Formula 1: Articles & News Reports.

[Fortitude]

Leclerc leads Norris early in Bahrain after issues hit Mercedes and Red Bull.
Charles Leclerc finished ahead of Lando Norris during the second morning session of Bahrain winter testing, while Mercedes and Red Bull ran into issues.
12 Feb 2026
Olly Darcy
GPblog.com

On the track, it was Charles Leclerc and Ferrari who were the team to beat, with a 1:34.273 the fastest lap put down by anyone on day two of testing. World Champion Lando Norris set a 1:34.784 to put his McLaren in P2, but his 64 laps were the most of anyone, just two more than Leclerc's 62 laps.

The Alpine of Pierre Gasly rounded out the top three, while Oliver Bearman and Alex Albon finished the morning session in P4 and P5, respectively. Nico Hulkenberg finished sixth for Audi come the end of the four-hour session, with Liam Lawson and Racing Bulls were eight-tenths behind the German in P7. Cadillac's Sergio Perez and the Aston Martin of Fernando Alonso rounded out the top ten.

Pos Driver Team Best lap Gap
P1 Charles Leclerc Ferrari 1:34.273 —
P2 Lando Norris McLaren 1:34.784 +0.511
P3 Pierre Gasly Alpine 1:36.723 +2.450
P4 Oliver Bearman Haas 1:37.025 +2.752
P5 Alex Albon Williams 1:37.229 +2.956
P6 Nico Hulkenberg Audi 1:37.266 +2.993
P7 Sergio Perez Cadillac 1:38.653 +4.380
P8 Liam Lawson Racing Bulls 1:38.707 +4.434
P9 Fernando Alonso Aston Martin 1:38.960 +4.687
P10 Kimi Antonelli Mercedes 11:54.791 N/A
P11 Isack Hadjar Red Bull N/A N/A

‘Charles Leclerc finished ahead of Lando Norris’;

https://www.gpblog.com/en/breaking-n...s-and-red-bull


Why unusual Max Verstappen F1 2026 approach is proving controversial
Max Verstappen has adopted an unusual energy management technique. RacingNews365 technical analyst Paolo Filisetti explains why it may not be sustainable.
12 February 2026
Paolo Filisetti
RacingNews365

At certain points around the Bahrain International Circuit on the first day of F1 pre-season testing, it was clearly audible how Max Verstappen was performing some very unusual and entirely deliberate downshift sequences — specifically in sections where a downshift would not normally be expected.

It later emerged that the Dutchman — and also Audi — is using these downshifts as a way of charging the battery and having more energy available on the straights. Based on what we have seen so far, Verstappen's technique is undoubtedly effective, but specifically at this circuit; its impact is likely to vary from track to track over the course of the season. On some tracks, the drawbacks may outweigh the potential benefits.

In practical terms, and according to several engineers, it is very likely that over the opening races of the season, we will gradually see a blend of battery recharge techniques emerge, rather than one single dominant approach. What will ultimately prevail is a balance between the costs and benefits associated with each individual method. There is no doubt that energy harvesting and subsequent deployment currently represent the primary focus for all teams.

‘Very unusual and entirely deliberate downshift sequences’;

https://racingnews365.com/why-unusua...-controversial


Day 2 of F1 Testing: Leclerc Shines While Red Bull and Mercedes Struggle
FEBRUARY 12, 2026
SCOTT GULBRANSEN
sportsnaut.com

Red Bull and Mercedes, two teams widely expected to contend for the F1 2026 championship, spent most of the morning sidelined with mechanical problems while their rivals racked up miles in the desert heat. For newcomers trying to figure out the 2026 pecking order, here’s the honest truth: don’t read too much into it yet. Teams run different fuel loads, tire compounds, and engine modes during testing. But reliability? That matters. And Thursday was a rough one for two big names.

The F1 Start Problem Nobody’s Talking About Enough. One of the more fascinating storylines coming out of Bahrain has nothing to do with lap times. It’s about race starts, specifically how much harder they are under the 2026 rules. The new F1 engines no longer have the MGU-H, a component that previously used exhaust gases to spin the turbocharger.

Without it, drivers face significant turbo lag off the line. They have to rev much higher and hold it much longer before releasing the clutch. It’s a completely different procedure from what they’ve done for the past decade.

