Formula 1 teams have continued their preseason testing in Bahrain, following the Barcelona Shakedown, as we’re only a few weeks away from the Australian Grand Prix, where the sweeping technical regulations will officially be implemented.
According to the preseason Formula 1 2026 odds, Mercedes are the favourites heading into the new season because of their superb performance of the W17 in the first five days of testing in Barcelona last month. However, team principal Toto Wolff believes otherwise, since Red Bull, McLaren, and Ferrari are also considered in contention for this year’s constructors’ championship.
In contrast, expectations aren’t high for Aston Martin, as the Silverstone-based outfit has suffered a disastrous start to their preseason preparations, and time is running out on them to iron out their issues.
Here are some of the notable Formula 1 2026 updates, courtesy of SBOTOP.
Mercedes draws valid questions after Bahrain preseason test
After a smooth run in Barcelona, Mercedes dealt with a series of problems in the opening two days of the first Bahrain preseason test involving their suspension and power unit. However, the Silver Arrows bounced back well on the final day to log 139 laps to recover some lost mileage, with Kimi Antonelli going the fastest at 1:33.669, which was 0.249 seconds quicker than his teammate George Russell, who had set in the same car before the lunch break.
Because of what happened before the third day, rivals have accused Mercedes of sandbagging. It’s reported that Mercedes have identified a loophole in the new regulations, allowing them to boost the engine compression ratio, potentially unlocking more horsepower for the W17.
The Silver Arrows believe their power units are legal, as the compression ratio adheres to the 16:1 limit when measured at ambient temperature. However, other teams argue that it goes against the spirit of the new regulations to allow any innovation that enables an engine to exceed the limit when heated through use.
Amid the controversy, team principal Toto Wolff and George Russell downplayed the favourite tag and named Red Bull as the most competitive car on the grid. However, Max Verstappen isn’t buying it, considering their team had a quiet final day, with him and teammate Isack Hadjar completing 114 laps between them over the day, finishing fifth and sixth on the grid.
Hamilton gives Ferrari a sliver of hope in Bahrain
Lewis Hamilton finished third behind Kimi Antonelli and George Russell on the third day of the first Bahrain preseason testing, which is considered a positive sign for Ferrari. It’s reported that the SF-26 will debut a new engine, new gearbox, and new aerodynamic package this week for the second batch of tests.
Despite the excitement around Ferrari’s progress, team principal Fred Vasseur downplayed expectations. He’s convinced that their rivals have more tricks up their sleeves in the weeks heading into the new campaign.
On the other hand, the bigger news about Hamilton recently is his love life, as he’s rumoured to be dating Kim Kardashian. The seven-time world champion was seen together with the marketing mogul during Super Bowl LX. Hamilton was recently asked about it during several ambush interviews, but the 41-year-old declined to comment, stressing that his private life is exactly that.
Back to Formula 1 matters, Ferrari has yet to determine who will be Hamilton’s next race engineer this season, following Riccardo Adami’s move to a different role within the organisation. Last season, Hamilton and Adami struggled to connect and had noticeable issues over the radio.
Aston Martin face one setback after another
Aston Martin pulled a massive coup last year when they poached Adrian Newey from Red Bull. However, despite having Newey among its ranks, the team has suffered a horrendous start under its new power unit provider, Honda.
Newey’s first Aston Martin car, the AMR26, barely made it to Barcelona last month, with Lance Stroll only clocking five laps around the track before Fernando Alonso took over for 60 laps on the final test day. As a result, the Silverstone outfit headed into the Bahrain preseason testing on the back foot. From there, things went from bad to worse, as Stroll only completed 36 laps on Day 1 before missing much of the day’s running due to a power unit problem. The Canadian racer then dropped a bombshell claim that the AMR26 is around four seconds behind the top team. The AMR26’s gearbox has also been a problem, and experts believe that if they cannot solve it within the next few days, it might take Aston Martin until July to rebuild it.
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