Formula 1 teams started to chase performance on the penultimate day of pre-season testing in Bahrain and, while it’s still hard to define a pecking order, there are definitely some trends that have emerged to help build a picture…
The top four appear to still be the top four
No one has wanted to wear the favourite tag throughout pre-season in Bahrain, with Mercedes saying Red Bull are favourites, McLaren saying Ferrari and Mercedes are favourites, and Red Bull saying Mercedes are favourites.
It still remains unclear who is actually top of the pile, but there does seem to be a consensus up and down the paddock that the teams that finished in the top four last year – McLaren, Mercedes, Red Bull and Ferrari – are still the top four now.
McLaren chief Zak Brown said on Thursday: “I think we’ll be in the big four – I don’t think we’re in the front of the big four, but it’s going to be a long season with a lot of development.”
But that doesn’t mean it’ll be same-same all year. Brown makes a good point that whoever does end up fastest in Australia may not be the ones to beat throughout the season, given there’s expected to be a development race as there usually is when sweeping new regulations are introduced.
Ferrari cause a scene with innovative rear wing
Ferrari kicked off 2026 with a Spec-A car so that they could focus on the fundamentals before bringing new parts. That analysis continued into the first week of Bahrain testing, though the team introduced a few new bits midway through the test.
Then on the first day of the second test, they added a neat beam wing behind the exhaust that turned heads before creating a big scene on Thursday when Lewis Hamilton ran a radical flip rear wing element that rotates itself upside down in straight line mode.
The team called the wing a ‘test’ item and have yet to confirm whether they will run it in the future. They also removed it in the afternoon while they completed their long runs.
Nonetheless, having gone under the radar in the first week in Bahrain, they have emerged as one of the most impressive teams in testing – with their starts particularly eye-catching – and could well be at the sharp end come Australia.
Aston Martin’s woes continue
Aston Martin were in desperate need of mileage heading into the penultimate day of testing but they did not get what they hoped for after yet more technical issues.
Fernando Alonso only managed 68 laps across the day, with his afternoon session ending early after Honda identified an issue with the power unit which forced the team to stop the car out on track as a precaution.
While the car returned to the garage, the double World Champion didn’t rejoin, thus ending his pre-season on a sour note – and leaving Aston Martin with a steep hill to climb.
“It was important to get some mileage in, but it wasn’t enough, and we couldn’t complete our run plan due to a PU-related issue that caused an early finish to the afternoon session,” he said.
“There are many things we need to fix, but I know everyone at the track and at the campus is working at 100% capacity to find solutions.”
Mercedes enjoy ruthlessly efficient day
George Russell and Kimi Antonelli combined to clock 157 “trouble free” laps in Bahrain, with Mercedes trackside chief Andrew Shovlin saying the high mileage helped the squad “recover a good chunk of the ground we lost with several stoppages last week”.
The team focused on running a series of test items, continuing to build their understanding of the W17 as they honed the set-up when running the C3 compound tyre.
As it was Antonelli’s last evening session, when conditions are most representative, the team gave him some lower fuel running towards the end of the day – and he went on to set the fastest time. Russell will get the same chance when he closes the test out by running in the PM on Friday.
Antonelli, though, remained cautious about Mercedes’ impressive form. “We were able to get through everything we had planned and end the day P1,” he said. “While that is positive, the gaps between those at the front are already incredibly small and down to a matter of hundredths today.”