‘Day 2 of F1 Testing’;

https://sportsnaut.com/f1/f1-bahrain...edes-struggles


Ferrari SF-26 debuts ‘aggressive’ diffuser extensions to outpace Mercedes and Williams on downforce
12 February 2026
Ben Evans
F1 Oversteer

Ferrari have developed ‘aggressive’ diffuser extensions on their 2026 Formula 1 car. A report from Motorsport has shared more details about what’s going on with the back of Ferrari’s car this year.

A change in the 2026 regulations has allowed Ferrari to extend the sides of the diffuser structure in the hopes of improving the efficiency of the car and generating more downforce. Mercedes and Williams are two teams that have followed a similar path to Ferrari in the development of their diffuser.

‘Ferrari SF-26 debuts’;

https://www.f1oversteer.com/news/fer...-on-downforce/


Mercedes relied on manual hammer adjustments for W17 suspension in Bahrain testing
12 Feb 2026
Luke Newman
F1 Oversteer

Heading into the six-day Bahrain test, it was expected that Mercedes would continue their strong form. However, on the opening day at the Bahrain International Circuit, the team encountered issues with the W17. George Russell was able to complete 56 laps in the opening session and ended the day sixth on the timesheets, but Kimi Antonelli was only able to complete 30 laps after an issue delayed his running in the second session.

Mercedes were forced to fix a suspension issue with a hammer. After missing half of the session, Antonelli was released from the pits and ended the opening day of the test in 11th place on the timesheets. Mercedes confirmed that the issue they faced in the second session was not related to their Power Unit, but they did not want to discuss any further details regarding the problem. However, it is now believed that there was an issue with the W17’s suspension, which they were ‘hitting with a hammer’.

Technical Analyst, Sam Collins, added, “Well, I have been fettling about in the back of the garage, and they were hitting it with a hammer. So, I know they had a big problem. “I understand that the issue was in the suspension area of the car; they did not want to give more detail but obviously, they needed to make an adjustment with a hammer. So, that is a pretty substantial issue, because Mercedes are not the team to fix it with a hammer.”

‘Manual hammer adjustments’;

https://www.f1oversteer.com/news/mer...hrain-testing/

[Fortitude]

'We're not quick enough' - Norris says McLaren are behind Ferrari, Red Bull.
Lando Norris believes world champions McLaren currently trail Ferrari and Red Bull on pace with four days of pre-season testing to go.
12 Feb 2026
Sky Sports

Speaking to Sky Sports after Thursday's running, his final day in the car this week, Norris said: "We did a good amount of laps, we're certainly not quick enough. Plenty of work for us to look into and try to improve on. I think today was our first bit of understanding on where we stand in terms of pace, against at least Ferrari, who did a full long run.”

"We're not really close to them at the minute. We're certainly not bad, but we're not quick enough. It's still just testing and we've got plenty of things we know we can already improve on and work on, so nothing to be worried by, but a productive day for the teams and for myself, and that's the most important thing."

When speaking with the written media, Norris also highlighted the strength of Red Bull - who have produced their own engine for the first time, in conjunction with Ford - as a standout performer from testing so far. "They have a very good power unit by the looks of things," said Norris of the team described by Mercedes' Toto Wolff on Wednesday as 2026's current "benchmark". "They deploy and have a lot of efficiency [with their engine energy management].”

'We're not quick enough';

https://www.skysports.com/f1/news/12...season-testing


F1 results: Bahrain F1 2026 pre-season testing: Day 2 (Sakhir)
12 Feb 2026
Oliver Harden
PlanetF1.com

Here are the complete F1 results from Day 2 of the first official pre-season test of F1 2026 in Bahrain.

F1 results: Bahrain pre-season test: Day 2
1 Charles Leclerc Ferrari 1:34.273 139 laps
2 Lando Norris McLaren +0.511 149 laps
3 Oliver Bearman Haas +1.121 130 laps
4 George Russell Mercedes +1.193 54 laps
5 Isack Hadjar Racing Bulls +2.288 87 laps
6 Gabriel Bortoleto Audi +2.397 67 laps
7 Pierre Gasly Alpine +2.450 97 laps
8 Valtteri Bottas Cadillac +2.551 67 laps
9 Alexander Albon Williams +2.956 62 laps
10 Nico Hulkenberg Audi +2.993 47 laps
11 Arvid Lindblad Racing Bulls +3.197 83 laps
12 Carlos Sainz Williams +3.319 69 laps
13 Liam Lawson Racing Bulls +3.744 50 laps
14 Fernando Alonso Aston Martin +3.975 98 laps
15 Sergio Perez Cadillac +4.380 42 laps
16 Kimi Antonelli Mercedes no time 3 laps

