'Pass the parcel!' - F1 testing: Why Ferrari, Mercedes, McLaren and Red Bull are all claiming not be the fastest team after Bahrain test.
Sky Sports F1's Ted Kravitz compared the situation to a game of "pass the parcel", but why is it all so convoluted? Formula 1's big four of McLaren, Mercedes, Red Bull and Ferrari appear to be at the front again, but in which order?
13 Feb 2026
Sky Sports

There is always mystery at Formula 1 testing over which team actually has the fastest car, but the 2026 pre-season puzzle is shaping up as one of the most confusing and complex in the sport's history. With two thirds of an extended testing schedule complete, any thoughts of a total reshuffle of the established pecking order have been dispelled, but who is fastest of the 'big four' remains very much up for the debate.

Listed in the order they finished last year's Constructors' Championship, McLaren, Mercedes, Red Bull and Ferrari, are all insisting that they are not fastest and that at least one of the others is quicker. In years gone by it might have been easier for neutral onlookers to work out who is telling the truth, but the introduction of both new chassis and power units as part of radical new regulations for the 2026 season means there are many unknowns.

"Pass the parcel”;

https://www.skysports.com/f1/news/12...r-bahrain-test


What we learned from Day 3 of the first 2026 pre-season test in Bahrain
13 Feb 2026
Lawrence Barretto
Formula One - Official Site

Aston Martin look set for tricky start to 2026: Aston Martin have experienced a troubled pre-season and that continued into Bahrain where they faced a series of niggles and struggled for performance across the opening two days.

Ferrari have another strong day with Hamilton: Ferrari kicked off the year with a baseline 'Spec-A' car that they ran at their demonstration day and then the Barcelona Shakedown.
Mercedes bounce back after difficult days: Mercedes had a much more productive day on Friday, following two reliability-hit days in Bahrain.

Red Bull progress impresses rivals: Mercedes and Ferrari have marked out Red Bull and their very impressive inaugural powertrain as the class-leaders, and while the energy drinks firm are encouraged by their efforts in Bahrain, they are keeping their feet firmly on the ground.

‘Day 3 of the first 2026 pre-season test’;

https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/a...T1463ctrnceZCO


Analysis: The long run data from F1's Bahrain test
13 Feb 2026
Valentin Khorounzhiy
The Race

Test laptime analysis is precarious at the best of times, much less when a healthy chunk of the timing data is missing. But there are things that can be deduced at this point in time. The race run executed by Oscar Piastri around the same time as Lewis Hamilton was running in the Ferrari (and Kimi Antonelli soon joining them in the Mercedes) did indeed seem a considerable step behind those two, as corroborated by McLaren team principal Andrea Stella.

While the race runs executed by team-mates Charles Leclerc and Lando Norris on the day prior are currently almost wholly unavailable, it was suggested by Stella that those too fitted this pattern, and that Leclerc's was particularly competitive. As for Hamilton versus his Mercedes replacement Antonelli, they are close in their respective first stint (on the same C3 compound), with Hamilton starting faster but his pace dipping enough for Antonelli to make up the difference at the end of the stint.

Antonelli is then quicker initially in the second stint, and notably so, but because of the timing crash we do not know what the pay-off is. However, cutting off the available Friday race runs at the Antonelli mark of around 28 relevant laps in (but only those that only used two sets up to that point) does paint a good picture for Mercedes.

‘Test laptime analysis is precarious’;

https://www.the-race.com/formula-1/w...e-sims-so-far/


5 key takeaways from first F1 2026 pre-season test in Bahrain
From driver frustrations to early performance clues, Bahrain testing revealed how dramatically Formula 1 could change in 2026
13 Feb 2026
John Smith
Total Motorsport

Formula 1’s bold new era finally hit the track in Bahrain, offering the first real glimpse of how radically the 2026 regulations could reshape the sport.
1. Drivers divided over the feel of new cars: Perhaps the most striking takeaway is how differently drivers perceive the new machinery. Some view the 2026 cars as technically fascinating, while others believe the emphasis on energy recovery has diluted the essence of flat out racing.

