After the completion of two pre-season tests in Bahrain, the F1 teams and drivers will now be fully focused on preparations for the first race of the campaign in Australia. But what is the state of play at each squad entering into 2026? F1.com has rounded up everything you need to know, from how testing unfolded to each outfit’s hopes for Melbourne…
McLaren
How was their pre-season?
Kicking off a year in which they will aim to defend both titles, McLaren seemed to have a solid few days at the Barcelona Shakedown in January, running through their programme and leaving feeling prepared for official pre-season testing in Bahrain.
After launching their livery on February 9, the papaya squad achieved the joint-highest lap count during the first Bahrain test later that week with a tally of 422, as well as setting the fastest time of the first day courtesy of Lando Norris.
The second test also appeared to be mostly smooth for McLaren, despite Norris spending the first half of Friday’s afternoon session in the garage while the team worked on his car. By the final day, the Woking-based outfit had completed 395 laps.
This gave the reigning champions the fourth-best mileage during the closing days of testing, beaten only by Mercedes, Racing Bulls and Haas.
What did the drivers say?
“I think we made some good steps from last week to this week already,” Norris said during the second test. “We know where we’re missing out and what we really need to focus on, but it’s hard to improve as much as what you would like right now.”
Oscar Piastri, meanwhile, commented on the final day of running: “I think we’re probably getting a little bit more optimistic. I wouldn’t say we’re leading the pack by any stretch of the imagination, but I feel like we’re not too bad.”
What did the team bosses say?
Team Principal Andrea Stella urged onlookers to “be careful” about predicting the pecking order based on testing, but commented at the end of the first test: “I have to say that this test has been extremely positive in terms of the mileage that we have been able to achieve – reliability, functionality. We have gone through all the list of tests that we had yet to complete, in order to sign off the new car, which is such a completely new project.”
CEO Zak Brown played down the team’s chances of being at the head of the pack, adding at Test 2: “I think we’ve produced a good car. 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.”
Hopes for Australia
As touched on above from Brown’s comments, the expectation from McLaren appears to be that they will be in the fight at the head of the pack when the season begins in Australia – but not leading.
However, as past seasons have shown, the reigning champions have form when it comes to developing throughout the campaign, meaning that they may well make gains as the year progresses.
Mercedes
How was their pre-season?
Mercedes caught the eye at the Barcelona Shakedown after completing significant mileage, seemingly wrapping up their programme with no major issues as they put the W17 through its paces.
Their lap count was towards the lower end of the scale during the first Bahrain test, but the Silver Arrows set some of the fastest lap times, Kimi Antonelli ending the event with the quickest of all on a 1m 33.669s.
There were further technical gremlins for the squad at Test 2, which included a stoppage on track for Antonelli during Friday’s running owing to a pneumatic issue.
Despite these reliability problems, Mercedes recorded more laps than any other team during the second test with a total of 432 tours of the Bahrain International Circuit.
What did the drivers say?
“There are positives to take – the car is feeling good, the new power units are feeling fast and we’re making improvements every single day,” George Russell reflected on the second test. “However, we need to keep on improving the reliability.”
Antonelli also acknowledged the issues but spoke positively about the feel of the W17, stating: “It hasn’t been the smoothest of tests for me here in Bahrain, but that’s what is testing. Other than that the car has felt pretty good – to be fair we’ve done a lot of work, set-up work, and the car is giving good feelings.”
What did the team bosses say?
“It’s a relief that we started testing and it actually feels decent,” said Team Principal Toto Wolff. “The drivers are quite pleased with the car, and then on the stopwatch we know that we are not miles off, and that was the case in all of the last three or four years that we had.”
Hopes for Australia
As Wolff alluded to, pre-season testing in 2026 seems to have gone much better for Mercedes than in recent years during the ground effect era.
The Silver Arrows have been tipped as a favourite amongst many of their rivals – but it will be fascinating to see where they sit amongst that leading group when the action gets underway in Melbourne.
Red Bull
How was their pre-season?
With 2026 marking the first season in which Red Bull Ford Powertrains will supply engines to both Red Bull and Racing Bulls, there were question marks over how the new manufacturer would fare when the Barcelona Shakedown began.
However, the maiden power unit impressed many with its reliability, enabling Red Bull to complete a healthy number of laps in Barcelona before continuing that form when pre-season testing began in Bahrain.
While there were some issues along the way – with Isack Hadjar’s running hampered by technical problems at the first test – the Milton Keynes-based squad still gained plenty of mileage and seemingly had fewer problems during the second test.
Their tallies for each week were fairly consistent, having recorded 343 tours at Test 1 and 329 during Test 2.