‘Complete F1 results’;

https://www.planetf1.com/news/f1-res...ing-2026-day-2


Stroll sounds the alarm at Aston Martin: ‘We’re four seconds off!’
12/02/2026
Michael Delaney
F1i.com

It’s early days still, but the numbers underline a start far below expectations for a team boasting a new Honda power unit, Adrian Newey at the helm, and substantial investment from billionaire owner Lawrence Stroll. “Right now, we look like we're four seconds off the top team, four and a half seconds,” commented Stroll. “Impossible to know what fuel loads and everything people are running. But, yeah, now we need to try and find four seconds of performance.”

Despite the harsh reality, Stroll tried to frame some hope for the future, though his tone remained cautious. “We have all the tools to fight for race wins and championships,” he said. “We're not doing that at the moment and we have to think about what we can do about it. Do we want to fight for race wins? Yes. Are we fighting for race wins today? It doesn't look like it. Does that mean we can’t fight for race wins in the future? No, I believe we can.”

Yet Stroll refused to sugarcoat the uncertainty surrounding the team’s progress. “So, I don't have a crystal ball, I didn't have a crystal ball before the season started, and we are where we are here today. It doesn't look like it's amazing. Can that change in the next few weeks? Can it get a lot better? For sure. Will it 100% get way better? I don't know. I don't have the answers to those questions. All I can say is we're pushing as hard as we can. We're focused on bringing performance to the car, to the engine every single second of every single day and time will tell how competitive we look at the first race and throughout the whole season.”

‘We’re four seconds off!’;

https://f1i.com/news/558977-stroll-s...conds-off.html


What we learned from Day 2 of the first 2026 pre-season test in Bahrain
F1.com's Lawrence Barretto runs through the main developments from the second day of testing in Bahrain.
12 Feb 2026
F1 Correspondent & Presenter Lawrence Barretto
Formula One - Official Site

Red Bull impress despite loss of early running: Red Bull's Max Verstappen was prolific during his full day in the car on Wednesday, with the four-time World Champion clocking 136 laps.
Mercedes encounter another tricky day: Mercedes' boss Wolff was keen to play down the team's hopes for the season, despite their smooth Barcelona Shakedown, when he spoke to the media on Wednesday – not least because they encountered a suspension issue that cost track time.

Audi continue productive F1 debut: Audi have made a very strong start to life in Formula 1. They were the first team to complete a shakedown of a 2026-spec car – and while they encountered several niggles that hindered mileage in Barcelona, that is to be expected of a new works team, running a debut engine.
Challenging start to Newey era at Aston Martin: Lance Stroll cut a despondent figure when he spoke to media on Wednesday, with the Canadian admitting his Aston Martin – the first to be designed by legend Adrian Newey – just needs more performance, more grip and a better balance.

‘What we learned from Day 2’;

https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/a...KVo6rcciRTI2J7


MAX ON DRIVING WITH A NEW GENERATION OF F1 CARS: 'NOT FUN AT ALL'
12 February 2026
Florence Cobben
Verstappen.nl

When asked if he enjoyed driving the car, Max hesitantly answered: “It’s not fun at all. I would say the right word is management. But on the other hand, I also know how much work has been going on in the background, from the engine side, from the guys. So it’s not always the nicest thing to say, but I also want to be realistic as a driver (that) the feeling is not very Formula 1-like. It feels a bit like Formula E on steroids. But the rules are the same for everyone, and so you have to deal with that.”

He clarifies: “A lot of what you do as a driver, in terms of input, has a massive effect on the energy-side of things. For me, that’s just not Formula 1. Then it’s better to drive Formula E, right? ‘Cause that’s all about energy, efficiency, and management – that’s what they stand for. So yeah, driving-wise, not so fun. At the same time, I also know what is at stake for the team – our own engine. And seeing the excitement of the people – of course when I sit in the car I will give it my very best. They know that, but the excitement is not so high.”

