What can we learn from the first F1 tests in Bahrain?

After a few laps on the Barcelona-Catalunya circuit during the Shakedown held behind closed doors at the end of January, the F1 has settled in Bahrain for the first of two weeks of official testing ahead of the 2026 season.

The winners

Classic Ferrari for sale confirmed the reliability of its new engine, Lewis Hamilton et Charles Leclerc totaling 421 laps. What was crucial was reliability. recalls Frédéric Vasseur, the team manager, speaking to Canal+. We don't have a big wolf, it reacts quite well, it correlates well with the wind tunnel. "The Monegasque driver also set the fastest time on the second day, sending an initial positive signal for the Maranello team. Also noteworthy are the promising results of..." Haas with Oliver Bearman, a surprising third on the second day and Esteban Ocon, fourth the first. The reliability of the VF-26 and its Ferrari engine was also praised by the Frenchman.

In terms of pure performance, although extremely difficult to improve at the moment, Mercedes Benz Ferrari, for its part, demonstrated considerable strength, despite engine problems limiting the number of laps completed by the Silver Arrows. George Russell and Kimi Antonelli were indeed the only two drivers to break the 1 minute 34 second barrier. Despite an engine issue that hampered him on Friday morning, the Italian set the fastest time of the week with a 1:33.669. At the heart of the controversy surrounding engine compression ratios, some drivers and teams, including Max VerstappenHowever, they accuse Mercedes of downplaying its potential.

On the side of Red BullThe first RBPT engine proved particularly reliable, despite a hydraulic leak on Thursday, which delayed Isack Hadjar's track outing. The good surprise is the engine group. The bad one is our overall performance. "Pierre Waché, the team's technical director, points out. For his debut, Cadillac came through well, apart from a few red flags caused by his cars, finishing tenth out of eleven teams, ahead Aston MartinAlso new to the grid, Audi lined up a car with reworked aerodynamics compared to the Shakedown.

Absent in Barcelona, Williams Meanwhile, it continues to close the gap. After two days of filming, the Grove-based team has completed the most laps in this first round of official testing, tied with McLarenThe initial tests would thus suggest an initial hierarchy, with McLaren, Mercedes, Ferrari and Red Bull among the fastest.

Losers

The big losers in these trials remain Aston MartinAfter just 65 laps in Barcelona, ​​the Silverstone team, whose Adrian Newey-designed car was highly anticipated, wore grim faces, reflecting their development lag. The drivers, for their part, made no secret of their frustration. Lance stroll casting a chill over the AMR26 in particular: For now, we seem to be four or four and a half seconds behind the best ».

The best time of the week (1:33.669, Kimi Antonelli) is still 4,321 seconds slower than last year's benchmark of 1:29.348. Carlos Sainz at the time. Finally, if some pilots, like Lando NorrisSome appreciate the first sensations behind the wheel of the 2026 F1 cars, while others denounce a very complex energy management system, like Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton.

Number of laps per team

• Williams: 422
• McLaren: 422
• Ferrari: 421
• Haas: 390
• Audi: 354
• Red Bull: 343
• Racing Bulls: 327
• Cadillac: 320
• Alpine : 318
• Mercedes: 282
• Aston Martin: 206

The teams will have a second and final round of testing, again in Bahrain, next week, from Wednesday 18 to Friday 20 February.

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