Testing times in F1

for some...

I said in this column last week that after the final pre-season F1 test we would have more of an idea of each team’s performance. But after three days of action in Bahrain, I’m channelling Toto Wolff’s thoughts from day two.

“One more day of testing. Hide and deceive between all the teams but you know what we say [going] into Melbourne - once the flag drops, the bullshit stops.” Danke Toto. Straight to the point as always.

What we do know is that most teams are hiding something. Some good. Some bad.

Over the last few days, Mercedes completed the most laps, with 432 across the three days. At the other end of the chart was Aston Martin, who endured a difficult test and managed just 128 laps.

Ferrari made plenty of headlines. Yes, Charles Leclerc set the fastest lap of pre-season testing, but it was their rotating rear wing that really caught people’s attention. They also have a small vane near the exhaust that is making technical and design bods sit up and take notice. The Scuderia’s design appears more innovative than others, but these cars will evolve hugely from week to week. At this stage, though, Ferrari looks like a very competitive package.

However, Leclerc said on Friday that while they are broadly happy with how things have gone, they really don’t know what Mercedes and the other teams are hiding.

Below, I’ve tried to give a flavour of how tricky the test has been in terms of reliability. Rather than deciphering it all myself, I’ve shared some quotes from press releases to give you an idea of what the teams and drivers are saying. I haven’t mentioned everyone — just those who had something slightly different to say.

McLaren – On Friday, Lando Norris had an issue that curtailed his session. “We found a small chassis issue on the car at lunchtime, which meant our running in the afternoon was delayed. As a result, we didn’t get the full race simulation we had planned done, but we were still able to get some important track time, especially with the practice start at the end.,” said the World Champion.

Mercedes – Kimi began Friday in the car, but his morning was cut short by a loss of pneumatic pressure. That brought him to a halt on track and necessitated a power unit switch.

Red Bull Racing – Their new power unit has impressed many so far. Laurent Mekies said at the end of last year that RBR were under immense pressure - not just with the new regulations, but with the added challenge of creating their own power unit for the first time. He admitted to having nerves about it, but so far, so good.

Ferrari – Sporting Director Diego Ioverno spoke about a “steep gradient of learning all season”, adding that it is going to feel like a very long year for everyone.

Aston Martin – The mood there seemed despondent, but Honda were quick to shoulder some of the blame, issuing this statement: “Our last run with Fernando Alonso showed a battery-related issue that impacted our test plan with the Aston Martin Aramco Formula One Team. Since then, we have been carrying out simulations on the test bench in HRC Sakura. Due to this and a shortage of power unit parts, we have adapted today’s run plan (Friday) to be very limited and consist only of short stints.”

Adrian Newey said on the AM website a few weeks ago, “The wind tunnel wasn’t on song until April, and I only joined the team last March, so we’ve started from behind. We didn’t get a model of the ‘26 car into the wind tunnel until mid-April, whereas most, if not all of our rivals would have had a model in the wind tunnel from the moment the 2026 aero testing ban ended at the beginning of January.

That put us on the back foot by about four months, which has meant a compressed research and design cycle.”

Williams – They missed the Barcelona shakedown but have tested well in Bahrain. Carlos Sainz said on Friday night that expectations are lower than they were at the start of last season, and his boss, James Vowles, added: “No one truly knows where all the performance lies. That’s what Melbourne is all about, so I can’t wait to go there, to gain a further understanding of where we are. What I know for sure, though, is we have work to do. There’s no doubt about it. We’ve put ourselves on the back foot.”

What is striking is how much work all the teams and drivers are talking about. A great deal needs to happen over the next couple of weeks before the Australian Grand Prix. This is a season that will see continuous tweaks to rules and regulations as issues become apparent. The start procedure is already being tinkered with. Power unit data will be analysed and reassessed throughout.

And it’s not just about outright performance - it’s about how drivable the car is. McLaren’s Andrea Stella said, “One area that continues to be highlighted is that the driver’s role this season under the new regulation is even more challenging. We acknowledge that they will be busier managing the power unit without compromising lap time or race craft,”

Management will be the watch-word of the season. That will be the key to success. Interestingly, I saw Alex Albon say that he believes these new cars may suit Lewis Hamilton best.

For now, I’m sticking with Toto’s way of thinking — even if his team might be hiding more than most. We’ll find out in two weeks’ time.