Antonelli quickest on day five as Aston Martin’s woes continue
Kimi Antonelli went quickest on the penultimate day of Formula 1’s pre-season testing in Bahrain on Thursday. The Mercedes driver set the best time so far for 2026-spec machinery at the Sakhir track, going over six tenths faster than anyone prior to today, with a 1m32.803s – narrowly quicker than Oscar Piastri. McLaren and Red […]
Why the FIA is putting Mercedes’ F1 engine solution to a vote
In the weeks leading up to the season opener in Melbourne, the words “compression ratio” have dominated paddock conversations. Since rivals caught wind of the fact that Mercedes complies with the 16:1 limit during static tests at ambient temperature but is able to achieve a higher ratio while running, the topic has become political and […]
Norris fastest as Ferrari debuts trick rear wing
Lando Norris has set a new fastest lap at Formula 1 Bahrain pre-season testing to head Max Verstappen, while Ferrari debuted a trick rear wing before being hit with a mechanical problem. F1 world champion Norris posted a 1m33.453s on the C3 compound tyres to go 0.006s quicker than George Russell’s previous best set yesterday […]
Mercedes heads McLaren by 0.01s, as four teams hit trouble
George Russell set the fastest lap of Formula 1’s Bahrain pre-season testing so far as the second week of running got under way at Sakhir. The Mercedes driver lapped in 1m33.459s this afternoon, which is two tenths faster than team-mate Kimi Antonelli’s benchmark last week, a 1m33.669s. Both of those were set with C3 tyres. […]
Sebastian Vettel teases future Le Mans team-up with Max Verstappen
Four-time Formula 1 champion Sebastian Vettel has teased a 24 Hours of Le Mans outing with Max Verstappen in the future. The German driver, who retired from F1 at the end of the 2022 season, confirmed he is in regular contact with the Red Bull driver and that they have their sights set on a […]
The unexpected factor that makes F1 qualifying more complicated in 2026
During Formula 1 winter testing in Bahrain, the focus — apart from the ongoing compression ratio discussion — has mainly been on energy management during the races. Achieving consistent deployment over longer runs remains a key challenge for teams. Sergio Perez revealed that in his case, there were still fluctuations of up to eight tenths […]
How McLaren has tweaked its steering wheel to maximise F1’s 2026 hybrid
Formula 1’s 2026 revolution has undeniably divided the paddock, especially engine-wise, and the new power units have significantly changed the required driving style. While the overall response to the chassis has been positive, with lighter, nimbler cars, the main issue has been the management of electrical energy. The opening Bahrain pre-season test has revealed the […]
Newey hasn’t forgotten how to design an F1 car
Fernando Alonso has reiterated his utmost confidence in Aston Martin team boss Adrian Newey, claiming it’s not like he’s ‘forgotten’ how to design a Formula 1 car despite a difficult pre-season. F1 is introducing widespread regulation changes this year, meaning the pecking order is largely unknown, but current signs point towards Aston Martin being comfortably […]
Why Mercedes’ praise of Red Bull’s F1 engine may not tell the full story
Formula 1’s 2026 season-opening Australian Grand Prix currently looks like a race nobody wants to win. Of course, that’s not the case, but it jokingly underlines that, at this stage of the pre-season, everyone is keen to avoid the role of clear favourite. Although that has always been the game during F1 testing, this year […]