“It’s not fun at all”;

https://news.verstappen.com/en/article/6071/


Ted Kravitz says Mercedes are already planning major update in time for second Bahrain F1 test
12 February 2026
Ben Evans
F1 Oversteer

Mercedes planning to use third different chassis during 2026 Bahrain pre-season F1 test. Kravitz was reporting on proceedings in Bahrain on Ted’s Notebook (11/2 8:49 pm), and describing the situation at Mercedes, he said: “Mercedes, as I say, have they got the sandbags out? Have they realised that the pace in Barcelona was a little bit, let’s just say, it didn’t serve them right.”


“They only did 86 laps today. They got the laps in, but they did have a problem after lunch. So, George Russell 56 laps, P6, Kimi Antonelli P11 and 30 laps. They were slower than Barcelona. George was doing some longer runs in the morning. Then they found an issue. They hoped to be out later on with Kimi Antonelli; they were. But yeah, otherwise it all seems to be OK. This, I believe, I understand is chassis number two on the Mercedes, and they’ll actually bring a third chassis to the Bahrain number two test.”

‘Chassis number three on the Mercedes’;

https://www.f1oversteer.com/news/ted...hrain-f1-test/


HADJAR ENDS DAY TWO OF BAHRAIN TESTING IN FIFTH, AS LECLERC TOPS THE TIMESHEETS
12 February 2026
Florence Cobben
Verstappen.nl

Despite missing most of the morning session due to a hydraulic issue (bar one installation lap), Isack Hadjar was able to get back in the car during the second half of today’s session and climbed to fifth place on the timesheets. Max Verstappen’s Oracle Red Bull Racing-teammate was able to close this Thursday practice session with a respectable 87 laps to his name.

‘P5’;

https://news.verstappen.com/en/article/6070/

[Fortitude]

Fernando Alonso throws gloves in fury after first laps in Aston Martin’s AMR26.
F1 journalist Antonio Lobato: “He gets out of the car, throws away the gloves; they’re not where they wanted to be, not even close.”
12 February 2026
Ashley Hambly
F1 Oversteer

Newey reportedly told Alonso that Aston Martin are now ‘months’ behind their F1 rivals on the grid, highlighting the severity of the issue that the British constructor are currently looking down the barrel of. The 32-time Grand Prix is yet to make an official decision on his future in the sport. Alonso recently stated that he wants to wait until September to announce his intentions, despite the pressure that figures at Aston Martin are piling on him to decide quicker.

In a separate Instagram story from Lobato, he asks Alonso’s counterpart, Lance Stroll, what the ‘best thing’ about Aston Martin’s new F1 car is. The Canadian sarcastically replied, “The decoration is very nice,” which further draws attention to the struggles that the Silverstone-based team are currently experiencing. Now, Stroll isn’t the most talkative driver on the grid as it is, but his silence over any other potential positives about the car speaks volumes.

The first day of testing in Bahrain was Stroll’s first proper run out in the new machine, after handing the car over to Alonso in Barcelona following the completion of just a handful of installation laps on the Thursday evening. Newey and co certainly have their work cut out for them over the next few weeks, before the grid congregate in Australia for the 2026 season-opener.

‘Throws gloves in fury’;

https://www.f1oversteer.com/news/fer...martins-amr26/


Antonelli leads Mercedes one-two as second test concludes in Bahrain
13th February 2026
Keith Collantine
RaceFans

The Mercedes drivers occupied the top two places on the times sheets as Formula 1’s second pre-season test concluded in Bahrain. Andrea Kimi Antonelli took over from George Russell halfway through today’s test and took almost a quarter of a second off his benchmark time. The 19-year-old left the quickest time of the test at a 1’33.669, just under four seconds off last year’s pole position time.

Test two, day three times
Pos. Car number Driver Team Model Best time Gap Laps
1 12 Andrea Kimi Antonelli Mercedes W17 1’33.669 61
2 63 George Russell Mercedes W17 1’33.918 0.249 78
3 44 Lewis Hamilton Ferrari SF-26 1’34.209 0.540 150
4 81 Oscar Piastri McLaren MCL40 1’34.549 0.880 161
5 3 Max Verstappen Red Bull RB22 1’35.341 1.672 61
6 6 Isack Hadjar Red Bull RB22 1’35.610 1.941 59
7 31 Esteban Ocon Haas VF-26 1’35.753 2.084 75
8 43 Franco Colapinto Alpine A526 1’35.806 2.137 144
9 87 Oliver Bearman Haas VF-26 1’35.972 2.303 70
10 27 Nico Hulkenberg Audi R26 1’36.291 2.622 58
11 23 Alexander Albon Williams FW48 1’36.793 3.124 78
12 30 Liam Lawson Racing Bulls 03 1’36.808 3.139 119
13 55 Carlos Sainz Jnr Williams FW48 1’37.186 3.517 68
14 11 Sergio Perez Cadillac 1’37.365 3.696 67
15 5 Gabriel Bortoleto Audi R26 1’37.536 3.867 60
16 18 Lance Stroll Aston Martin AMR26 1’38.165 4.496 72
17 77 Valtteri Bottas Cadillac 1’38.772 5.103 37

