Formula 1 News of the Week – February 21, 2026
Pre-season is officially in the books. After six days of running across two tests in Bahrain, the 2026 Formula 1 season is just two weeks away from its first race. The final three days of running offered the clearest picture yet of the new order, with major developments from the top teams, continued struggles for others, and significant news from the calendar front. Here is everything we learned from the final test in the desert.
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🏁 Final Test Wrap: Top Four Too Close to Call
The second and final pre-season test in Bahrain concluded on Friday, and if the teams were hiding their true pace before, the final day’s performance runs offered a tantalising glimpse of the battle ahead. As teams turned to soft tyre runs in the closing hours, a clearer—if still complex—picture emerged.
The consensus across the paddock is that the top four teams from 2025—McLaren, Mercedes, Red Bull, and Ferrari—remain the top four. However, establishing a clear hierarchy among them is nearly impossible, as each showed flashes of pace at different points.
Mercedes appear consistently strong and comfortable. George Russell set the pace on Day 1, and the team brought new parts to the W17 that trackside chief Andrew Shovlin said “seem to be doing what we hoped.” The team enjoyed a “ruthlessly efficient” Day 2, with Russell and Antonelli combining for 157 “trouble-free” laps. However, reliability remains a minor concern after Kimi Antonelli lost track time on the final morning to a pneumatic issue. Despite this, Shovlin noted the team has been able to “keep the car in a good window” and keep degradation “under control.”
Ferrari have emerged from the shadows. After going under the radar in the first test, they impressed with both reliability and speed throughout the second week. Charles Leclerc delivered very strong performance runs late on Friday, and the team’s radical new rear wing—a “test” item that rotates in straight-line mode—turned heads across the paddock. Lewis Hamilton lost around 90 minutes on Day 1 to a minor issue but rebounded strongly, completing his programme and praising the team’s progress.
Red Bull were solid throughout the test, with Max Verstappen enjoying better reliability than teammate Isack Hadjar. Their in-house power unit, developed with Ford, continues to impress rivals. On Day 1, Verstappen and Hadjar completed substantial running, and the team’s consistency across both tests suggests they have a strong foundation.
McLaren appeared to make a significant step in understanding their car across the three days. Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri split running effectively, completing 124 laps on Day 1 alone as they explored different power unit modes. Performance chief Mark Temple said the team are “still learning with each lap, but that’s a good sign that we’re making solid progress.” By the final day, the reigning champions looked far more comfortable than at the start of the test.
McLaren CEO Zak Brown offered the most realistic takeaway on Day 2: “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.” Whoever is fastest in Australia may not be the one to beat all year, as the development race under new regulations is expected to be intense.
🔴 Ferrari’s Form and Innovative Rear Wing Get People Talking
After a quiet first test focused on reliability, Ferrari arrived for the second week with clear intent. On Day 1, they introduced new parts, including a neat beam wing behind the exhaust, and Lewis Hamilton cut an optimistic figure. Speaking in the official press conference, Hamilton said he is hopeful this year will be stronger, noting that this year’s machine has “some of his DNA in it” from the design process.
“I feel like we’ve made progress compared to last week and I’m continuing to build my understanding of the car,” Hamilton said at the end of Day 1. “We’re still working on fine-tuning the balance, but we’re moving in the right direction.”
The spotlight intensified on Day 2 when Hamilton ran a radical new flip rear wing element that rotates upside down in a straight line. The team called it a “test” item and removed it in the afternoon while completing long runs, leaving unanswered questions about whether it will appear in Melbourne. Nonetheless, the innovation underscored Ferrari’s aggressive development approach under the new regulations.
On the final day, Leclerc took over and delivered some of the most impressive performance runs of the entire test in the closing stages. Combined with the team’s strong reliability—they completed 420 laps in the first test and continued that trend in the second—the Scuderia looks very much in the mix. Their race starts, in particular, caught the attention of observers.
🔵 Mercedes Build Momentum Despite Minor Gremlins
If any team looked consistently ready to race, it was Mercedes. Despite Antonelli’s final-day pneumatic issue, the Silver Arrows completed their programme with efficiency and pace.
On Day 1, Russell set the pace, and Antonelli clocked 69 laps—just nine shy of his teammate. Mercedes brought new parts to the W17, and Shovlin confirmed they worked through a programme of set-up changes successfully. “We have been able to keep the car in a good window and keep degradation under control,” he said.
