F1: Preseason tests shows how different 2026 will be

Red Bull promoted Isack Hadjar to the top team for 2026. Will he fare any better against Max Verstappen than past teammates? Credit: Marcel van Dorst/EYE4IMAGES/NurPhoto via Getty Images

It’s just two weeks until F1 gets underway in Australia, and teams are currently in Bahrain, midway through their third and final preseason test. The 2026 season promises to be wildly different from those of the past few years, with all-new cars, engines, hybrid systems, and sustainable fuels entering the mix and shaking up the established order.

You shouldn’t read too much into times from preseason testing. The cars don’t have to conform to the in-season rules as teams test new components or fit-test rigs; for example, glowing brake discs could once again be seen on some cars that weren’t running wheel covers at an earlier test, something we’re unlikely to see during actual ...