood to like the new regulations.”
“I think they are actually pretty good. They will develop over time. All the teams are just learning at the moment what is going on, because it’s an advanced technology.
“But the racing was good, and that’s the most important thing.”
‘Steiner blast’;
https://speedcafe.com/f1-news-2026-m...hts-haas-boss/
Understanding Verstappen's gripes with F1's 'battery world championship'
16 Mar 2026
Pablo Elizalde
Motor Sport Magazine
Max Verstappen retired from the race with an ERS cooling issue and was characteristically blunt afterwards. “It’s not fun at all,” he said. “It’s playing Mario Kart. This is not racing.” He called the ruleset “fundamentally flawed” and warned that if Formula 1 prioritises entertainment over sporting integrity, “it will eventually ruin the sport. It will come and bite them back in the ass.”
Formula 1’s DNA — that is, the world’s best drivers in the world’s fastest cars — and the mechanism that is actually deciding the results risk drifting apart in a meaningful way under the new rules. That gap is what Verstappen and others are pointing at. It’s not about politics, technical complexity, or casual fan confusion. It’s about whether F1’s DNA and its competitive reality are still pointing in the same direction.
‘Formula 1’s DNA’;
https://www.motorsportmagazine.com/a.../?nowprocket=1
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Toto Wolff’s praise for Red Bull during F1 testing was absolute ‘nonsense’ after all.
Toto Wolff: “For us, Red Bull is the fastest car and their engine is the most complete.”
19 Mar 2026
Luke Newman
F1 Oversteer
When discussing the Chinese Grand Prix on Motorsport-Magazin, Christian Danner spoke about Red Bull’s struggles in the opening stages of the 2026 season. The German driver reacted to Wolff’s original comments from the Bahrain Test, and said that it was clearly ‘nonsense’ because Red Bull have been struggling. Danner said, “Red Bull made a much better impression in testing than what they’re showing now. It’s not like Toto Wolff says, ‘They’re going to nail us to the wall with the performance of that car. We don’t stand a chance.’”
“No, dear Toto, that was nonsense, of course, what you said. But the performance of Hadjar and Verstappen is simply below average by Red Bull standards. It’s incredibly difficult to assess whether it’s the energy management. Is it the aerodynamics, the car having a bit less downforce compared to the competition? Is it the way the tyres are being managed? The old things we know – tyre management, aero – remain important even in this new era of energy management. And I think after these two races, a proper review will have to be done in Milton Keynes to determine where the problems actually lie. Because analysis is crucial, and that’s something we can already do quite well.”
“We can see where the competition is faster. It’s the power unit, and I’m losing everything on the ditch, during turn-in, or during energy recuperation, etc. This can now be analysed quite effectively using the data, and that’s where we need to focus our efforts. One more area than in the past. Back then, it was just aero and tyre management. The rest was basically the same; the motors were all relatively similar. And now, it’s not just the motors themselves, with their power output, but also the energy recuperation, which is essentially equivalent to power. So there’s a lot to be done, but I assume they’re capable of responding.”
‘Absolute ‘nonsense’ after all’;
https://www.f1oversteer.com/news/tot...nse-after-all/
Wolff: Verstappen Is in a Red Bull ‘Horror Show’
16 Mar 2026
Jarrod Partridge
F1 Chronicle
Wolff: Red Bull’s Struggles Are Shaping Verstappen’s Criticism. Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff has pushed back on Max Verstappen’s escalating criticism of F1’s 2026 regulations, arguing that the Red Bull driver’s frustration is linked to his car’s performance deficit rather than a flaw in the new rules.
“Max is really, I think, in a horror show,” Wolff said. “When you look at the onboard that he has in qualifying yesterday, this is just horrendous to drive. You can see that.”
‘Red Bull’s Struggles’;
https://f1chronicle.com/wolff-versta.../?nowprocket=1
How Liberty Media press officer reacted as Max Verstappen ‘badmouthed’ F1 rules in China
18 Mar 2026
David Comerford
F1 Oversteer
Max Verstappen leaves F1 press officer tearing his hair out in China. During Sprint qualifying on Friday, the F1 broadcast was accused of deceiving fans by disguising the battery-related speed loss at the end of the back straight. After the season opener in Australia, they appeared to hide X replies criticising the new regulations.
It’s clear that the sport is going to great lengths to promote the new rules, but Verstappen is rather spoiling the PR campaign. According to journalist Julianne Cerasoli, a Liberty Media official watched Verstappen closely in the media pen on Sunday and bemoaned his attitude. Verstappen was called to a meeting during winter testing when he ‘let loose’ for the first time, calling the cars ‘Formula E on steroids’.”
