On February 1, 2024, Lewis Hamilton shocked the F1 world by announcing he would leave Mercedes to join Ferrari in 2025, ending a championship-defining partnership and creating the most dramatic driver market move in the sport's history.
Lewis Hamilton is encouraged by a 'winning mentality' at Ferrari after a solid Barcelona shakedown where he set an unofficial fastest time. While stressing much work remains, he praised the team's new energy and operational consistency as they prepare for the official Bahrain tests.
Mercedes-powered teams led all engine manufacturers in preseason testing mileage with over 1,100 laps, signaling strong reliability. Ferrari, while close in total laps, made a quieter statement with Lewis Hamilton setting the fastest single lap time of the Barcelona test.
Fernando Alonso hailed his first drive in Adrian Newey's debut Aston Martin F1 car as "very special," praising the team's intense effort to prepare the 2026 contender after a delayed start to testing in Barcelona.
Reigning F1 champion Lando Norris warns competitors against reading too much into pre-season testing comparisons, stating it's "so easy" to get caught up in them. He reveals McLaren's Barcelona focus was on reliability checks and data gathering with their new car, not lap times, as they prepare to defend their titles.
An expert designer ranks the seven revealed 2026 F1 liveries, crowning Haas's elegant and sponsor-integrated design as the best. Red Bull's major overhaul for its Ford era and Ferrari's improved balance also score highly, while Alpine's lack of evolution places it last in a visually strong year influenced by new paint regulations.
Martin Brundle says Red Bull's development of its first in-house F1 engine for 2026 is "unbelievable," impressed by its facilities and early test mileage. He believes Red Bull and Mercedes hold an advantage due to supplying multiple teams.
Lando Norris says mastering F1's 2026 cars requires unique approaches at each track, calling the new regulations one of the biggest adaptations of his career. The champion driver notes that while his team grasps the basics, finding ultimate performance will be a continuous, circuit-specific challenge.
Newly-crowned champion Lando Norris faces steep historical and competitive odds in defending his 2025 title. No British driver has ever won consecutive championships after their first, and the major 2026 regulation changes pose a significant threat to McLaren's stability, a team with a poor historical record of adapting to new rules compared to rivals like Red Bull.
Hamilton set the fastest lap in Barcelona’s 2026 winter test, and Ferrari will spend remapping the car while balancing promos and training ahead of Bahrain testing and season‑opening Australian GP.
Former Red Bull boss Christian Horner says he’s happy with his time away but would return only if he can partner with a winning team, hinting at interest in Alpine’s blocked stake and expressing pride in the RBPT debut.
Tickets for the Max Verstappen Grandstand at the 2026 Hungarian Grand Prix have sold out already, underscoring the driver's huge fan demand. Verstappen will run with the number 3 in 2026 as he prepares for the new season with recent testing in Barcelona.
