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\u2019s hopes for Melbourne\u2026<\/p>\n
McLaren<\/p>\n
How was their pre-season?<\/p>\n
Kicking off a year in which they will aim to defend both titles, McLaren<\/a> 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.<\/p>\n 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<\/a>.<\/p>\n The second test also appeared to be mostly smooth for McLaren, despite Norris spending the first half of Friday\u2019s afternoon session in the garage while the team worked on his car. By the final day, the Woking-based outfit had completed 395 laps.<\/p>\n This gave the reigning champions the fourth-best mileage during the closing days of testing, beaten only by Mercedes, Racing Bulls and Haas.<\/p>\n What did the drivers say?<\/p>\n \u201cI think we made some good steps from last week to this week already,\u201d Norris said during the second test. \u201cWe know where we\u2019re missing out and what we really need to focus on, but it\u2019s hard to improve as much as what you would like right now.\u201d<\/p>\n Oscar Piastri<\/a>, meanwhile, commented on the final day of running: \u201cI think we\u2019re probably getting a little bit more optimistic. I wouldn\u2019t say we\u2019re leading the pack by any stretch of the imagination, but I feel like we\u2019re not too bad.\u201d<\/p>\n What did the team bosses say?<\/p>\n Team Principal Andrea Stella urged onlookers to \u201cbe careful\u201d about predicting the pecking order based on testing, but commented at the end of the first test: \u201cI have to say that this test has been extremely positive in terms of the mileage that we have been able to achieve \u2013 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.\u201d<\/p>\n CEO Zak Brown played down the team\u2019s chances of being at the head of the pack, adding at Test 2: \u201cI think we\u2019ve produced a good car. I think we\u2019ll be in the big four \u2013 I don\u2019t think we\u2019re in the front of the big four, but it\u2019s going to be a long season with a lot of development.\u201d<\/p>\n Hopes for Australia<\/p>\n As touched on above from Brown\u2019s 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 \u2013 but not leading.<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n Mercedes<\/p>\n How was their pre-season?<\/p>\n Mercedes<\/a> 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.<\/p>\n 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<\/a> ending the event with the quickest of all on a 1m 33.669s.<\/p>\n There were further technical gremlins for the squad at Test 2, which included a stoppage on track for Antonelli during Friday\u2019s running owing to a pneumatic issue.<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n What did the drivers say?<\/p>\n \u201cThere are positives to take \u2013 the car is feeling good, the new power units are feeling fast and we\u2019re making improvements every single day,\u201d George Russell<\/a> reflected on the second test. \u201cHowever, we need to keep on improving the reliability.\u201d<\/p>\n Antonelli also acknowledged the issues but spoke positively about the feel of the W17, stating: \u201cIt hasn\u2019t been the smoothest of tests for me here in Bahrain, but that\u2019s what is testing. Other than that the car has felt pretty good \u2013 to be fair we\u2019ve done a lot of work, set-up work, and the car is giving good feelings.\u201d<\/p>\n What did the team bosses say?<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s a relief that we started testing and it actually feels decent,\u201d said Team Principal Toto Wolff. \u201cThe 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.\u201d<\/p>\n Hopes for Australia<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n The Silver Arrows have been tipped as a favourite amongst many of their rivals \u2013 but it will be fascinating to see where they sit amongst that leading group when the action gets underway in Melbourne.<\/p>\n Red Bull<\/p>\n How was their pre-season?<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n However, the maiden power unit impressed many with its reliability, enabling Red Bull<\/a> to complete a healthy number of laps in Barcelona before continuing that form when pre-season testing began in Bahrain.<\/p>\n While there were some issues along the way \u2013 with Isack Hadjar<\/a>\u2019s running hampered by technical problems at the first test \u2013 the Milton Keynes-based squad still gained plenty of mileage and seemingly had fewer problems during the second test.