“Max Verstappen, he was talking, really badmouthing the regulations,” Cerasoli told UOL Esporte. “He was there in the paddock, and then I saw a guy who is the press officer for Formula 1 itself, for Liberty. He was watching, I looked at him and said, ‘You guys are in trouble. He’s really letting loose here. And he was like, ‘Oh my god, Max.”
‘Formula E on steroids’;
https://www.f1oversteer.com/news/how...ules-in-china/
Max Verstappen backed by Coulthard amid 2026 F1 rules backlash
19 Mar 2026
Henry Eccles
GPblog.com
Max Verstappen has found an ally in former F1 driver David Coulthard following backlash to the four-time world champion's heavy criticism to the 2026 F1 rules. When we spoke to him in pre-season, he was very clear that there were some different challenges that weren't necessarily what he considered about getting the maximum out of the driving potential,” Coulthard said.
"So he has been pretty scathing. And should we question a four-time world champion? Should we question someone like that? And even the world champion Lando Norris? They're not making noise because they're not winning races. They're making noise because this is how they feel."
While Coulthard also said that some elements of F1 in 2026 will need some tweaks, he did concede that the new rules have given fans more on-track action. "I do think it will change, and I think there will be some changes made, especially for qualifying, but I think we'd agree that this new formula has definitely given us a lot more on-track action."
“They're making noise because this is how they feel.";
https://www.gpblog.com/en/news/max-v...rules-backlash
‘We will improve’: Red Bull backs RB22 fix ahead of Japan
19/03/2026
Phillip van Osten
F1i.com
“Being on the back foot at the start of a Sprint weekend is the worst possible scenario as there is really little time to catch up and get on top of any difficulties,” team boss Laurent Mekies said, quoted by RACER. “We knew that just getting onto the grid in Melbourne with our own PU was a major achievement in itself and it would have been naïve not to expect we would encounter reliability issues.”
“We had to retire Max because of a coolant fault. However, this was not our only issue as overall, performance-wise, our package showed some significant shortcomings. However, we have learned so much over the past few weeks and I expect that we can be more competitive from the next round in Japan in a fortnight’s time.”
‘RB22 fix ahead of Japan’;
https://f1i.com/news/561473-we-will-...-of-japan.html
Why Max Verstappen and Red Bull should never be written off
Red Bull has a lot to solve with its RB22 to please Max Verstappen, but the outfit has history in rapid turnarounds.
19 Mar 2026
Sàndor Mészáros
RacingNews365
The current difficulties may be linked to the prolonged campaign of the previous season, but leadership remains in capable hands. Team principal Laurent Mekies is characterised by an engineering mindset, an analytical approach, humility, and hard work — qualities that are especially vital now.
The Frenchman, who took charge of the team less than a year ago, is facing his toughest challenge yet, but he appears to enjoy the full confidence of both senior management and the drivers. The pressure is immense, but Mekies has already proven himself over the past year, giving no reason to doubt the direction being taken.
After the turnaround achieved during last year’s summer break, it would not be surprising if Red Bull’s situation looks very different following the enforced April pause.
‘History in rapid turnarounds’;
https://racingnews365.com/why-max-ve...be-written-off
Red Bull Ford impresses: Will McLaren, Williams, or Aston Martin come knocking soon?
18 Mar 2026
Ludo van Denderen
GPblog.com
Red Bull Racing and Ford have built an excellent power unit as debutants. That kind of thing stands out in the paddock. Will a team soon be knocking to become a customer of the Austrians? Credit where it’s due: team boss Christian Horner once managed to poach the right people, especially from Honda and Mercedes; together they have succeeded in making an ambitious Red Bull project work. Once the Austrians also have the chassis side of the car in order, there’s excellent potential for Max Verstappen and Isack Hadjar.
That gets noticed in the paddock. Lawrence Stroll surely has the big Ford boss’s phone number in his mobile, in case the collaboration with Honda ultimately fizzles out. And what about Williams and McLaren; two teams with a Mercedes engine. Toto Wolff has previously stated he wants to shed at least one customer team in the future. Alpine seems likely to stay, especially if Mercedes wants to take a minority stake in the French outfit. That would leave Williams or McLaren to look elsewhere. A Red Bull Ford that proves itself as an excellent engine could be a possible alternative.
'Red Bull Ford impresses';
https://www.gpblog.com/en/analysis/r...-knocking-soon
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Red Bull behind, Haas ahead: Komatsu hails team’s masterclass.
Haas is no longer just punching above its weight in F1 – the US outfit is starting to look like it genuinely belongs near the front of the field.
