Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc has warned that Mercedes “is hiding a massive amount” of performance from its 2026 Formula 1 rivals, following the first Bahrain pre-season test.

The first official three-day test of the new car regulations has been hard to read, with McLaren, Ferrari and Mercedes leading the way.

Across Friday, the likes of Red Bull, McLaren and Mercedes have all played down their current form, while pointing to others as being the benchmark at this stage.

At the first test, Mercedes has been repeatedly accused of sandbagging, though the Silver Arrows led Friday with Andrea Kimi Antonelli and George Russell.

Asked by the official F1 website if he thought Mercedes and Red Bull have been hiding their performance, Charles Leclerc replied: “I think Red Bull showed a little bit more than Mercedes, and they’ve been very impressive.

Article continues below ADVERTISEMENT

Article continues below ADVERTISEMENT

“I think Mercedes is hiding a massive amount. Only time will tell how much they’ve been hiding.”

Ferrari has also impressed during this test, with the Scuderia third fastest on Friday with Lewis Hamilton.

Though the Briton suffered a stoppage with 10 minutes of Friday’s running remaining, Ferrari’s mileage and reliability have been strong.

There have even been rumours in the paddock that Ferrari hadn’t changed the power unit in Hamilton’s car since the Barcelona shakedown.

Leclerc was positive about Ferrari’s three days in Bahrain, but is keeping his feet on the ground.

Article continues below ADVERTISEMENT

Article continues below ADVERTISEMENT

“Yeah, it’s only a feeling, though,” he remarked about Ferrari’s strong showing in Bahrain.

“So, for now, I will stay cautious.

“If last year you only had two or three things to play with on the car to hide your potential, now maybe it’s 10 or 15, because these new systems, there are so many ways you can really hide your performance than in previous years.

“So, in terms of performance itself, it’s difficult to know.

“In terms of reliability, I think we’re looking good. That’s true and that is a positive.

Article continues below ADVERTISEMENT

Article continues below ADVERTISEMENT

“But, at the end, performance – as much as reliability – is a very important thing we need to excel in and we don’t really know where we are for now.”

Subscribe to our F1 Newsletter