Pre-season F1 testing is a bit like a disinformation campaign. Take the fastest lap, which was set by Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc. That lap time doesn’t really matter because pre-season testing conditions are cooler. Cooler conditions are better for the engine and tyres, so naturally faster lap times are easier to achieve.

We also don’t know the fuel levels Ferrari was running, and Ferrari’s lap time was nearly two seconds off the fastest qualifying time for the 2025 Bahrain Grand Prix. So we know that we know nothing about Ferrari. But we do have evidence suggesting Ferrari may have a more competitive season this year.

Ferrari looked conservative but strong. They covered a lot of laps, gathered plenty of data, and seem better prepared than in previous years. But it remains to be seen whether they have a competitive package. They introduced a number of technical innovations, but whether these will make a difference on track is unknown.

McLaren and Mercedes also looked strong, and Red Bull looked impressive — impressive because they switched to their in-house designed powertrain. F1 engine development is extremely difficult to master, and Red Bull clearly has an impressive powertrain engineering division.

I still think Red Bull may suffer engine issues, because a Grand Prix weekend will push their engine to the extreme. Extreme conditions are difficult to replicate on the test bench. Aston Martin arrived at pre-season testing like an office worker forgetting to put their socks on for an important morning meeting.

Aston Martin Troubles And Woes

Aston Martin opted to switch from Mercedes engine supply to full Honda works engines, and they are in trouble. They’ve had more engine troubles than test laps covered — OK, that’s an exaggeration, or is it? The Honda engine has proved unreliable. Fixes are being implemented that should arrive for the first race of the season in Melbourne.

The Adrian Newey-designed AMR26 is complex — too complex for its own good? When a designer is given too much freedom, they tend to go overindulge and overdo the concepts. I think that’s why the AMR26 was late to run. It will take half a season before the AMR26 is understood and its full potential unlocked.

As for the rest of the grid — Audi, Racing Bulls, Haas, Cadillac, Williams and Renault — they will likely prop up the midfield. For alll the fanfare recieved, I can’t see Audi making it to the podium. For them, it will be a tough year because they are using their own engine, and it could be the case that Audi is running their engine at reduced revs to focus on reliability.

But Audi ran a solid test program with few issues, so I could be wrong. With the 2026 pre-season test campaign over, the conclusion remains the same every year: we know that we know nothing. Melbourne will reveal the truth.