2026 F1 Pre-Season Testing gets underway with Mercedes emerging as favourites

Formula One is set to make its return on 6th March, and fans have had their first look at the cars during the initial three days of pre-season testing in Bahrain. As a new era of regulations is ushered in, all teams aim to capitalise on this change.

After three days and a total of 3,805 laps, the favourites, Mercedes, have topped the timesheets, with Kimi Antonelli setting the quickest time of 1 minute 33.669 seconds, closely followed by teammate George Russell. However, they have experienced some reliability issues with their power unit, and Antonelli spent much of the first two days in the garage. Despite this, Charles Leclerc believes that Mercedes is ‘hiding a massive amount,’ making them the team to watch for during their bid for dominance.

Haas has displayed a surprising amount of pace, finishing 4th and 3rd on Days 1 and 2, respectively

Ferrari, despite Leclerc’s cautious words, appears to match Mercedes’ pace, with Leclerc topping the timesheets on Day 2. This, combined with the car’s apparent reliability, suggests the team may contend for wins once again after their lack of Grand Prix victories in 2025.

Reigning world champions, McLaren, also seem strong in both timings and reliability, maintaining their competitive edge over rivals Red Bull, even though Mercedes Team Principal Toto Wolff said Red Bull was ‘setting the benchmark’ for Day 1 of testing.

Haas has displayed a surprising amount of pace, finishing 4th and 3rd on Days 1 and 2, respectively. Although the first days of testing were to focus on ‘basics’ and understanding how to ‘extract the most from these new car power units,’ these timings could position Haas as a contender for points finishes.

For Williams, this testing has been crucial after missing the Barcelona shakedown due to car development delays. But, after 422 laps and no stoppages, with a 15th and 18th in the timesheets, it remains uncertain whether this delay will pay off.

Aston Martin had high hopes for this season, but it’s currently uncertain whether they will find this performance before the season opener in Australia

Racing Bulls rookie Arvid Lindblad appears to be settling into the car, despite running off wide a couple of times. Liam Lawson had no apparent issues and finished 16th overall.

However, these moments of success have not been mirrored by Aston Martin. The team were looking to showcase a difference with the injection of Adrian Newey, but, as Lance Stroll remarked, they are ‘four seconds off the top teams.’ They had high hopes for this season, but it’s currently uncertain whether they will find this performance before the season opener in Australia.

Alpine also faced struggles, mainly with reliability, as both Franco Colapinto and Pierre Gasly experienced mechanical failures. Coupled with questions over the Mercedes power unit’s compliance with regulations, this does not bode well for the team as they hope to climb from the bottom of the Constructors’ Standings.

Lastly, Audi and Cadillac are looking to make a splash in their debut season in Formula One. Audi Team Principal Jonathan Wheatley wants to ‘make Audi the most successful F1 team in history,’ though reaching that milestone remains a long way off.
Nevertheless, Nico Hulkenberg and Gabriel Bortoleto’s 12th and 13th finishes give some optimism about scoring points in the 2026 season.

Cadillac, despite Valtteri Bottas and Sergio Perez’s combined 16 wins, finished 17th and 19th, casting doubt on their competitiveness.

Despite these early impressions, and next week’s testing still to come, timings should be taken with caution, as factors like fuel loads and car programming remain unknown. These elements may not echo a race setup, so assessing a team’s success based on reliability may be more prudent. As such, the likes of Ferrari, McLaren, and Red Bull are succeeding, while Alpine and Mercedes seem to be struggling. Overall, there appears to be ‘a good gaggle of cars that are competitive,’ setting up the 2026 season to be just as tense as 2025.