What did the drivers say?
“In general for us, it’s been a very positive start to the year,” Max Verstappen summarised at the second test. “Overall I’m very happy, very happy with the car – in general we don’t have too many problems, so that’s been okay.”
“I feel as ready as I can heading into Melbourne,” Hadjar commented. “The guys have been very good on making the most of the test – we’ve been through so much test items, so I’m very happy with the understanding of the car.”
What did the team bosses say?
While Team Principal Laurent Mekies voiced his pride at what Red Bull Powertrains had achieved with the new engine, the Frenchman cautioned: “Does it put us in a position that we can be satisfied with? No, it doesn’t because we very well know the size of the competition, we very well know the size of the mountain that is still in front of us.”
Hopes for Australia
Despite their good showing at testing, Mekies believes that Red Bull are “trailing the group of the top guys”, suggesting that Mercedes, Ferrari and McLaren – though not necessarily in that order – are ahead of them.
Does this mean that the squad will be fourth-fastest in Australia? All will be revealed in less than two weeks’ time…
Ferrari
How was their pre-season?
Ferrari were amongst the teams that switched focus to 2026 preparations early on in the 2025 season, a move that they were surely hoping would have paid off when they started their on-track running at the Barcelona Shakedown.
Starting their programme in damp conditions on Day 2 of the event, the Scuderia completed some extensive mileage before heading to Bahrain, where they achieved a high lap count at Test 1 that was bettered only by McLaren and Williams.
Test 2 also looked to be productive for the Italian outfit, recording 324 laps as well as ending Friday with the fastest time from the whole test thanks to Charles Leclerc’s lap of 1m 31.992s.
Ferrari appeared to experience good reliability for the most part, despite a stoppage on track for Lewis Hamilton at the very end of the first test.
What did the drivers say?
“We’ve had relatively smooth test days,” Leclerc explained during Test 2. “We’ve tested most of the things we wanted, so I feel like it was a really good preparation for Race 1 – then for performance, I think we’ve got to wait and see in the first Qualifying.”
Hamilton reflected positively on testing in a social media post, writing: “I know what needs to be done. This is going to be one hell of a season. I’ve given everything to be here today.”
What did the team bosses say?
At the end of the second test, Team Principal Fred Vasseur commented: “[I’m] happy, yes, but we have to keep in mind what was the target at the beginning. Our target was to do a lot of mileage and I think this went pretty well, to collect data, to try to improve session after session, and I think this went well.”
Hopes for Australia
While pleased with Ferrari’s mileage in Bahrain, Vasseur also stressed that the team could not read too much into performance levels – as well as suggesting that development throughout the season may be more important than how the squad fare in Melbourne.
Having said that, the Frenchman conceded that he would “prefer to have a good result than a bad one” at the season-opener, where the Scuderia are tipped to be in that battle amongst the top four.
Williams
How was their pre-season?
Of all 11 teams, Williams faced perhaps the most difficult start to the pre-season, with the outfit not participating in the Barcelona Shakedown due to delays in the FW48 programme.
However, after a shakedown at Silverstone on February 4, the Grove-based outfit were back on track at the first Bahrain test, where they set about playing catch-up by logging the joint-highest mileage alongside McLaren.
While they again logged a decent lap count during Test 2, Williams appeared to be lacking performance in comparison to rivals due to the car being overweight.
As such, the squad will be hoping to work on that during the opening few races as they prepare for a season in which they will be aiming to defend their 2025 finish of fifth place in the Teams’ Championship.
What did the drivers say?
“We got good mileage on week one of Bahrain – this week was a little bit more performance-orientated,” Alex Albon explained during the second test. “We’re not maybe where we want to be, and we won’t get [those] days back, but I think we’ve got as much data as we need to.”
Carlos Sainz said: “The car is running reliably from the beginning – that’s allowing us to find out the limitations and the areas where we have to improve, which unfortunately there are quite a few. But the main thing last week was mileage, and then this week we are finally starting to try and find a bit of lap time and performance out of it.”
What did the team bosses say?
“[Williams are] not first, not last,” Team Principal James Vowles gave as his assessment of where the team place. “The good news is every time we go out with the car, we’re learning and finding a little bit more performance, so hopefully a little bit more to come.”
Hopes for Australia
Given their late start as mentioned above, Williams will perhaps keep their expectations in check for the season-opening Australian Grand Prix.
However, the mileage achieved in Bahrain arguably offers a good platform for the team to work from going forwards as they look to keep themselves in the midfield fight.
Racing Bulls
How was their pre-season?
There were two new factors coming into play for Racing Bulls during the pre-season – that being the running of the maiden Red Bull Ford Powertrains engine, and the addition of rookie Arvid Lindblad to the driver line-up.