2. Red Bull’s new engine has everyone talking: Beyond philosophical debates, competitive intrigue centered on Red Bull’s in house power unit. Rivals observed that the engine appeared capable of deploying electrical energy more consistently over a lap, particularly on straights, raising suspicions that the team may hold an early advantage.
3. Aston Martin emerges as the biggest concern: While several teams left Bahrain optimistic, Aston Martin departed facing difficult questions. Despite enormous investment, the arrival of design legend Adrian Newey and a new works partnership with Honda, the AMR26 appeared significantly off the pace.

4. The midfield battle is tightly packed: Behind the leading quartet of Mercedes, Red Bull, Ferrari and McLaren, the midfield appears closer than ever. Teams such as Haas, Alpine and Audi demonstrated respectable pace and solid reliability, positioning themselves to capitalize on any mistakes from the front runners.
5. Testing politics remain as fierce as on track battles: One of the most enduring truths of Formula 1 testing is that appearances deceive. Throughout the week, teams repeatedly praised rivals while downplaying their own performance, a classic tactic designed to deflect pressure and scrutiny.

‘5 key takeaways’;

https://www.total-motorsport.com/f1-...key-takeaways/


10 things we learned from the first Bahrain F1 2026 test
Feb 13, 2026
The Race

Teams are desperate not to be favourite: Mercedes left Barcelona as the champion of pre-season. Red Bull took that mantle on Wednesday in Bahrain. Ferrari was turning heads on Thursday. By Friday it was Mercedes again.
What the laptimes tell us: Persistent timing system crashes and Red Bull not doing a race simulation on the final day mean the race sim picture is incomplete - but at least there is a picture. What is clear enough is that the McLaren was a step back, across all stints, maybe by as much as half a second.

Red Bull engine a 'reality check': Red Bull has been winning praise for the work done on its first F1 engine since the Barcelona test, but that was mainly because it was surprisingly reliable straight away.
Starts are a 'recipe for disaster': What first emerged in early testing as a bit of intrigue about the high-revving nature of F1 2026's race starts has turned into a full-on safety issue.

Williams recovery has a pace question mark: Having failed to make the Barcelona test, Williams achieved its primary objective for Bahrain by completing more laps than anyone else.
The team in the most trouble: Brand new car and engine rules meant there was a good chance a ‘crisis team’ emerged in testing this year. Aston Martin might not go quite that far, but it is the team most in trouble. After the bold AMR26 turned heads when it appeared in Spain, its only headlines have been for negative reasons here.

‘The best midfield team…by default, Cadillac's had the best start possible, The real Audi isn't amazing - but isn't bad, Qualifying prep tactics are odd’;

https://www.the-race.com/formula-1/b...gs-we-learned/


F1 Insider Says One Team Has 'Really Impressed' Everybody During Bahrain Test
The second F1 test, in Bahrain, ended on Friday evening.
13 Feb 2026
Ryan Smart
SPORTbible

One F1 team has 'really impressed' members of the paddock during the first Bahrain test, according to commentator Alex Brundle. The Sakhir International Circuit has hosted the second test before the 2026 season between Wednesday and Friday. Mercedes topped the timesheets on day three, with Kimi Antonelli finishing ahead of team-mate George Russell. In fact, the Silver Arrows pair were the only two drivers in the field to record a lap time under one minute and 34 seconds over the three days.

But with another test in Bahrain still to come later this month, and with teams having ran different stint plans, fuel loads and tyre compounds over the past three days, it is still not clear as to which teams will arrive at the Australian Grand Prix with the quickest cars - even if Mercedes appear to be in a good position. Brundle, who was a co-commentator on the Bahrain test for Sky Sports F1, says a lot of the talk in the paddock has not been about Mercedes, but Red Bull.

He explained that 'many' in the paddock believe that Red Bull have set the 'benchmark' for others to follow in Bahrain. "So much of a discussion point about this Red Bull, and how strong it's been over these couple of days of testing," Brundle said. "It's been really impressing the paddock, this Red Bull, and many voices in the paddock are saying it is the benchmark at the moment."

‘Red Bull have set the benchmark';

https://www.sportbible.com/f1/bahrai...61125-20260213