What we learned from day one of F1’s Bahrain test

Описание: Get all of our reporting (and some foolishness, too) from the Bahrain F1 test and the season ahead as part of The Race Members' Club. Claim your seven-day free trial now:   / membership  

Does Formula 1 suddenly have a new title favourite in 2026?

Mercedes has made a remarkable claim about the straightline performance of the new Red Bull-Ford engine - and long run data from F1's first 'public' test of 2026 gives it some credibility.

But are paddock politics at play, too? Here's what we learned about the early state of play in 2026 from the first day of collective running in Bahrain, including how the new cars actually behave on track, where the delayed new Williams stands and which of the frontrunning cars appears a real handful right now.

0:00 Mercedes' extraordinary Red Bull claim
1:15 What we see in the long runs
2:17 Why Verstappen stands out trackside
3:13 The Ferrari looks difficult
3:58 2026 cars are very different
5:42 Aston Martin and Honda troubles
6:32 A bold new Audi design
7:15 How the new engines really sound
8:26 Williams is overweight but reliable

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