<\/p>\n Their tallies for each week were fairly consistent, having recorded 343 tours at Test 1 and 329 during Test 2.<\/p>\n What did the drivers say?<\/p>\n \u201cIn general for us, it\u2019s been a very positive start to the year,\u201d Max Verstappen<\/a> summarised at the second test. \u201cOverall I\u2019m very happy, very happy with the car \u2013 in general we don\u2019t have too many problems, so that\u2019s been okay.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI feel as ready as I can heading into Melbourne,\u201d Hadjar commented. \u201cThe guys have been very good on making the most of the test \u2013 we\u2019ve been through so much test items, so I\u2019m very happy with the understanding of the car.\u201d<\/p>\n What did the team bosses say?<\/p>\n While Team Principal Laurent Mekies voiced his pride at what Red Bull Powertrains had achieved with the new engine, the Frenchman cautioned: \u201cDoes it put us in a position that we can be satisfied with? No, it doesn\u2019t 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.\u201d<\/p>\n Hopes for Australia<\/p>\n Despite their good showing at testing, Mekies believes that Red Bull are \u201ctrailing the group of the top guys\u201d, suggesting that Mercedes, Ferrari and McLaren \u2013 though not necessarily in that order \u2013 are ahead of them.<\/p>\n Does this mean that the squad will be fourth-fastest in Australia? All will be revealed in less than two weeks\u2019 time\u2026<\/p>\n Ferrari<\/p>\n How was their pre-season?<\/p>\n Ferrari<\/a> 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.<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n 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<\/a>\u2019s lap of 1m 31.992s.<\/p>\n Ferrari appeared to experience good reliability for the most part, despite a stoppage on track for Lewis Hamilton<\/a> at the very end of the first test.<\/p>\n What did the drivers say?<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019ve had relatively smooth test days,\u201d Leclerc explained during Test 2. \u201cWe\u2019ve tested most of the things we wanted, so I feel like it was a really good preparation for Race 1 \u2013 then for performance, I think we\u2019ve got to wait and see in the first Qualifying.\u201d<\/p>\n Hamilton reflected positively on testing in a social media post, writing: \u201cI know what needs to be done. This is going to be one hell of a season. I\u2019ve given everything to be here today.\u201d<\/p>\n What did the team bosses say?<\/p>\n At the end of the second test, Team Principal Fred Vasseur commented: \u201c[I\u2019m] 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.\u201d<\/p>\n Hopes for Australia<\/p>\n While pleased with Ferrari\u2019s mileage in Bahrain, Vasseur also stressed that the team could not read too much into performance levels \u2013 as well as suggesting that development throughout the season may be more important than how the squad fare in Melbourne.<\/p>\n Having said that, the Frenchman conceded that he would \u201cprefer to have a good result than a bad one\u201d at the season-opener, where the Scuderia are tipped to be in that battle amongst the top four.<\/p>\n Williams<\/p>\n How was their pre-season?<\/p>\n Of all 11 teams, Williams<\/a> 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.<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n 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\u2019 Championship.<\/p>\n What did the drivers say?<\/p>\n \u201cWe got good mileage on week one of Bahrain \u2013 this week was a little bit more performance-orientated,\u201d Alex Albon<\/a> explained during the second test. \u201cWe\u2019re not maybe where we want to be, and we won\u2019t get [those] days back, but I think we\u2019ve got as much data as we need to.\u201d<\/p>\n Carlos Sainz<\/a> said: \u201cThe car is running reliably from the beginning \u2013 that\u2019s 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.\u201d<\/p>\n What did the team bosses say?<\/p>\n \u201c[Williams are] not first, not last,\u201d Team Principal James Vowles gave as his assessment of where the team place. \u201cThe good news is every time we go out with the car, we\u2019re learning and finding a little bit more performance, so hopefully a little bit more to come.\u201d<\/p>\n Hopes for Australia<\/p>\n Given their late start as mentioned above, Williams will perhaps keep their expectations in check for the season-opening Australian Grand Prix.