Despite the changes, the team looked to have mostly smooth running from the Barcelona Shakedown onwards, collecting plenty of mileage there before continuing with their programme in Bahrain.
After an issue on the first day, Racing Bulls went on to enjoy a good week at Test 1 which appeared to again be the case for the second test, where the team’s tally of 407 laps was bettered only by Mercedes.
This also saw Lindblad record the highest daily mileage of any driver, clocking 165 tours on the final day of the event.
What did the drivers say?
“I think just completing a run plan in a test like this is a good achievement, with how difficult these new cars are,” said Liam Lawson. “So far it’s okay, performance-wise very hard to know obviously what everybody else is doing, but we’ll find out pretty soon in Melbourne.”
Lindblad added: “Things are going well so far. We’re getting through all the programme, so I think it’s been positive.”
What did the team bosses say?
At the end of Test 1, Team Principal Alan Permane commented: “This week we’ve had a very good week. It didn’t start off so well – we had an issue on the first day, so we only ran half a day – but since then it’s gone swimmingly. We’re running so we’re learning, and that’s the key.”
Hopes for Australia
The off-season undoubtedly looked positive for Racing Bulls, which will bolster the team’s hopes of defending their P6 finish from 2025.
With the likes of Haas and Alpine also appearing strong in the midfield, however, the Red Bull sister team are likely to face tough competition in that scrap.
Aston Martin
How was their pre-season?
In terms of which teams faced the most challenging pre-season, it is no secret that Aston Martin are in that group.
The British outfit made a late arrival to the Barcelona Shakedown, joining at the end of the event before launching their livery on February 9 and then heading to Bahrain for Test 1.
Arriving on the back foot, Aston Martin ended the first test with the lowest lap count on 206 – which dropped further to just 128 at the second test, during which reliability issues curtailed the squad’s running.
This resulted in their programme ending still with nearly two and half hours of track time remaining on Friday, marking the close of a tough few days for the team.
What did the drivers say?
When asked if the issues with the AMR26 may just be growing pains, Lance Stroll responded: “I think we can improve the car, for sure – we have a lot of ideas. Will all of our problems be fixed for Melbourne? Probably not, but it’s a long season, 24 races, so we keep chipping away.”
Fernando Alonso admitted that the team had faced a “difficult start”, adding: “Lots of things to be fixed. Everyone is working at 100% capacity in both factories, in the UK and Japan as well, and try to make this period of time as short as possible.”
What did the team bosses say?
Team Representative Pedro de la Rosa conceded that the squad are “not where we wanted to be”, explaining during the second test: “We would have preferred to do a lot more quantity of laps, but the laps we’ve done is showing us a direction for the future. There is a lot of work to be done still behind the scenes.”
Hopes for Australia
De la Rosa went on to acknowledge that Aston Martin could face a tricky start to the 2026 season, one in which they will begin slightly on the back foot.
However, while expectations might be modest for Australia, the team are focused on the long-term, with De la Rosa adding: “It’s a long journey, it’s a long season as well, but we still have a mission to be completed.”
Haas
How was their pre-season?
After gaining a sizeable number of laps at the Barcelona Shakedown, Haas carried this theme of good mileage through into pre-season testing.
The American outfit recorded 390 laps at the first Bahrain test – leaving them behind only McLaren, Williams and Ferrari and putting them on target with their programme.
They went on to better this at Test 2 with a tally of 404 tours as Esteban Ocon and Ollie Bearman put the VF-26 through its paces.
It appeared as if the squad enjoyed strong reliability, too, as they continued to run through their plan.
What did the drivers say?
Speaking on the final day of the second test, Bearman said: “We’re having a clean test so far in terms of reliability, which is really the key at this stage of the year. The past two days have been by far the most productive, the ones where we’ve learned the most about the car, which is good because it’s more or less the one we’re going to bring into Melbourne.”
Ocon echoed these sentiments as he commented: “I think it’s been a very good test for us. Since Barcelona, every time we’ve put the car down on a new day, we’ve improved some stuff, we found more performance.”
What did the team bosses say?
“We had a good run programme, really gaining understanding every day,” Team Principal Ayao Komatsu summarised after pre-season testing. “So I think [we’re] reasonably happy with the progress we’ve been making.”
Hopes for Australia
As previously touched on, Haas look to potentially be involved in a close battle at the head of the midfield alongside the likes of Alpine and Racing Bulls.
Given the positivity that surrounded their time at pre-season testing, the team will be hoping that this follows through in Australia, 10 years on from their point-scoring debut at the track back in 2016.
Audi
How was their pre-season?
