Mercedes’ Antonelli set the fastest lap (1:33.669) at the 2026 pre‑season test in Bahrain but logged the fewest laps. McLaren and Williams topped mileage; Honda’s power unit covered the least distance.
Vettel admits he never fully savored his four Red Bull championships, later realizing true success lies in teammates and experiences. He now embraces a mantra that the best race is still ahead.
Ferrari’s Frederic Vasseur downplays Lewis Hamilton’s claim that early‑season race‑engineer swaps are ‘detrimental’, calling them routine in a 1,500‑person operation and focus on the team’s performance.
Fernando Alonso said Aston Martin’s new AMR26 is seconds off the pace after missing the Barcelona test, leaving the team on the back foot in Bahrain and exposing challenges with the new energy‑deployment rules.
Max Verstappen's harsh criticism of the 2026 F1 car regulations and hinted doubts about his future have Red Bull in a tight spot. The team's technical chief says their only solution is to build a winning car, shifting focus from the driver's regulatory complaints to on-track performance, amid an unclear competitive landscape for the new season.
Toto Wolff confirmed Mercedes-AMG helped adjust the NLS endurance series calendar to avoid an F1 clash, facilitating Max Verstappen's potential Nürburgring 24 Hours entry. Wolff joked about enjoying the sight of Verstappen in a Mercedes, as the move promises to massively boost the series' profile.
Pirelli will conduct a groundbreaking wet tire test in the Bahrain desert this month, using a custom soaking system and 2026 development cars from McLaren and Mercedes. The aim is to finally make the full wet tire a usable option for races, improving safety and strategy.
Max Verstappen says he is looking at racing categories outside Formula 1 to find enjoyment, emphasizing that a car must be 'fun to drive' over simply being a winner. He sharply criticizes the 2026 technical regulations, calling them 'less pure' and 'anti-racing,' raising questions about his long-term future in the sport despite his current contract.
Charles Leclerc says Ferrari currently sits behind Red Bull and Mercedes in the pecking order following pre-season testing in Bahrain. While pleased with a reliable test for the SF-26, he noted the difficulty in reading true performance and expects a close fight when the season begins.
Aston Martin's 2026 ambitions have hit a major roadblock, with the new AMR26 car severely off the pace in testing. Team boss Mike Krack has shifted from title talk to acknowledging a deep performance deficit and a race against time to fix a fundamentally flawed package before the season begins.
Red Bull's Pierre Wachè says the RB22 trails Ferrari and Mercedes in traction and straight-line speed, challenging the idea that his team's car is the preseason benchmark. He cites driver feedback and data from testing, with the true competitive picture to be revealed in Melbourne.
Netflix has dropped the trailer for Season 8 of its flagship F1 series, *Drive to Survive*, which will premiere on February 27, 2026. The season will cover the drama and title fight of the 2025 championship, continuing the docuseries' role as a major driver of the sport's global popularity.