18 Mar 2026
Michael Delaney
F1i.com
After another eye-catching weekend in Shanghai, team boss Ayao Komatsu could barely contain his satisfaction, hailing both the squad’s execution and a standout performance from rising star Oliver Bearman. From a solid season opener in Australia to an even sharper showing in China, Haas has emerged as one of the early stories of the 2026 Formula 1 campaign.
For Komatsu, the performance confirmed what winter testing had hinted at – but perhaps exceeded even his own expectations. “When I looked at FP1, Red Bull didn't look amazing. But based on the sprint, I wasn't sure if we had the pace to really fight Red Bull or not,” he explained. “But the sprint is a sprint, right? It's quite short. But whatever it was, we had a decent pace [on Sunday] and our drivers managed it so well.”
Two races in, Haas sits fourth in the Constructors’ standings – ahead of Red Bull Racing – a statistic few would have predicted before the season began. More importantly, the team looks cohesive, confident, and quietly ambitious. It’s a competitor seizing its moment – and, as Komatsu’s smile suggests, enjoying every second of it.
‘Ahead of Red Bull Racing’;
https://f1i.com/news/561416-red-bull...sterclass.html
Keep it simple: How Haas has emerged as F1's midfield leader
19 Mar 2026
Pablo Elizalde
Motor Sport Magazine
Back-to-back midfield-leading results in Melbourne and Shanghai have given Haas a flying start to the new F1 era. For many laps during Formula 1’s Chinese Grand Prix, Max Verstappen sat roughly 2.5 seconds behind Oliver Bearman’s Haas, unable to get closer, let alone find a way past as they fought for fifth place.
The four-time world champion, in a Red Bull, found himself queuing behind a car from the American squad that finished the 2025 season down in eighth place in the standings. That image was a good reflection of what Haas has become in the opening two grands prix of the 2026 Formula 1 season. Two races in, Haas has been best-of-the-rest both times.
Melbourne and Shanghai are about as different as Formula 1 circuits get — one tight and front-limited, the other demanding high-speed stability and energy management across long straights. Bearman handled both in style, finishing seventh in Australia and fifth in China to help Haas move to fourth place in the standings behind Mercedes and Ferrari, and just one point behind McLaren. Bearman’s showing on such different circuits suggests Haas’ results so far are not a fluke but something more significant.
‘Back-to-back midfield-leading results’;
https://www.motorsportmagazine.com/a.../?nowprocket=1
Haas boss reveals harsh reality of Ferrari engine: 'Overtaking was difficult'
12 Mar 2026
Samson Ero
GPblog.com
Haas F1 team principal Ayao Komatsu has addressed a misconception regarding the Ferrari power unit, which his team currently uses. The 50-year-old team boss, speaking about where he believes Haas sits among the midfield runners, was quick to praise the speed of the Audi power unit, before stressing how he believes performance could prove to be largely circuit-specific.
“We are mixed with Red Bull, Audi, us [Haas], and Alpine. But then, if we raced well, I knew we could be at the front end of it. I think Audi is very quick, and Red Bull is quick as well. So I think we are all together, basically, depending on the circuit we go to,” the Haas team boss told GPblog. When quizzed further about his team’s speed being better than the Audi outfit, the Japanese F1 team boss was quick to refute such a claim, stating how the GPS traces tell a different story.
“I don’t know how you can say ours are clearly better than Audi. I don’t know what you’re looking at to say that. Have you looked at GPS traces? No, I don’t think you can say that at all. Again, when I say power, I’m purely looking at results and speed on the tracks,” Komatsu explained. “You know, whether it’s coming from the ICE or from energy deployment. But if we look at what they can do on the straight, Audi is very good. I’m shocked when you said we are clearly better than Audi.”
'Overtaking was difficult';
https://www.gpblog.com/en/news/haas-...-was-difficult
F1 2026 uncovered: Haas responds to Ferrari SF-26 exhaust flap with rapid China upgrade
16 Mar 2026
Matthew Somerfield
PlanetF1.com
The only team that could quickly assimilate the Ferrari (FMT) exhaust blown flap on the rear of the SF-26 is Haas and guess what, that’s exactly what they did for China. However, it’s not a direct copy of the solution, as Haas are clearly looking to make it work with their pre-existing rear end arrangement.
The solution presented by Haas in China is therefore a quick response item but will likely see some follow up adjustments arrive in the coming races, not only to their FMT solution but also to the surrounding components, such as the diffuser.
‘Rapid China upgrade’;
https://www.planetf1.com/features/fe...solution-china