Day 2 was particularly strong. Russell and Antonelli combined for 157 laps, which Shovlin said helped the squad “recover a good chunk of the ground we lost with several stoppages last week.” The team focused on running test items and honing the set-up on C3 compound tyres. In the evening session—when conditions are most representative—Antonelli was given lower fuel running and set the fastest time of the day.
Antonelli remained cautious despite the pace. “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.”
Russell will close out the team’s pre-season programme when he runs the final sessions, but the overall impression is clear: Mercedes will be among the frontrunners in Melbourne.
🟠 McLaren Find Their Feet as Champions
As reigning World Champions, McLaren entered pre-season with a target on their backs—but also with the experience of knowing how to manage a testing programme.
Day 1 of the second test was productive, with Norris and Piastri splitting 124 laps between them. Both drivers reported feeling more comfortable in the car as they explored short and long runs across different power unit modes. Temple’s assessment that they were “still learning with each lap” reflected a team focused on process over headline times.
By Day 2, McLaren’s understanding had grown. While Brown downplayed their position relative to the other top teams, the car’s consistency suggested they were gathering valuable data. On the final day, they appeared to make a significant step forward, with Norris and Piastri both looking more at home in the MCL40.
The caveat, as Brown noted, is that development will define the season. “It’s going to be a long season with a lot of development,” he said. “Whoever does end up fastest in Australia may not be the ones to beat throughout the season.”
🔵 Red Bull Solid as In-House Power Unit Impresses
For Red Bull, 2026 represents a new chapter with their own power unit, developed in partnership with Ford. If the two Bahrain tests are any indication, the gamble is paying off.
Throughout the second test, Max Verstappen enjoyed reliable running, completing substantial mileage while new teammate Isack Hadjar worked through his own programme. While Hadjar lost some track time on Day 2 to a minor issue, the overall reliability of the Red Bull Powertrains engine drew praise from rivals, including Charles Leclerc.
The team’s pace was evident in flashes, though they, like others, focused on programme completion over headline times. By the final day, Verstappen had logged consistent laps that suggested the car has a solid foundation. The sister Racing Bulls team, using the same power unit, also showed respectable pace, with Liam Lawson and rookie Arvid Lindblad gaining valuable mileage.
🚩 Aston Martin’s Painful Pre-Season Ends on a Sour Note
If one team will be relieved pre-season is over, it is Aston Martin. Their difficult winter reached a low point on the final day, which yielded just six laps and ended two-and-a-half hours early due to a shortage of Honda power unit parts.
The struggles began early in the second test. On Day 1, running was limited but not catastrophic. Day 2 brought more pain: Fernando Alonso managed only 68 laps before his afternoon session ended early when Honda identified an issue, forcing the team to stop the car out on track as a precaution. Alonso did not rejoin, ending his pre-season on a sour note.
“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,” Alonso 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.”
Day 3 was a disaster. Just six laps were completed before the team parked the car for good, citing a shortage of Honda parts. Lance Stroll summed it up as a “challenging couple of weeks,” with the team ending the test on just 128 laps—78 fewer than the first week and the lowest of any team.
“It’s clear the car isn’t where we want it to be performance-wise, and we know there’s a lot of work ahead in the coming weeks and months,” Stroll said. “There’s a long season ahead, and we’ll keep pushing flat out to unlock more performance.”
Mike Krack, Chief Trackside Officer, was candid about the implications: “We haven’t been able to complete all of the usual tasks typical of winter testing. This leaves us on the back foot going into the start of the season.”
While the team possesses the resources, infrastructure, and Adrian Newey’s genius, they face a mountain to climb heading into Melbourne. The potential is there—but it may take time to realise.
🏁 Cadillac, Alpine, Racing Bulls Complete Programmes
Beyond the headline teams, the rest of the grid completed their programmes with varying degrees of success.
Alpine faced some issues during the three days, with both Franco Colapinto and Pierre Gasly experiencing stoppages. However, Managing Director Steve Nielsen spoke positively about the team’s progress, noting that Enstone had “made a much better car than last year.” The team completed 318 laps in the first test and added meaningful mileage in the second.
Racing Bulls enjoyed a solid test overall. After an issue on the first day of the first test hampered their running, Team Principal Alan Permane said the outfit had enjoyed a “very good week” in the second test. Rookie Arvid Lindblad gained valuable mileage and reported getting “more comfortable” with his new machine. The team’s use of the Red Bull power unit appears to be a strength.
Audi, in their first season as a works team, continued their learning curve. Nico Hulkenberg noted after the first test that they had taken “a good step forward in terms of performance, in terms of reliability.” The second test allowed them to build on that foundation, with both Hulkenberg and Gabriel Bortoleto gaining crucial seat time.