Audi were another team facing some unknowns heading into the pre-season, with the former Kick Sauber squad preparing for their maiden campaign as the German manufacturer’s works outfit.
While some technical problems limited their running when the Barcelona Shakedown got underway, the team looked to have made progress when testing began in Bahrain, particularly in terms of reliability.
After completing 353 tours during Test 1, Audi ended the second test with another 357 laps under their belt.
Now their attentions switch to the squad’s first race under their new name in Melbourne – but where will they place in the pecking order?
What did the drivers say?
Nico Hulkenberg spoke of the journey from where the team started the pre-season as he reflected during Test 2: “I certainly feel we made some very good progress from Barcelona to where we are today. Definitely some positives there, but it’s still early days.”
“There’s a lot of work to be done ahead of us,” said Gabriel Bortoleto. “It’s a completely new power unit for us – we are the only team running the Audi engine, so everything that we hit on track is new learnings and new tests.”
What did the team bosses say?
“To be where we are and achieve the mileage that we achieved last week is hugely encouraging,” Team Principal Jonathan Wheatley explained during Test 2. “But it’s an ambitious journey we’re on, and we’re a little way away from where we’d ideally be at the moment.”
Hopes for Australia
Bearing in mind Wheatley’s comments, Audi are unlikely to be setting lofty ambitions for what they hope to achieve from the off in Melbourne.
However, as touched on by the drivers, the progress made throughout testing looks to be a positive sign going forwards for the newly-named team.
Alpine
How was their pre-season?
After a difficult 2025 campaign – in which they finished at the bottom of the pack – Alpine entered 2026 with the hope that their decision to switch focus to this season’s new regulations at a very early stage last year would pay dividends.
Having steadily ramped up their mileage during the Barcelona Shakedown, the Enstone-based outfit then faced occasional issues at the first Bahrain test, with both Franco Colapinto and Pierre Gasly experiencing stoppages on track.
Things looked to go more smoothly at Test 2, in which the team completed 359 laps at the wheel of the A526.
With their programme now complete, Alpine will doubtless be keen to see where they stack up when the campaign gets underway in Melbourne, marking their first season with Mercedes power units onboard.
What did the drivers say?
“[There’s] quite a lot to get up to speed [with],” Gasly remarked at the second test. “But I think generally I’m pretty pleased. It’s such a big change, it’s going to take some time to figure everything out, but same for everyone, and I think we’re enjoying that challenge.”
“I think we are still learning a lot about the car [and] the engine – it’s all very different to last year,” said Colapinto. “So it’s very early to say, but at the moment it’s going well.”
What did the team bosses say?
Managing Director Steve Nielsen commented on where the team stand: “We’re confident we’ve taken a step from last year, but where we stack up, we don’t know until Melbourne. We’re all trying to second-guess what each other’s doing.”
Hopes for Australia
Alpine are clearly hopeful that they have made progress from their 2025 struggles, meaning that the squad will surely be aiming for a good start at the Australian Grand Prix weekend.
But with the likes of Haas and Racing Bulls also appearing to have good prospects, it will be interesting to see which team comes out on top amongst the midfield.
Cadillac
How was their pre-season?
The pre-season perhaps posed the biggest unknown of all for Cadillac, ahead of the squad’s very first campaign in Formula 1.
But despite lacking in experience, the American outfit hit the track on Day 1 of the Barcelona Shakedown and have continued to gain good mileage through the two tests in Bahrain.
While there were some technical issues along the way, Cadillac ended each week with a solid lap count as they worked through their programme.
The new squad completed 320 and 266 tours at the first and second tests respectively, giving them a decent starting point to work from ahead of Melbourne.
What did the drivers say?
Looking ahead to what Cadillac can hope for in their maiden campaign, Valtteri Bottas said: “It is really not about where we start from, because I think the team has already done an incredible job to be here, to have a car running. So [it’s] not about where we start from, but where we end up.”
Fellow returning driver Sergio Perez added: “Every single test we’ve been improving quite a bit. We’re getting a lot of mileage, which has been the most important part on us – we knew it was going to be a very tough start, but it’s all about how quickly we can develop from here.”
What did the team bosses say?
“I’m very happy,” Team Principal Graeme Lowdon commented on the outfit’s start at testing. “We’re working through the programme, had no major issues – just small issues that I think every team in the paddock will have had before.”
Hopes for Australia
As the above suggests, Cadillac will not be setting unrealistic expectations for the first race in Melbourne as they set about finding their feet in Formula 1.
However, with a solid amount of mileage behind them during their maiden pre-season testing, there is plenty of positivity for the American outfit to take forwards into 2026.
