F1 Pre-Season: Three Days of Racing Leaves the Pecking Order Undecided
After an action-packed three days of testing, Formula 1 fans finally got to see the 2026 spec cars in motion, and it was an astounding spectacle. Every team gave it their all, but some teams gave more than others. The biggest takeaway so far is that no team wants to say they dominated the testing. From the errors of Mercedes' suspension to the unwavering resolve of Red Bull Racing, it is now time to take a look and see how these teams adapted to the new ruleset.
Day one of testing saw some familiar faces leading the order and some new ones. The rivalry between Lando Norris and Max Verstappen continued as they topped the charts, with Norris barely beating out Verstappen in time. Fans got spoiled with last year's title fight, and it looks like we’ll get another one this year. Another good surprise this year was to see Esteban Ocon and Pierre Gasly finding their way into the top eight, leading people to suspect that Haas and Alpine are no longer the back markers of the sport.
Day two of testing showed which teams had their cars truly figured out. Mercedes’ sophomore driver Andrea Kimi Antonelli started the day with a powertrain issue and only completed three laps, and was not able to set a time. Ferrari fans were happy to see Charles Leclerc topping the times and beating out Norris to top the charts, as teams learned their car and further fine-tuned it. Haas’ Oliver Bearman surprised everyone as well, rounding out the top three for the day.
Day three of testing smoothed out the order immensely. Mercedes bounced back and took the top two spots with George Russell beating out Antonelli to set the fastest time seen during testing, with Lewis Hamilton rounding out the top three. However, Cadillac could be considered the true “winner” of testing. The first new team since 2016, they ran with reliability and excitement. With a lot of work to do before the opening race in Australia, they showed they are able to put in the work and do it consistently. A big shock to everyone was Aston Martin and their struggles with the new Honda-powered engine. They ended up completing the least amount of laps, totaling just 206. For reference, Red Bull’s head-turning powertrain got in 670 laps.
At the end of it all, the first half of pre-season testing gave the audience good surprises. Haas and Alpine make unexpected appearances, and Cadillac’s will to compete. Of course, we also get disappointments with Aston Martin, but the true testing ground will be the second half of testing, where teams will bring their race-spec cars. Be sure to keep up with it on February 17th, at 11:00 p.m. PST.