<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n Racing Bulls<\/p>\n How was their pre-season?<\/p>\n There were two new factors coming into play for Racing Bulls<\/a> during the pre-season \u2013 that being the running of the maiden Red Bull Ford Powertrains engine, and the addition of rookie Arvid Lindblad<\/a> to the driver line-up.<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n This also saw Lindblad record the highest daily mileage of any driver, clocking 165 tours on the final day of the event.<\/p>\n What did the drivers say?<\/p>\n \u201cI think just completing a run plan in a test like this is a good achievement, with how difficult these new cars are,\u201d said Liam Lawson<\/a>. \u201cSo far it\u2019s okay, performance-wise very hard to know obviously what everybody else is doing, but we\u2019ll find out pretty soon in Melbourne.\u201d<\/p>\n Lindblad<\/a> added: \u201cThings are going well so far. We\u2019re getting through all the programme, so I think it\u2019s been positive.\u201d<\/p>\n What did the team bosses say?<\/p>\n At the end of Test 1, Team Principal Alan Permane commented: \u201cThis week we\u2019ve had a very good week. It didn\u2019t start off so well \u2013 we had an issue on the first day, so we only ran half a day \u2013 but since then it\u2019s gone swimmingly. We\u2019re running so we\u2019re learning, and that\u2019s the key.\u201d<\/p>\n Hopes for Australia<\/p>\n The off-season undoubtedly looked positive for Racing Bulls, which will bolster the team\u2019s hopes of defending their P6 finish from 2025.<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n Aston Martin<\/p>\n How was their pre-season?<\/p>\n In terms of which teams faced the most challenging pre-season, it is no secret that Aston Martin<\/a> are in that group.<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n Arriving on the back foot, Aston Martin ended the first test with the lowest lap count on 206 \u2013 which dropped further to just 128 at the second test, during which reliability issues curtailed the squad\u2019s running.<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n What did the drivers say?<\/p>\n When asked if the issues with the AMR26 may just be growing pains, Lance Stroll<\/a> responded: \u201cI think we can improve the car, for sure \u2013 we have a lot of ideas. Will all of our problems be fixed for Melbourne? Probably not, but it\u2019s a long season, 24 races, so we keep chipping away.\u201d<\/p>\n Fernando Alonso<\/a> admitted that the team had faced a \u201cdifficult start\u201d, adding: \u201cLots 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.\u201d<\/p>\n What did the team bosses say?<\/p>\n Team Representative Pedro de la Rosa conceded that the squad are \u201cnot where we wanted to be\u201d, explaining during the second test: \u201cWe would have preferred to do a lot more quantity of laps, but the laps we\u2019ve done is showing us a direction for the future. There is a lot of work to be done still behind the scenes.\u201d<\/p>\n Hopes for Australia<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n However, while expectations might be modest for Australia, the team are focused on the long-term, with De la Rosa adding: \u201cIt\u2019s a long journey, it\u2019s a long season as well, but we still have a mission to be completed.\u201d<\/p>\n Haas<\/p>\n How was their pre-season?<\/p>\n After gaining a sizeable number of laps at the Barcelona Shakedown, Haas<\/a> carried this theme of good mileage through into pre-season testing.<\/p>\n The American outfit recorded 390 laps at the first Bahrain test \u2013 leaving them behind only McLaren, Williams and Ferrari and putting them on target with their programme.<\/p>\n They went on to better this at Test 2 with a tally of 404 tours as Esteban Ocon<\/a> and Ollie Bearman<\/a> put the VF-26 through its paces.<\/p>\n It appeared as if the squad enjoyed strong reliability, too, as they continued to run through their plan.<\/p>\n What did the drivers say?<\/p>\n Speaking on the final day of the second test, Bearman said: \u201cWe\u2019re 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\u2019ve learned the most about the car, which is good because it\u2019s more or less the one we\u2019re going to bring into Melbourne.