📰 Calendar News: Barcelona Extends, Spa to Rotate
Away from on-track action, F1 announced a significant calendar update ahead of the second test. The Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya has signed a multi-year extension to remain on the calendar through at least 2032.
From this year, the event will be renamed the Barcelona-Catalunya Grand Prix. The race will take place in 2026, 2028, 2030, and 2032, rotating with the Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps, which will host in 2026, 2027, 2029, and 2031.
The extension follows significant investment at the circuit, including the construction of the Circuit Rooftop—a new hospitality space overlooking Turns 9, 10, and 11—and the installation of solar panels throughout the facility. In 2025, 300,000 fans attended the race weekend, which saw Oscar Piastri claim victory ahead of Lando Norris.
F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali welcomed the extension: “Barcelona is an incredible city, and the Formula 1 fans there always welcome us with such passion, so I am delighted that we will continue to race at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya for years to come. The team have invested heavily in the circuit and hosted fantastic fan festivals in recent years, so we look forward to seeing how they continue to develop the experience.”
Pol Gibert, CEO of Circuits de Catalunya SL, highlighted the economic impact: “Formula 1 generates an economic impact of more than €300 million per edition, but above all it is a strategic event that helps project Catalonia worldwide as a country capable of hosting top-level sporting competitions.”
The rotation with Spa preserves two historic venues on the calendar while allowing both circuits to invest in their infrastructure and fan experience.
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💬 Domenicali: “Totally Positive” for an “Incredible Year”
With the new regulations prompting intense debate throughout pre-season, F1 President and CEO Stefano Domenicali used the final test to address fans directly, expressing full confidence in the 2026 product.
Speaking from the Bahrain paddock, Domenicali urged calm, noting that new regulations always bring uncertainty—but that F1’s history shows the system adapts. “I want to say to our fans that it is an incredible spectacle, because I was just on the track to see outside with a fan eye,” he said. “I didn’t see any difference with [the] speed [and] sound.”
He acknowledged the complexity of the new power unit management but stressed that from a spectator’s perspective, the show remains unchanged. “If there is anything that has to be addressed—with the FIA co-ordinating group, because that’s their duty—I have to say we have an incredible F1 Commission where there was a very open discussion to tackle what could be the points that need to be addressed to improve even better the show, understanding the more complex way to run the car internally from the driver point of view. But outside, and from the eye of the fan, this will not be seen. Therefore, I’m totally positive to say that it will be another incredible year.”
Domenicali drew parallels to past regulation changes: “I remember in 2014, I remember in 2020, I remember in 2021. As always, F1 as a system has always been proving that the technical solution will have always helped the team to be fast and the drivers to be the best, so I’m totally positive for that.”
He also reminded everyone that development will define the season, not the first race: “I wouldn’t at all make a final conclusion after the Australia race, whatever it will be, because it would be very, very premature—believe me on that.”
“In Melbourne everyone will be focused to win the race, and that’s the focus that has to be remembered,” he added. “The first will always be the fastest or luckiest or whatever it is. Nothing will be different from the past in that respect, and the evolution of the possibility to learn even more in this new set of regulations, I think is an incredible opportunity.”
🛣️ What’s Next: The Grid Heads to Melbourne
The talking and testing are over. The 2026 Formula 1 season officially begins in just two weeks with the Australian Grand Prix at Albert Park from March 6-8.
The final verdict from Bahrain is that we have a closely matched top four—Mercedes, Ferrari, Red Bull, and McLaren—separated by hundredths rather than seconds. Haas have emerged as a genuine midfield force, while Williams, Racing Bulls, Alpine, Audi, and Cadillac have laid foundations to build upon. Aston Martin face a steep hill to climb, but with Adrian Newey’s involvement and Honda’s power unit, they cannot be counted out for long.
Melbourne will provide the first real answers. Until then, the development races continue behind closed doors as teams prepare for the opening round of what promises to be an unforgettable season.
📰 Sources:
- 🔗 What we learned from Day 1 of the second 2026 pre-season test in Bahrain – Formula1.com
- 🔗 What we learned from Day 2 of the second 2026 pre-season test in Bahrain – Formula1.com
- 🔗 What we learned from Day 3 of the second 2026 pre-season test in Bahrain – Formula1.com
- 🔗 F1 announces multi-year extension with the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya – Formula1.com
- 🔗 Domenicali positive 2026 will be ‘incredible year’ – Formula1.com