‘Mercedes one-two’;

https://www.racefans.net/2026/02/13/...es-in-bahrain/


PIERRE WACHE AFTER FIRST WEEK OF PRE-SEASON TESTING: 'ROOM FOR IMPROVEMENT'
13 February 2026
Yvonne Huijs
Verstappen.nl

Pierre Waché, Technical Director of Oracle Red Bull Racing, reflects on the first test week in Bahrain for the new Formula 1 season: “It has been a positive week, running a full day with Max, with plenty of testing time as we worked on understanding the car and the direction to go in with the power unit. Unfortunately, on day two we had some problems with the hydraulics on the chassis side, which compromised Isack’s running in the morning but we were able to recover this in the afternoon. This morning with Max we evaluated set-ups and saw some good direction and this was similar with Isack this afternoon, so it's been quite positive with the mileage done this week."

Waché continues: "We need to make sure the car continues to develop a lot more to improve the issue on the balance side and we know that there is a lot of room for improvement. Our drivers are very motivated and have given us a lot of feedback on where we can improve the car and how we can change the direction of development. In general, Red Bull Ford Powertrains has done a remarkable job as a start-up; in three and a half years we have created a power unit and have it out running on track, which is fantastic.”

“We know that there is a lot of room for improvement”;

https://news.verstappen.com/en/article/6074/


Charles Leclerc sounds early alarm as Ferrari chase Red Bull and Mercedes in F1 2026
Ferrari star delivers blunt verdict on where the Scuderia stands before the new era truly begins
13 February 2026
John Smith
Total Motorsport

“It’s so difficult to understand,” Leclerc admitted. “It was difficult with the previous generation of cars, but now with the hybrid and especially the electrical engine being so much more powerful, there are so many small tweaks that you can do, and you can hide the real potential of the car in many, many different ways now. So, it’s very, very difficult for us to understand exactly where we stand.”

“What I’m happy of is that we are going through our programme. We didn’t have any reliability issues so far, and this is a good start. Everything stacks up with what we expected. So that’s a good base to then start to work on and to improve. I think everybody is trying to throw the ball to the other guys, it’s normal at that point of the season,” Leclerc said.

“I think Red Bull have shown very impressive things power unit wise since the start of the test, especially here. Mercedes are showing some very impressive things as well sometimes. But I would say they are hiding a lot more. I would expect them two especially to be a bit ahead of us,” Leclerc continued. “Then McLaren is a little bit more difficult to understand, but from where I stand now, it’s Red Bull, Mercedes in front, and then us. But it doesn’t seem to be too much of a gap for now.”

‘Blunt verdict’;

https://www.total-motorsport.com/cha...bull-mercedes/


Mercedes called 'very good at hiding their potential' in Bahrain verdict
13 Feb 2026
Kada Sarkozi
GPblog.com

Charles Leclerc believes Red Bull and Mercedes are both in front, despite the two teams suggesting their rivals are ahead. Leclerc believes it's hard to draw conclusions for now. He continued: "Because it's so difficult to understand. It was difficult with the previous generation of cars. But now with the hybrid and especially the electrical engine being so much more powerful, there are so many small tweaks that you can do. "And you can hide the real potential of the car in many, many different ways now. So it's very, very difficult for us to understand exactly where we stand.”

"What I'm happy about is that we are going through our program, we didn't have any reliability issues so far this is a good start, everything stacks up with what we expected so that's a good base to then start to work on and to improve," the Monegasque driver added, before the SF-26 stopped under Lewis Hamilton during the final ten minutes of the afternoon session. The reason remains unknown.

'Very good at hiding their potential';

https://www.gpblog.com/en/news/merce...ahrain-verdict