\u201d<\/p>\n Ocon echoed these sentiments as he commented: \u201cI think it\u2019s been a very good test for us. Since Barcelona, every time we\u2019ve put the car down on a new day, we\u2019ve improved some stuff, we found more performance.\u201d<\/p>\n What did the team bosses say?<\/p>\n \u201cWe had a good run programme, really gaining understanding every day,\u201d Team Principal Ayao Komatsu summarised after pre-season testing. \u201cSo I think [we\u2019re] reasonably happy with the progress we\u2019ve been making.\u201d<\/p>\n Hopes for Australia<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n Audi<\/p>\n How was their pre-season?<\/p>\n Audi<\/a> 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\u2019s works outfit.<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n After completing 353 tours during Test 1, Audi ended the second test with another 357 laps under their belt.<\/p>\n Now their attentions switch to the squad\u2019s first race under their new name in Melbourne \u2013 but where will they place in the pecking order?<\/p>\n What did the drivers say?<\/p>\n Nico Hulkenberg<\/a> spoke of the journey from where the team started the pre-season as he reflected during Test 2: \u201cI certainly feel we made some very good progress from Barcelona to where we are today. Definitely some positives there, but it\u2019s still early days.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThere\u2019s a lot of work to be done ahead of us,\u201d said Gabriel Bortoleto<\/a>. \u201cIt\u2019s a completely new power unit for us \u2013 we are the only team running the Audi engine, so everything that we hit on track is new learnings and new tests.\u201d<\/p>\n What did the team bosses say?<\/p>\n \u201cTo be where we are and achieve the mileage that we achieved last week is hugely encouraging,\u201d Team Principal Jonathan Wheatley explained during Test 2. \u201cBut it\u2019s an ambitious journey we\u2019re on, and we\u2019re a little way away from where we\u2019d ideally be at the moment.\u201d<\/p>\n Hopes for Australia<\/p>\n Bearing in mind Wheatley\u2019s comments, Audi are unlikely to be setting lofty ambitions for what they hope to achieve from the off in Melbourne.<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n Alpine<\/p>\n How was their pre-season?<\/p>\n After a difficult 2025 campaign \u2013 in which they finished at the bottom of the pack \u2013 Alpine<\/a> entered 2026 with the hope that their decision to switch focus to this season\u2019s new regulations at a very early stage last year would pay dividends.<\/p>\n 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<\/a> and Pierre Gasly<\/a> experiencing stoppages on track.<\/p>\n Things looked to go more smoothly at Test 2, in which the team completed 359 laps at the wheel of the A526.<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n What did the drivers say?<\/p>\n \u201c[There\u2019s] quite a lot to get up to speed [with],\u201d Gasly remarked at the second test. \u201cBut I think generally I\u2019m pretty pleased. It\u2019s such a big change, it\u2019s going to take some time to figure everything out, but same for everyone, and I think we\u2019re enjoying that challenge.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI think we are still learning a lot about the car [and] the engine \u2013 it\u2019s all very different to last year,\u201d said Colapinto. \u201cSo it\u2019s very early to say, but at the moment it\u2019s going well.\u201d<\/p>\n What did the team bosses say?<\/p>\n Managing Director Steve Nielsen commented on where the team stand: \u201cWe\u2019re confident we\u2019ve taken a step from last year, but where we stack up, we don\u2019t know until Melbourne. We\u2019re all trying to second-guess what each other\u2019s doing.\u201d<\/p>\n Hopes for Australia<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n Cadillac<\/p>\n How was their pre-season?<\/p>\n The pre-season perhaps posed the biggest unknown of all for Cadillac<\/a>, ahead of the squad\u2019s very first campaign in Formula 1.<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n While there were some technical issues along the way, Cadillac ended each week with a solid lap count as they worked through their programme.<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n What did the drivers say?<\/p>\n Looking ahead to what Cadillac can hope for in their maiden campaign, Valtteri Bottas<\/a> said: \u201cIt 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\u2019s] not about where we start from, but where we end up.\u201d<\/p>\n