Formula 1’s second pre-season test in Bahrain highlighted divisions among top drivers regarding the 2026 regulations and car performance. Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton criticized the new vehicles as “anti-racing,” while McLaren’s Lando Norris praised them as “a lot of fun.”
Testing Standouts
Mercedes topped the timesheets with Kimi Antonelli and George Russell fastest, followed by Ferrari’s Hamilton and Charles Leclerc, McLaren’s Piastri and Norris, and Red Bull’s Verstappen. Teams focused on understanding the new active aerodynamics and power units rather than outright pace, amid an engine compression ratio dispute involving Ferrari, Honda, Audi against Mercedes and Red Bull.
Team Rivalries Heat Up
Mercedes’ Toto Wolff claimed a “scary” one-second edge, prompting Red Bull’s Pierre Waché to rank them ahead of Ferrari and McLaren. Ferrari showed race pace potential, while McLaren adapts its Mercedes power unit; the FIA aims to resolve power unit issues before the March 8 Australian GP. New entrants Audi and Cadillac prepare for the expanded grid.
